The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-07-05

" VIC 11SbAoShoIS PGtey opO's A'e
subject Of the tariff. They ignored
the oft repeated platform pledge
that the Democratic party was in ia
vorof q tariff, whose object should be
the raising of a sufficient amount Of
revenue to meet the expenses OF the
Government, and introduced meas
ure, the avowed effect of whose ope-
ration would be the creation of a de-
felt in the revenues of the Govern
ment towards meeting Government
expenses. Who among the leaders
or who among she rank and file OF
Democracy will undertake to say that
our last platform contemplated a de-
felt creating tariff measure as ro-
dcmption of it's promises? 1t will
not do ID answer that the income tax
is part of The measure, and revenue
resulting from that source will supply
this deficiency The income tax was
never presented or considered in tho
last campaign or in any other cam
paign as Incorporated in, or in any
way resulting from the Democratic
position on the subject of national
revenues Points us to one line in
the Democratic platform that either
commits, or has tendency to commit,
the party to such a principle and we
will completely surrender this con-
tention. So considering the object
i've point which orr party declared it
would have in view in lcsying tariff
duties, the Wilson,bill in its original
shape, and this is a matter of neces-
sarily general cencessum, was fall-
ure. Considering the bill in detail
the Democrats throughout the coun-
try, Intelligent thinking Democrats,
had a right,as they did, to send toCon-
gress the most vigorous protests. In
many vital particulars it embodied
on the one hand rankest free trade
and on the other most absolute ana
prohibitive protection. against both
of which the Democratic party has
ever sternly protested. One instance
of this truth will fairly illustrate the
general plan and purpose of the bill.
| While the duty Oh steel rails is LETT
so high that one Of the largest steel
rail manufacturers of the country
says that it will prove as prohibitive
as the rate under the Mckinley bill,
coal and iron ore which enters
largely into the productinn of these
rails we're placed on the free list.
The Democratic idea of tariff reform
has always been to relieve the con-
suming masses. And yet the effect
OF this feature OF the bill was to place
barrier between themannfacjnrer and
| his foreign competitor, protecting him
as against the consuming market and
at at the same time giving him free
raw material for the manufacture of
| his product. In other words, our
party was placed in the remarkable
attitude Of saying to the steel rail
barons of the North, eve will not
only continue your protection but we
will go further and refuse to protect
the parties from whom you buy; we
will give you free raw material and
there multiply the favorable condi-
tions by which you can continue to
enrich yourselves at the expense OF
the people" Unfair as this appears
from the ordinary standpoint of OBJ
servation it is so in emphatic degree
as applied to the South. But, be-
ginning as we are, the development
of our resources; standing, as we do,
but on the threshold of future radi-
ant with the promise of material
wealth, at one blow, to strip us of
that protection which should Incl
IDENTIFY, it is true, bnt logically and
necessarily result from tariff for
revenue judiciously and equititably
distributed was manifest wrong so
manifest, so patent that Demo.
cratic Senate did not hesitate long
to rectify it. This is but one in
stance of many mistakes, as we view
it, contained in Mr.. Wilson'S original
bill.
The next Congressional election is
fast approaching and it behooves the
Democrats to be thoughtful, prudent,
conservative, but clear, unequivocal
and distinct in their party utterances.
The Republicans are alert, aggressive
and flushed with encouragement. The