Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1892-11-11

believe that the question of revenue
should DO minor consideration in the
forming OF tariff bill, and that the fost.
ering OF some industries should be the
primary one. They shut their eyes to
the fact that they are unnecessarily inter.
lering with the natural laws of trade.
They ignore the value of foreign trade or
assume to believe that foreign countries
will trade with us although we purchase
nothing from them. They forget that
reciprocity cannot be one sided. They
appeal to the selfishness of the people
end to their natural jealousies of and
snimosities against foreign countries.
The arguments of the Republicans In
support OF this system ere Inconsistent,
with each other, they in one breath elleg.
ing that high protective tariff keeps up
prices aud in another breath that it re.
duees them. "You pay your money and
take your choice" Our opponents are
rs versatile and accommodating in theii
argument in this respect as wai
tho ignorant village schoolmaster
who had made application to teach
a country school and when exam.
incd by the local committee as to his
qualifications was asked the question
whether the world was round or flat2n
replied that it made no difference to him
that no would teach 'tthat the world
was round or fiat just rs the COMMITTEES
preferred.
do not believe that our American
manufacturers require the protection
which the Republican Party seems to be
so anxious to foist upon them, especially
If they were provided with free raw ma.
terials as the Democratic Party proposes
to do. We are already underselling for.
eign manufacturers In most or many of
the markets of tho world, and if We can
compete with them abroad, especially in
their own markets, there would seem to
be no real necessity of taxing our people
longer in order to enable our own manu-.
facturers to compete with foreign ones
at our very doors.
All that America needs Is q free field
and fair fight in the race of life and
she will prove invincible in nearly every
department of human activity. It is q
narrow and contracted view, however
that seeks to keep our country from con-
tact with the commerce of the world.
The Republican orator who boastingly
asserts that tho United States can raise
and manufacture everything we need,
that foreign commerce should not be
sought after or foreign markets consid.
cred, and that our American farmers
should be content with home markets
and home prices, and that we can and
should be independent OF all the rest of
the world, may crafty the selfish and
false pride of his hearers, but he onl, ex-
hibits his ignorance of history and his
lack Of comprehension of tho true
sources of genuine prosperity.
TIE DAVENPORT FORCE Bull.
The last step which the Republican
Party took in the direction of central.
lied government was in the attempted
enactment of he offensive and Ubiquitous
measure now known Us the Davenport
Force bill. When this bill was pending
in Congress in the summer of 1890 had
the honor of speaking in reference to its
provisions as follows:
elf the people are thoroughly aroused
to the nature and iniquities of the bill,
the party which has conceived it aud is
now fastening to enact it will be buried
under an avalanche of remonstrance at
the next election"
The election of that fall showed that
the people were intensely aroused ard
that the bill was most emphatically con-
demned by an indignant people. Yet
Immediately after that election the Re.
publicans attempted to pass the bill, but
thanks to the bold stand of our Demo.
cratic Senators in Congress, aided by
few independent and fearless Republi.
cans, its enactment was prevented and
the country was saved from its disgrace.
l have read in detail the proliX and
Dreposterous provisions of the Davenport
bill, and speak not as partisan, but aa
an American citizen, jealous of tho lib.
erty which my countiy's institutions
secure for me, and devoted to the preser.
walton of the simplicity of her govern
mental system, when 1 denounce this meas.
ure as dangerous exercise of constitu.
tional authority, menace to our theory OF
government and an insult to the people OF
the States. 1t is an arbitrary act OF despot.
ism, justified by no precedent, made
necessary by no political conditions, but
put forward solely to insure Republican
control of Congress.
Like many other partisan conspiracies
the Davenport bill is proposed in the
name Of reform, and its defenders pre-.
tend to find warrant for it in that pro-
vision of the Constitution which de-
cares:
"Thc times, places and manner of hold.
ing elections for Senator'S and Represen.
tatives shall be prescribed in each State
by the Legislature thereof; but the Con.
sress may Mt any time by law make or
alter such regulations, except as to the
places of choosing Senator's"
For hundred years this provision
has remained in our organic law, and no
Congress has been bold enough to cxer-
else the undoubtcd right which its terms
give under certain extraordinary circum-
stances to annul State election laws and
place virtually the entire control of clec-
tions of Representatives in the hands of
Federal supervisors. No Congress has
vet been bold enough to exercise it be-
cause no great emergency for which it
was designed has arisen, and no Con-