Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-02-04
THE FARMERS AND THETARIFF.

It is one of the most astonishing
facts in our history that Bourbon
party in our midst should so stOlidly
setrthemselves to work to break down
business interests in a class of the
population among whom their own
lot is cast, c0mprisinga larger portion
by far than any other single class, and
amounting To millions upon whose
labor, il has always been acknowledge
ed, the welfare of other classes de-
ponds ia greater ratio than all 9TH
ers; for 1t is well known that when
ever there Is failure, or any other
calamity, tn any considerable extent
of either of our great staple products
OF the farm, depression is universally
felt in every other branch ct business.
This fact no Intelligent person can
deny, and yet the cry is raised that in
order To reduce the price of 1mnufac-
tured goods tn the people the duty on
all raw materials shall be reduced, or
entirely repealed. The President, in
his message to Congress, ha, taken
this ground, and designated hut
single item-that of woul-to elucid-
ate his idea, and his party to great
extent has adopted the principle thus
advanced. and now for the first time
the free trade party are obliged to
acknowledge that the line is distinct.
~ drawn between the TWO great par
ties of the country, although the free
traders have always endeavored to
shirk the question, and given other
names to their projects to attain
their ultimate ends. a change,
however, has come over some oftheui,
especially in the South, where the
beneficial effects of the protective
system is being realized to
their newly established industries,
which are now found to be endanger-
ed, Just as their great value Is assured
by the booms which have taken place
in various sections of the South, and
the people there can see no reason why
their own agricultural products should
be burdened with the war taxes, which
have always been promptly abolished
when, in times of war or other neces-
sites, these internal taxes have been
established. Senator Brown, of Georg-
ia, in his speech-which was posi-
tive slap in the face to his party lead
er, President Cleveland, whose mes
sage elected determination to hold
on to the internal revenue taxes on
tobacco and spirits, aud to reduce the
surplus by the repeal of the duty on
foreign imports al0ne-declared his
determination to vote for the repeal
of the entire system of internal tax
alton, aud to raise the revenue on inn
ports, as the leading statesmen of the
country has done. Senator Vance, of
North Carolina, also opposes the Pres
ident's doctrine as Odi0us to his peo-
pie, and has determined iOeut off, first,
the internal duties, aud then duties on
imports. This senator was very fair
in his representation of the status of
the two parties, retnarking that the
President had nox drawn the line so
distinctly that there could bc no more
quibbling upon the suhject-the Dem
Ocratic position enuuciated by the
President, and acknowledged to be
received as the platform Of the party;
that the tariff on foreign goods shall
be reduced or taken off, and the duties
on the internal revenue shall he con-
tinued whilst the Republican party,
he said. had taken their stand firmly
on maintaining the present duties on
all imports, which come into competi-
ton with similar classes produced in
this country, while the internal reve-
nue. on tobacco and on cerGan classes
of spirits should be taken off. This is
a true statement of the ease, and the
friends of protection rtjGice that at
last they have the naked question be-
fore them, when they have been for
years endeavoring To induce their OPP
ponents to av0w. They can no longer
hide their Interior object ny the
cry of" judicious taritf''or "tariff
for revenue" or tariff 10 reduce the
surplus revenue. Call it by what name
they please, the world now under
stands that the object is to secure free
trade, and the English papers are
gloating over the announcement as
being in favor Of their interests.