Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-31
Cnlnnal Dnkn'S Letter.

That is an excellent letter with which
Hon. r.. r. W. Duke favored our read
ers i'm the last issue of the lhspatch.
1t has the true ring. and Is worthy OF
more than one perusal. Transparent
capdor characterizes Colonel Dukes ut
terances. lie has no cOnccalments 10
make and 10 apologies TO offer for say
,,,, whst he thinks. Tie is tired of hear
inc Tile talk about raw materials.
and Ne does not hesitate to tell President
cleveland that he is in the wrong wren
he speaks Of coal and iron-ore as u
these were such products. Colonel Duke
g. nevertheless Il firm and faithful Demo-
crat. ready at any moment to JOIN hahds
with the President in his efforts 10 re-
store the country to that wonted condi-
ton Of prosperity which ii is to be
boped will return to bless US long be-
fore President Cleveland's term of office
expires.
Coal is no more raw material IMAM
broadcIoth. Both are products OF hu-
man labor. Colonel Duke ventures 10
assert without fear of contradiction that
,hore il more manual labor employed in
}ireing twenty-five tons of coal and
marketing ii than is employed in the
n,anufacture of the broadcloth. or
rather the coat, from the time the wool
leaves the Sleeps back until the finished
product-to wit. the coat itself becomes
somebody's wearing apparel.
And why should Virginia object TO a
discriminating tariff? IL she prepared to
ion hands with the men who talk so
glibly of "raw materials and free
trade" as II her interests were bound
ND I'm what is understood to be implied
i'm these words? A malignant policy
would ruin her most valuable and largest
interests. To tax her manufactures Of
tobacco as they are taxed under the in
ternal-revenue laws, and then refuse to
levy a tariff TO keep down foreign COM
petition in these articles, would be to
sacrifice an her prosperity.
And If Virgnia's interests are thus
bound up I'm the policy of levying coun-
tervailing duties upon our manufactures
Of tobacco, IL cannot be wrong for her
members of Congress to adopt the policy
recommended by Colonel Duke. She has
other interests which need caring for.
Even leaf tobacco must be looked after.
She has coal and iron interests. Also
peanuts, lumber, timber, fruits, vegeta-
bles, agricultural products, sumac, fish
oil and other articles. Virginia might
well ask in the words of her greatest
statesman, Mr.. jefferson. shall We sup
press the imposts and give that advan-
tage 10 foreign over domestic manufac-
tures?' BY the way. Mr.. jefferson
hailed and Colonel Duke halls from the
honored old county OF Albemarle.
Colonel Dukes platform calls for a
tariff for revenue only" and also for
an ad valorem tariff upon coal and iron
ore but there is no Inconsistency in so
doing. as he looks at the matter. We
suppose ne would levy a revenue tariff
on coal and iron-ore.
Colonel Duke would provide for an
income-tax to be continued so long as
the brandy Tax and the tobacco-tax are
imposed upon the South and West. To
execute these laws he would have q
western man-Adlai Stevenson.
Colonel Duke says the present crisis
is more grave than that of 1883. He
favors the free coinage OF silver at the
ratio OF 10 to 1.
We repeat that Colonel Dukes letter
Is worthy Of q second perusal. And II
in looking for it you come across one
, from his son. Judge X. r. w. Duke,
Jr., on another interesting subject, read
thie ton