Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-29
Free Coal and Iron.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA,
July q, 1894.
n the Editor of tho DIsDatch.

propose 10 show briefly IN this letter
that the real prOtecti0nists in the Demo-
cratic party are President Grover Cleve-
land Hon. William l.. Wilson. and those
who agree with them.
They arc not only protectionlsts. but
IN favor OF class legislation OF the worst
sort
First: Free Coal-Free coal is no more
raw material than the broadcloth IN
which President Cleveland envelopes his
person. Both are manufactured articles.
prepared for use by human labor. Tho
broadcloth coat costs, say 50, which
would represent a least twenty-five tons
of coal. and venture TO assert. without
fear OF contradiction. that there Is more
manual labor employed In digging twen-
ty-fve tons Of coal and putting 1t into
the market than there Is employed in the
manufacture Of the coat from the time
the wool leaves the sleeps back until 1t
Is put upon the person. These gentlemen
Seem TO lose sight entirely of the very
meaning Of the term manufacture. Every
schoolbOy who has attended n Latin
school knows that the word manufdc-
tIre is derived from two Latin words
facere and mauu--to make or prepare by
hand--and there cannot be n doubt that
more hand labor is employed IN Dig
ging and chipping coal than in making
cloth. Coal in the bowels OF the earth
IL raw material. Coal dug by the miner
and shipped to market is Il finished manu-
facture
Second: Free Iron Ore-IrOn-ore In the
bowels Of the earth IS raw material; iron
ore dug out by manual labor is a mann
featured article. II IS true it is not n
finished manufacture ike coal. but ii is
prepared by hand 10 be further manu-
featured. II is 10 more a raw material
than the cotton yarn spun in Manchester
is raw material. | have not been able ID
see the Wilson bill, but I venture 70 say
that these cotton yarns spun I'm Manches-
ter are not admitted free OF duty: ana
yet 10 all lntents and purposes they are
az much raw material "a ir0n-Ore. The
irOn-ore must be smelted in the furnace
and converted iuto pig-irOn TO be further
manufactured. or into pessemer steel
the cotton yarn is worthless untn con-
Verted into cloth. Why then, talk oc
one "a raw material an! the other al d
MANUFACTURED article?
Third. The proposition TO admit coal and
iFon-ore free OF duty IL class legislation
of the most Objectionable sort. The toll
ing miner who works amidst the dust
and darkness OF the mine is 10 be wholly
ignored for the benefit OF tho gentlemen
and ladies' Of the New England States
who sit In the shade and manipulate ma
chnery, and this Is done by legislators
calling themselves Democrats. Nothing
for the toilng laborers Of Virginia and
West Virginia. and everything for the
manipulatOrs Of machinery IN New Eng
land. The preservation OF the Democratic
party in the South and in Virginia espe-
cially, is OF far more Importance 20 US
than the preservation OF the Democratic
party i'm the Union. II cannot be pre-
served by any nlmby-pamby bread pill
Of cnunciRtiOn Of principles My platform
in every congressional convention would
be: Free coinage Of silver at the rate
of 10 10 ]. tarln for revenue only; "a
tariff ON coal and ir0n-ore IN proportion
TO value, just a. you have on cotton yarns;
approval or President Cleyelsnds action
in surprising the riot, murder. and rob-
berry In the state Of Illinois, even against
the protest Of It's Anarchist Governor.
condemnstlo in temperate. but earnest
language OF the public use in Congress Of
the Presidents letter 10 Hon. William l..
Wilson 1t had better have boen given 10
the flames than published.
Fourth. An incOme-tax. 10 be continued 50
long az tho brandy and tobacco tax IS
impoged on the South and West.
Fifth. a western man for President, who
will carry out those principles (Adlai
Stevenson preferred by the writer. IL
virginia viii boldly come 10 the front
and sound the keynote for the campaisn
she will save the Democratic party, The
crisis now upon US IS more grave than
that OF l1N-59-a bold stand by our
fathers then preserved the constitutional
Union for sixty years. II Virginia anu
the South will stand firm the lovers
of liberty I'm the North and West VIII
come To our support. and the Union OF our
fathers may be- preserved. If virginia
FILTERS and temporizes, then mil
tary despOtism on the one hand or
anarchy on the other is inevitable. Goa
grant that the Union may be preserved
and liberty maintained.
Yours very respectfully.
r. II. w. DUKE.