Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-13
The Difference.


vile Chronicle fails TO note the distinc-
ton between reading Democratic Pro-
tectionists ont of the Democratic party
and asking anti ProtectionIstS not to read
them out. We have said, in speaking OF
tariff reform, that to refuse to compromise
at all is to refuse to legislate at all.
Congressman cannot be driven into the
support of measures 70 which they are
honestly opposed. We have never seen an
article in a Virginia Democratic paper
declaring that the anti-PrOtectionist
Democrats ought to be read out OF the
Democratic party but we have seen
articles in Virginia papers which spoke
of Mr.. RASDALL-and by implication OF
his supporters-as if he and they were
Republicans in disguise, and which
charged, what has been so often denied,
that his congressional district was made
for him by Republican Legislature be-
cause he was in the Democratic party "a
wolf in sleeps clothing"
The Chronicle has never seen a word
il this paper in denunciation of what are
called Free Trade Democrats" or, as
we call them them because they do not
like to be styled "Free Traders" anti
Protectionist Democrats.
We quote the Chronicle:
1--WE fully agree with the Dispatch
that the statesman's duty, while striving
for the rcry best. is to accept the best
Obfdindble lest his stubbornness lose
everything by aiming for all. But while
the Dispatch hOnOTs us by extensive
extracts from our editorials advising our
revenue-reform friends to be reasonable
and tender of the opinions OF Democrats
differing from them, we do not see that
il has followed the good example set by
warning its own extreme friends not to
be too uncompromlsing.
Then You have not done us the honor
10 read our editorials on the subject
As long ago as the 29th of February We
said in our leader
This is evidently compromise mea-
sure. though Nj. Randall Is reported
10 be dissatisfied with it. We regret
that the distinguished Pennsylvania
cannot find il consistent with his opinions
and his duty to join hands with the
members of the Committee OF Ways and
Means In their efforts to reform the tariff
and at the same time relieve tobacco OF
heavy tax. There are three hundred and
twenty-five members IN the House of
Representatives, and it is therefore an
impossibihty that every one of them can
secure the passage OF bill according
entirely with his own notions. However,
we still hope that the Randallites and the
Carlisleites will find what the European
diplomatists call mOdus riUendj--a
manner OF living together-s tariff bill
in support of which all good Democrats
can unite.
We have consistently opposed the at
tempt to make protection the one con-
trolling issue in the Democratic party of
Virginia. 1t is more important to Vir
GINA that her government should be
kept in the hands Of the Democrats than
that the tariff should be revised; and
therefore we have not sought to create
the impression that the farmers are suf
fering so much under the operation of
the present tariff that they will vote the
Republican ticket next fall unless that
tariff be remodelled. We do not be-
heve that the voters of Virginia will cut
of their noses TO spite their faces. They
will not vote for the candidate for Presi-
dent who advocates the highest of Gus
toms-duties to spite the Democrats who
favor a reasonable tariff upon sumac,
tobacco, peanuts, coal, iron, &c, &c.
Finally, to Let our Charlottesville con-
temporary know exactly where we stand,
we will say once more that the Demo
Gratis of the whole country should recOl
lect that above all else their party is
pledged to the preservation of Fan
indissoluble Union Of indestructible
States" that its mission is to keep the
national Government, if possible, in the
form in which it was handed down 10y
the fathers Of the republic 10 their i'm
mediate successors and that no other
question can possibly be s. important as
the question rs to whether or not gov
eminent of the people by the people for
the people shall perish from the earth.