The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-01-05
Democratic Gratitude for an Omis
sion in the Presidents Recent
Annual Message.
For the yIRGINIAN,

Thee is one omission in President
Cleveland'S recent message which affords
the prom nent Democrats of Virsina I'M
speakable joy, and which has greatly in
creased their admiration for the Nation's
Chief Ruler; that is his kind and patriotic
regard for their happiness AMI prosperity
by emitting to recommend reduction Of
the duties on Sumac to ''the lowest posi-
BILE point.n If there is a product in the
old Commonwealth which commands
Democratic respect and a desire to pro.
tect from foreign competition, it is the
ornamental sumac; in short it is the only
article which is found above and below
Virginia's sacred soil which her Demo-
| cratic representative and law makers con-
slider worthy of protection. Hence the
ineXpresslble. 10y of its admirers that the
President in his labored argument to re
duce the surplus in the Nations treas
ury, "did not include sumac in his free
trade list This fact in itself viii secure
an undivided vote of the Virginia dele
cation for Grover Cleveland at the forth
coming Democratic National Convention.
Democratic admiration for Virginia SUI
mac dates back to the legislative session
held in the spring of 1871. and their devc
ton for this native shrub has been on the
increase since that memorable assemblage
of wisdom and political economy. We are
indebted tn that old and reliable journal, !
the Richmond Wing, for the legislative re-
ports and editorials published at that time.
Tor the particulars of sumac being brought |
before the Legislature as a proper subject |
for discussion. Congress was also in ses-
SION and a bill to reduce the tariff on coal |
and iron was one of the questions before !
it. A maiority,of the Virginia Demo
cratic Legislature were so anxious for a |
reduction Of duties on iron and coal that a
resolution was introduced and passed in |
structing the Virginia delegation in Con- |
gress to vote solid for free coal and iron, q
Now comes the interesting part of this
anti-tariff movement. A few days after |
passing the resolution to reduce the duties
on coal and iron, this self same Democratic |
Legislature passed another resolution in
structing the same Congressional delega
ton to introduce and earnestly support a
bill to increase the tariff on sumac. In all
the records of legislation such another
instance Of descending from the sublime
to the ridiculous cannot be found.
On the following day the Wing called
the attention of the honorable members
To fho tun rlr oh
sharply rebuked them for their childish
inconsistency that they had placed them
selves in very ridiculous attitude by ex-
| tending more favors to that insignificant
herb, sumac. than to Virginia's immense
and exceedingly rich deposits of iron and
coal. In plain language it insinuated that
a legislature COR posed Of lunatics would
not have put on record such an act of Stu
pidity.
Gov. Wise, in his fonr-hours speech il
Alexandria. in 1856, propounded this i'm
portant question: "Why has Virginia
been dwarfed i'll the Union n
You have the bowels of your mountains
rich in iron, in coal, in copper, in salt. and
in oil yet you have set no tilt hammer
of Vulcan to strike blows worthy of the
gods in the iron foundries you shave no
commerce, no mining, no manufactures
you have relied alone on the single power
of agriculture, and such agriculture In
stead of having to feed cattle on a thou
sand hills you have to chase the stump
tail steer through the sedge patches to
procure tough beefsteak !"
The only answer that can be given to
Coy. Wise's interrogative is that Vir-
ginia, for the past seventy-ive years, has
! been under the control of "sumac'' legis
tors and ''stump-tailed'' statesman. who
| have adopted all the means in their power
to prevent the State from becoming a
manufacturing district, and to prevent
developing her immense mineral resources.
d. t.
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