Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-28
TARlFF-FREE TRADE.
THOROUGH EXPOSURE OF THE POLL.
CT OF PROTECTION
The Wholesale Robbery ofthe Unprotected
Millions BY the Protected Few-Ad-
vantages Of Free Trade.
RICHMOND. VA. Jan. IS. 1894


To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
There never was a greater truism ut
tered than the aphorism OF General Han
cock. that "the tariff is a local question
All the debates on this subject In Con-
gress, all the articles We have read In the
newspapers disclose the fact that they are
all based upon the most narrow-minded.
sordid. and selfish of motives. There has
not a speech been made or an editorisi
written that has come under our eye tnat
seems at all broad and liberal-minoeu'
at all patriotic. at all utilitarian. They
are all circumscrlbed by the narrow IN
terests and environments OF their au-
thors. Such a great national question
should be weighed, discussed. and decided
upor irrespective and regardless or spe-
cial favors TO special localities or inter-
esis-,he greatest good for the greatest
number The interests Of the masses
should be weighed and considered, but in-
stead OF this every petty political dema-
gogue statesmen they are nop and every
local newspaper limits their vision TO their
own particular section and industry. IL
has been said that free speech IL the best
evidence OF liberty. and we THINK
that free trade is the best evil
dence OF civilization and enlightenment.
We see no Just reason why the people OF
New England should not have the privi-
lege to buy their coal from their
neighbors OF Nova Scotia, or even from
Newcastle. II they can buy II cheaper than
the coal operators OF West Virginia or
any other State can furnish It; we can
see no Just reason why the people of West
Virginia should not have the right to buy
their cotton and woollen goods. their boots
and shoes from Old England II she can
supply their wants cheaper than New
England can. Is there any honesty or
Justice or reason in taxing 100000 OF peo-
pie for the benefit OF few thousand
miners in the one case or for the bene-
fit OF a few thousand factory hands In the
other.
\ DELUSION.
The moment government puts her hant
into one mans pocket for the benefit OF
another she commits legalized robbery.
The tariff Is a deluslon. snare. One
set Of men agree to be robbed by another
set In turn for their being allowed TO rob
the other fellow. This Is all very well
II Smith robs Jones In one way Of az
much as Jones gets from Smith In an
other way; but there are thousands OF
poor devils who are robbed by both Smith
and Jones continuously, and who never
get chance TO rob back We believe in
| the oil doctrine OF Free Trade Grd
| Sailors' Rights" IL slate. for instance,
can be- quarried In Wales and brought
| 300 miles and sold for less than 1t can
| be quarried I'm Buckingham county, what
right has the government to say that the
poor man or the rich man or any kind or
men shall not buy his roof-covering from
~. K.ntf.
! Of blankets. or "A pair OF shoes OF English
| make for ~ per cent. or y per cent. less
then American made goods why should
he not be allowed TO do so? II IL right
! TO tax 100000 OF people for the benefit
and behoof OF those who make shoes and
blankets. If We can import refined sugar
! at less than IL can be made In this coun-
| try why not let the foreigner be allowed
| % send IL here tariff or tax free? IL
! there any justice I'm paying the people OF
| Louisiana a bounty on sugar? Would IL
not be equally as just 10 pay bounty TO
| the farmer who raises wheat and corn
az loss? Why should the people OF this
country be taxed for the benefit Of the
| sugar grower any more than Tor me
| wheat or corn grower? IL there are any
people. any class that deserves protection
and require a bounty Il is the farmer.
|
| be required to do. to come into the
worlds market 10 compete IN prices Now
! II Is all very well with these privileged
classes, these favored ones. who are per-
| mltted not only 10 rob each o1hor, bu. TO
prey upon the whole people.
a LARGE CLASS.
But there is class, very large class
of workmen and farmers. who use coal
wear shoes and clothing. have to use
/ blankets. are fond OF sugar In their coffee
| who do not engage in these industries
| who have To sell their labor. the products
OF their lands. in the open markets OF
| the world. with no protection, and this
class are getting poorer and poorer
| day by day, year by year. They are
! abandoning their land and crowding to
the cities. and the bloated sugar barons
| the Carnegies, the manufacturers, are
! getting richer and richer, vampire-liSt
sucking the blood OF the people. We be
| lieve that "free trade" Is what this coun-
try wants and requires-the great desid
eratum. II protection be right on a few
things why not protect everything?
PROTECTIVE SYSTEM
| II Chinese wall IL necessary around
| our boundaries or borders, why not have
"A network of intramurals all over the
country? II il IS wrong and impolitic &c
| permit the people or this country 10 buy
| foreign coal, foreign sugar. and shoes and
| clothing. why not have walls around each
State, abolish the interstate commerce
laws, and compel the people OF each state
TO buy exclusively OF each other. and ther
let each county. and township. and city
| ward have their walls, and let IL be a
fine and imprisonment for any man e
buy except from his neighbor and In his
own baiiwick? II not why not? 1t Is
| simply carrying the doctrine OF protection
| TO "A logical and natural sequence. The
| writer was never more struck at the uttei
| absurdlty OF protection than he was a
| year or two ago, when on visit To De
| troit, when he witnessed the Custom
House official on the bridge uniting Wind
sor with that city collecting the tarin
on a few dozen eggs and a basket ol
chickens. II the Canadian hen can pro
duce more eggs than the American hen
or IL the Canadian farmer can raise chick
ems cheaper than Mchiganders can. why
should not the people OF Detroit have fire.,
omelets and chicken legs?
EXPLODED.
The old deception about protecting "in
! FAINT industries (some If which ar
hoary with age and whose owners arr
millionairesD Is long ago exploded. TIN
other greater falsity that the tax Lewis
was to go TO the w0rkingman IS als'
played out" 1t goes into the employ
| er's pocket, and the American-born citl
! zsn has TO come I'm competition with for
| eign labor brought here by his protected
| employer. IL you let the foreigner cofn'
here AMI compete in labor. why not le
| his produce. the result Of his labor a