The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-03

s,,rmental in inducing Parliament TO pass
this law-the wholesale and retail dealers IN
tobacco in England. the English merchsns
and the owner OF English ships enRsged III
tina Virginia trade. Under the provisions oi
this act no tobacco was to be transported u
England from Virginia except in English Do',
toms and no goods were TO be Transporter
from foreign countries to Virginia un'e0'
they were sent to England first and ITO"
thence transferred in English ships.
The effect of these provisions was obvious
all the tobacco shipped from Virginia naa "
be transmitted through the hands OF INC
English dealer in tobacco. whether Tor nome
or foreign consumption. and therefore 10
could purchase at such rates as seemed u 20
most conducive to his interests. The fne'i7n
merchant. on the other hand, could sen LIE
goods to tho people Of the colony at the nlgh-
est rates because all foreign competition was
removed by the operation Of the act. Anu
finally. the English ship owner. VINO was uu-
able to underbid the masters OF DuIch 'e'-
sells. as the latter could. from tneir cheaper
NAVIGATION. charge lower rate OF freight' was
allowed by the act an open sea III WHICH no
had not single rival.
The significance of the navigation act was
nreeisely this. that the English merchant To-
bacco dealer and ship-owner we're 10 Dc gwen
bv the force of law alone handsome snare Oh
the profits which the planters of Virginia
made by the cultivation of tobacco The
nIanters were compelled 10 pay much more
for the goods which they bought Of the Ing
lish merchant and to meet heavier ireignt
charges Tor the transportation Of their crops
On the other hand, they obtained very much
less for their tobacco because they were con-
fined TO the markets of England. which were
under the control of few dealers IN their
staple. They were feeced at every turn on
the strength of the same plea which Is so per-
sistently advanced by the advocates OF our high
tariff namely, the necessity OF protecting
other classes, a feat which Is accomplished
now Just es it was accomplished 25O years ago
by ordering the farmer and planter to stand
and deliver a portion of their hard-won earn
iugs 70 other members of the community
whose business is not self-sustainlng.
There is not dollar Of wealth in the United
States that does not come out OF the soil
Shall more than two-thirds Of every dollar
that issues from that soil be diverted from It's
rightful owner bv system of taxation formu-
lated in the legalized robbery Of the Mchin-
ley bill? Shall we. the most enlightened peo-
pie on the face Of the globe in many respects
continue to revert to the darkness OF the sew
enteenth century for our economic principles
Shall we forever uphold laws beside which
the navigation acts Of the Stuarts the most
selfish and besotted race Of kings that ever
sat upon a throne, are liberal and progresslYe'
It's with the settlementof these momentous
questions that the name Of Mr.. Cleveland IS
so intimately associated. and there IS no Just
reason to believe that the voters of the United
States will not again call him to power TO
complete the great work which he inaugu-
rated with such heroic frmness and con-
stancy.