Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-02-08
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
Senator D. W. Voorhees, and the President s
Message.

When Senator Voorhees, replied to Sena
tor Sherman's assault upon the President
Message, we published an extract from the
abstract of his speech; but as his position
aud that of the President have been misrep
resented, we publish below a few extracts
from his speech as delivered, that our read.
ers may know the policy recommended by
the President and see the injustice of those
who charge him with advocating the policy
of free trade.
Senator Voorhees, said:-
As choice between reducing internal
revenue or tariff taxation, l shall labor to
cheaper woolens, linens, cotton fabrics, salt,
lumber, coal, iron. steel, and all the other
great staple commodities, rather than such
articles as are INDUCED in from acquired
habits or luxurious modes of living. Sir, ]
need hardly assure the Senate that do not
at this advanced period of political economy
announce these views because of any charm
of novelty or new invention. They are old
and automatic; they contain self-evident and
necessary truths, and no process of reason.
ing or demonstration can make them plain
er, and yet because the President has main
tanned them in his late message he is as
sailed as if he had made violent departure
from every sound principle of government
Ia the following clear, terse sentence taker
from the message is to be found the very
marrow of the question now before US
"The taxation of luxuries presents no fea.
lures of hardship, but the necessaries Of
life used and consumed by all the people
the duty upon which adds to the cost oil
living in every home, should be greatly
cheapened."
What higher, broader, stronger, platform
than this is required for a victorious ca N.
paign of the year now just opened !? In hoe
sig2ao rinces. The Democratic party will in
scribe this great sentence on it's coors, and
challenge its adversaries 10 the arbitrament
of the ballot. The result will not be doubt
full
Again Senator Voorhees, says:
But let us examine somewhat further as
to the methods suggested, and the spirit
manifested by the Executive in his very able
and patriotic message. Falsely and foolishly
stigmatized as a free-trdde document, we find
in it, speaking of the tariff, the following ex-
plicit avowal j:
SIT must be extensively continued as the
source of the Governments income and in
a readjustment of our tariff the interests of
American labor engaged in manufacture
should be carefelly considered, as we'll as
the preservation of our manufactur es. 1t
may be called protection, or by any other
name, but relief from the bardships and
dangers of our present tariff laws should be
devised with especial precaution against i'm
periling the existence of our manufacturing
interests"
Is it in wise, conservative statements
like these, guarding the interests of Amer
lean manufacturers on one hand, while seek
ing to relieve the people on the other, that
the doctrines of free trade are so plentifully
found Or is the mythical monster, .free
trade, discovered lurking in the following
splendid paragraph, enunciated by the
President in a tone worthy the best states
manship in the history Of the Republic
''Our progress toward wise conclusion
will not be improved by DIV cling upon the
theories of protection and free trade. This
savors too much of bandying epithets. 1t is
condition which cohfronts us-not the
DRY. Relief from this condition may involve
slight reduction of the advantages which
we award our home productions, but the
entire withdraw of such advantages should
not he contemplated. The question of free
trade is absolutely irrelevant and the per-
sistent claim made in certain quarters, that
all efforts to relieve the people from unjust
and unnecessary taxation are schemes of So
called free traders. is mischievous aud far
removed from any consideration for the pub
lie good.
The simple and plain duty which we
owe the people is to reduce taxation to the
necessary expenses of an economical opera
tion of the government, and to restore to
the business of the country the money which
we hold in the treasury through the perver-
sion of governmental powers. These things
can and should be done with safety to our
industries, without danger to the opportun-
ity for remunerative labor which our work
ingmen need, and with benefit to them and
all our people, by cheapening their means
of subsistence and increasing the measures
of their comforts
Sir, does it not seem that those who cayil
with Mr.. Cleveland and denounce his views
on tariff taxation are such as have predeter-
mined quarrel and would not approve tine
Declaration of American Independence lift
came from his hand Such political lead
ers may have their uses, but in the present
instance it requires no gift of prophecy to
foresee that as blind leaders of the blind
they and their followers will roll in the
ditch of defeat together.