Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1889-03-05

by shc adoption Of the constitution. was not
accomplished until the suggestions of reason
were strongly enforced by The more impera-
tive voice of experience. The divergent in
terests of peace speedily demanded ssmore
perfect unicn." The merchant. the shipmas-
ter and tie manufacturer discovered and dis.
closed TO our statesmen and TO the people
that commercial emancipation must be added
TO the political freedom which had been so
bravely won.
The commercial policy of the mother
country had not relaxed any Of its hard and
oppressive features To hold in check the
development of our commercial marine, to
prevent or retard the establishment and
growth Of manufactures in the states, and 50
to secure the American market for their
shops and the carrying trade for their ships,
was the policy of European statesmen, and
was pursued with the most selfish vigor.
Petitions poured in upon congress urging the
imposition of discriminating duties that
should encourage the production of needed
things at home.
The patriotism of the people, which no
longer found a field of exercise in war, was
theoretically directed to the duty of equip
ping the young republic for the defense of
its independence by making its people self
dependent
Societies for the promotion Of home man.
ufactures and for encouraging the use of do
mestics in the dress of the people were organ
lied in many of the states. The revival at
the end of the century of the same patriotic
interest in the preservation AMI development
of domestic industries and the defense of
our working people against injurious foreign
competition is an incident worthy of atten-
ton 1t is not departure, but a return,
that we have witnessed.
The protective policy had then its oppo-
nents. The argument was made as now, that
its benefits Injured to particular classes or
sections. II the question became in any sense
or at any time sectional it was only because
slavery existed in some of the states But for
this there was no reason why the cotton pro-
ducing states should not have led or walked
abreast with the New England states in the
production of cotton ia brics. There was this
reason only why the states that divide with
Pennsylvania the mineral treasures of the
great southeastern and central mountain
ranges, should have been so tardy i'll bringing
TO the smelling furnace and to the mill the
coal and iron from their near opposing hill
sides.
Mill fires were lighted at the funeral pile of
slavery. The emancipation proclamation was
heard in the depths OF the earth, as well as in
the sky. Men were made free and material
things became our better servants. The sec
tional element has happily been eliminated
from the tariff discussion. We have no
longer states that are necessarily only plant
ing states. None are excluded from
achieving that diversification of pur-
suit among the people which brings
wealth and contentment. The cotton
plantation will not be less valuable when the
product is spun in the county town by oper-
atives whose necessities call for diversified
crops and create q home demand for garden
and agricultural products. Every new mine,
furnace and factory is an extension of the
productive capacity of the state, more real
and valuable than added territory.
Shall the prejudices and paralysis of slavery
continue to hang upon the skirts of progressl
How long will those who rejoice that slavery
no longer exists cherish or tolerate the inca
pacties it put upon their communities
/ look hopefully TO the continuance of our
protective system and to the consequent
development of manufacturing and mining
enterprises in the states hitherto wholly given
TO agriculture, as patent influence in the
perfect untication OF ,ur people, The men
who have invested their capital IN these enter
priseS, the farm rs who have felt ths benefit
of their neighbOrhood, and the men who work
in shop or field viii not fail to find and to
defend u community of interest Is it not
quite possible that the farmers and the pro-
meters of the great mining and manufactur-
ing enterpr ses, which have recently been
established III the south, may yet find that the
free ballot of the workingman, without dis.
tinction of race is needed for their defense
as well rs for his ownl
l do not doubt that if those men in the
south who now accept the tariff views OF
Clay aud the constitutional expositions of
Webster would courageously ayow and de-
fend their real convictions they would not
find it difficult by friendly instruction and CO.
operation to make the black man their effi-
Gent and safe ally, not only i'll establishing
correct principles in our national adminIstra-
ton, but in preserving for their local commu-
mites the benefits OF social order and eco
nomlcal and honest government. At least
until the good offices of kindness and educa-
ton have been fairly tried, the contrary con-
c.usion cannot be plausibly urged
HE WILL ENFORCE THE LAWS
have altogether rejected the suggestion
of a speculative policy for any section of our
country. 1t is the duty of the executive to
administer and enforce, in the methods and
by the Observation-Disclosures pointed out and pro-
NitiCQ ~ ZIG OoASt2bAbAo&t. TIC laws cudCpeu
by congress. These laws are general, and
their administration should be uniform and
equal. As a citizen may not elect what laws
he may obey, neither may the executive elect
which he WI enforce. The duty to obey
and to execute embraces the constitution in
its entirety and the whole code of laws en-
acted under it,
The evil example of permitting individual
corporations or communities to nullify the
laws because they cross some selfish or local
interests or prejudices is full of danger, not
only to the nation at large, but much more
to those who use this pernicious expedient to
escape their just obligations or to obtain an
unjust advantage over others They viii
presently themselves be compelled to appeal
to the law for protection, and those who
would use the law as defense must not deny
that use of it to Others.
If our great corporations would scrupu-
lollsly observe their legal limitations and