The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-05-03

fitted? Certainly not the laborer.
No, the man who is benefited is the
manufactures. Hs is protected
against any competition. He forces
the consumer to take his articles at
his own prices. The consumers pay
the fiddler and they are the poor, de-
luded creatures, to which the Nt1rs
article applies. Now we have the
theory.
Society is organized for the mutual
protection Of all it's members. When
man goes into a society he gives
up certain Of his liberty in return for
that protection the society or state
will give him. 1t is very manifest
then that in the case first cited, if
one Of the three men was weak and
inferior to the others in ability to get
along in the world, that it would be
the province of just government to
help him along until he was on an
equal footing with his associates. In
other words the weak should be pro-
tccted from the aggressions of the
| strong. That is the height of Chris
tianity and justice. Everything else
being equal, however, no favor
should be shown to any particular
one. That applies i'll regard to the
government of nations. When the
country had thrown off the yoke of
allegiance to Great Britain it was
indeed an infant in swoddling clothes
amongst The nations Of th5 earth. 1t
was necessary for it to protect itself
from its powerful neighbors, and
Justly SO. How is it now? The
constant boast of the full hedScd
lilipution orator, Hon. Charles I.
O'Ferrall, is that Vagina, and then
the U. S. is the foremost nation on
earth. Her industries hum to the
heart beat of the world. The grand
est country the world has ever seen.
And yet the Republican press would
tell us that we are yet but youthful
nation. How absurd. How utterly
silly. No! the time for protect
ing ourselves has ceased. The ne
cessity for it no longer exists. BY so
doing we will be protecting men like
Carnegie at the expense of thousands
Of honest men. 1t would be but
class legislation, and that is all in
Gods almighty world it is.
Another thing, this free trade doc
trine is what Americans need. 1t is
the policy that applies to this coun-
try. 1t is only matter of time I'M
til it will be adopted.
Protection is no production of mod
ern growth. 1t is as old as the very
hills themselves. Before the father
of it in this country was ever dream
ell of it had been tried in France and
England and had been found want
ting. No, the policy of protecting
one set of men against the masses
can not prosper. 1t was founded in
fraud and has prospcred in iniquity.
In regard to the position OF the
Richmond Dispatch, we care but lit
tie. We have not read the articles
to which the News refers, and, there
fore, do not know what position that
esteemed contemporary has taken
upon the question. If it has declar-
ed in favor of protection, then it has
adopted the leading principle of the
Republican party and should no
longer be classed with Democrats.
Now, in conclusion, the Post de-
sires to advance one word in regard
to the meeting held at Big Stone
Gap to protest against the
placing of ceal, iron ore and lumber
upon the free list. The Posi-, ex-
cept in one instance, has refrained
from commenting upon this meeting,
and that for reasons best known to
itself. But for the cdification of our
poor, deluded contemporary we will
say that we considered that meeting
the most farcial in its character we
ever had the pleasure of attending.
Representatives Of coal companies
were there. Republicans as strong
as they are ever made vicing with
Democrats in protesting against the
Wilson Bill. The meeting at Big
Stone Gap was thoroughly disgust
ing. The idea of Democrats joining
hands with the representatives of the
man ,rhn h.vo t;o1 nm tbo nrocDor;t,