Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-10-29

cles expressed it, holds that anything il
iustiiable in law and morals that will secure
the continuance of Republican rule. Let il
also be remembered that by Democratic
victory in this election we will secure con.
troll of one House of the legislative depart
ment, and thus protect ourselves against
further injurious sectional and unconstitu-
tional laws, and it would then be needless
to ask whether or not it is of vital impor.
ance that the fullest Democratic vote should
be cast.
CONGRESSIONAL HISTORY.
The history of the Republican party for
years constitutes a record of usurpation,
tyranny, treachery, broken promises, disre-
gard of constitutional methods, and efforts
to debauch the public morals. But it was
left for those now in control of its machinery
to sound the depths of political turpitude.
To recall but few of the important meas
ures passed and attempted to be passed du-
ring the last session of Congress should in.
sure active and vigorous CO operation for
Democratic success, upon which all must
concede the peace and prosperity Of Virgin
ia depend.
One of the most prominent measures
passed, by the session of Congress lately ad-
iourned is the tariff bill, commonly known
as the "McKinley BILL" That measure is
a crushing Indictment of the Republican
party for deception, brazen hypocrisy, brok-
en- faith with the people, and efforts to ex-
tort from the poor the means to make the
rich richer and by the purchase of votes
more firmly fasten upon the country the
CALLING yoke of Republicanism. The design
of that bill is 80 plain that he who runs may
read. By increasing the tariff charge or
taxes laid by the Government upon nearly
every article introduced into this country
from abroad, it will allow home manufac-
turers to charge such prices as they, by
combining among themselves, may see fit
to charge. It is death-blow to competi-
ton from foreign manufacturers and the
vitalization of trusts. Instead Of reducing
the tariff charges or taxes laid under the
previous law, and which had long been re-
garded as burdensome, the party in power
has increased them. How does this com.
port with previous Republican professions
HIGH-TARIFF CHARGES.
Formerly the only possible justification
the more intelligent of the Republican lead
ers had the temerity to urge for advocating
tariff charges or taxes was that they
were rendered necessary by the needs of the
late war. Yet during quarter of a GEN.
tury of peace these taxes have been main-
tanned, although they bear 80 heavily on ar
ticles of clothing, household necessities,
and implements Of labor. The poor have
been made poorer by Republican encourage
ment of home manufacturers to charge high
prices, while the rich have had their sub
stance increased by the removal Of the tax
on incomes, on the capital CT corporations,
and on the receipts of railroads. Up to the
time of Offering the tariff bill just passed
excuses as ingenious as they were varied
bad been advanced for maintaining the pre-
vious high. tariff charges or taxes. The first
was necessity for revenue. Then came the
plea of necessity for fostering infant in
dustries." Then an effort was made to
cajole the farmers by the argument that
high. tariff taxes we're essential in order to
give the farmers home market by building
up home manufactures. Next the advocates
of high tariff turned their voices to the me-
chanics and laboring GLASSES of the country,
and piped the would be seductive lay that
the burden their party had imposed was
necessary in order to give the mechanics
and laborers handsome wages, and keep
them from coming into competition with
the pauper labor of other countries.
But the only necessity they really rec
ognized was that of keeping the Republi-
can party in power.
MR.. BLAINE's EXPRESSION ON THE TARIFF.
One by one these bubbles burst as they
drifted against hard facts and stern expert
ence The plea of fostering ''infapt i1-
dustries" YVES hissed and laughed from the
political arena as an insult to those to
whom it was addressed. The farmer was
not long in finding out that under the high
protective tariff he had to sell his products
in the open markets Of the world in compe-
tition with the pauper labor of India and
other countries, and yet was obliged to buy
his farming implements, wearing apparel,
and household goods at the increased prices
charged by the protected home manu-
facturers. 1t was not long before he had q
feeling of contempt for and indignation at
the present bill, when he realized that,
under the preteuce of affording protection to
the farmer, it puts a tariff tax on wheat
and corn imported into this country, al
though statistics show that less than two
thousand bushels of wheat and less than
twenty-five hundred bushels of corn we're
imported and more than forty-six million
bushels of wheat, and about sixty-nine
million bushels Of corn were exported
Truly, the present Secretary of State and
great apostle of protection, Hon. James G..
Blaine, succinctly exposed the farce wien
he declared, "there is not section or a
line in the entire bill that will open a
market for another bushel of wheat or
another barrel of pork" Yet Republican
reflection upon the common sense OF the
farmers did not stop here, but eliminated
in imposing tariff on straw and feosles.'
MECHANICS WAGES.
Nor have the mechanics and laborers
been less quick than the farmers in pene-
trating the deception attempted to be
practiced on them. They soon saw that
the promised ''handseme wages" were a
myth. They saw that the manufacturers
who were receiving large benefits from the
protective tariff did not hesitate, when
it could be safely done, to make 'cut" in
the wages of their employees or bring
about lockout or "shut down." thus
limiting stock and keeping up prices, while
labor was suffering. They noticed that the
manufacturers were living luxuriously, and
accumu atiug largo fortunes, and that
though the products of so-called pauper
labor were excluded from the country
pauper labor itself was being introduced,
and it took no supernatural acumen TO dis
cern that it was the employer and not the
employee that was protected. The result
of their recognition of those facts was the
organization of gigantic labor leagues for
self protection. In the nature of things
they 1e soned that they could only gain
strength by union and co operation, and
now the intelligent mechanics know and
openly declare that whatever protection
they have as to their wages comes not
from the tariff, but from the strength of
their labor organizations and the demand
for their labor. They know that the wages
they receive for making the articles of their
handiwork do not in any instance even ap-
proach the amount charged by the tariff on
similar articles brought from abroad. They
know that the far larger proportion of the
increased prices arising from the tariff
taxes gees into the pockets of their en-
ployers.
HIGHER PRICES.
The bill just passed only aggravates all
the erstwhile pretences and deceptjons Of
the Republican party. As stated, il in