Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-03-27
The Protection that will break up the Solid
Political SOuth.

Political S0uth.
The New York Herald of Sunday has
long interview with General Roger A.
Pryor, in which he expresses the opinion
that the Republican doctrine of protection
to American industries, through the tariff,
in connection with such policy on the part
of the present adm,nistratiO as will guar
antee white government in the Southern
States, will break up the political solidity
of the South. He thinks that President
Harrison has determined not to make any
sectional suggestions or take any sectional
action, and that the administration will
proceed upon the theory of home rule and
let it be distinctly understood that there
will be no Federal inter ference with the
State administrations. Having once estab-
lished this impression and made the South
ern people feel that they can with safety
differ in politics and divide upon economical
issues, and having appointed to office a
good class of persons in whom the various
communities have confidence, the race per
plexity will disappear and white men will
| feel free to take any side of politics that
| their inclinatiOns lead them to prefer.
Whether General Pryor's suppositions
are well founded or not as to the purpose
| of The President in respect to the true policy
| for the dsntegration of the solid South, it
| is absolutely certain that no inducement
whatever can divide the Southern whites SO
| long as the fact stares them in the face that
| Republication at the North and the blacks
of The South are combined against them.
All questions of economy aud of admins
tratlon sink into insignifcauce by this one
of safe government at home. Just as soon
as it shall appear beyond dispute or suspi-
cion that the Republican administ- alton
has settled upon the policy of letting the
Sou, hern States govern themselves, under
the Constitution, without Federal interfer-
ence or supervision of any sor, ,just so soon
will the Democratic solidity of the South be
in danger and the Republican party have
chance of carrying Southern State.
| 1t is nothing unreasonable that the
Southern people wish. 1t is what is best
for all Glasses, white and black, rich and
poor. The protection idea of which Gen
eral Pryor speaks, as important for the de-
velopiug South, is an attractive one, whether
sound when tested by the science of politi-
| cal economy or not, and there are many
who are eager to have the benefit of its real
| or fancied advantages in the South, but
when it is offered, coupled with the horrors
| of alien and ignorant rule 10 our local gov
eminent, it is thrust aside just as any other
danger would be when presented in the
shape of temptation. There are two
| kinds of protection for US, one the protec-
ton of our civilization and the other the
protection of our industries. If the protec
ton of industries cannot come along with
| the other then we can do without it. If
they can oome hand in hand, and the white
people of the Southern country can bs pro-
| teotionists and Republicans wihoutjeopard
ing their social and political safety, then
| they may break the unit action, but not
otherwise.-Norfolk Landmark.
PRESIDENT HARRIsoN's BEHRING SEA
PRoCLAMATIoN.-The proclamation which
the President issued last week closing the
waters Of Rahiing sea within the dominion
of the United States is understood to apply
not only to American, but to foreign YES
sells. The proclamation prohibits all per
sons from entering the waters of Behring
sea within the dominion of the United
States to hunt seal, under penalty of fine
and imprisonment and seizure and forfeit
ture of the vessels. This step is taken in
consequence of the act approved March 2,
1899 which extends the provision Of the
law for tine protection of fur bearing ami
mails Id the Alaska territory to the waters of
Behrng sea and makes it the duty of the
President at timely season in each year
TO Issue his proclamation warning all per
sons against entering waters for the ppr-
pose of violating the provisions of tho law.
He is also required TO cause one or more
vessels of the United States to- diligently
cruise these waters and arrest all persons
and seize ali vessels foun1 TO have been en-
gagged in any violation of the laws of the
Uniten Stares therein. simultaneously with
the utterance of the proclamation a war
vessel, the Fhetis, was ordered TO proceed
to Alaska 1t is thought that both Eng
land and Russia concur in the general object
of the United States, which is the protection
of the seal and to prevent its extinction
Our government holds. as DID its predeces-
sor in Alaska. the Russian go Iernmeat,
that the fur saal in Alaska aan be perpet-
mated only by strict laws regulating and
limiting the killing of toe animals. The is
lands where the seals go for breeding dur
ing the summer are on the American side
of the boundary. hetween the dominion of
this country and Russia. The Alaska Fur
Seal Company, enjoying the monopoly of
this trade, has concessions both from the
United States and Russia. The Russian
law has been strictly carried ont, but our
own has been lenieutly or inefficently en-
forced. American. Canadian and British
vessels, it is said, committed frequent and
sometimes wanton depredations on the
valuable fur bearing animals of Alaskan
waters, aud our government is determined
to put stop TO it1by extending the pro-
hibition to all the dominion of the United
States in the waters of Behring sea. The
extent of this dominion can be settled, of
course, without war.-Balt. Sun.
DEyELoPING Wet VIRGINIA dis.
patch fFom Charleston, ". Va, to the
Wheeling InteAigencer says: ut is stated
upon the best authority that within sixty
| days 2 600 men will begin the work of grad
! ing for the extension of the Norfolk and
Western Railroad from Elkhorp, Mcdowell
county, to The Ohio river, running through
Logan and Wayne counties. It is said that
all tha arrangements have been made to
push the work forward to immediate com
! pletion, and the money secured, $4,000, 900
of bonds having been sold in London re-
Gently. The road will develop one of the
richest coal territories in West Virginia, a. d
its operation will save 600 miles Of trans
portation in reaching the Western markets
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