Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-09-09
iron-ore free Of duty IL class legislation
for tho heneflt of New England.

ITOu-OTB INV Vi uuty ~ Sin@o tNHtSi4tiVn
for the benefit OF New England,
Next comes the enunciation OF the prin-
ciples which should govern the Demo-
cratic party: First. free coinage OF silver
at the ratio OF 10 to I. 1t il fact which
cannot be denied that the demonetIzing
OF silver was the work Of the Republican
Marty II was demonetized In the year
1873 by an act passed by House and
Senate overwhelmingly Republican and
approved by a Republican President. The
Republicans should be held responsible
for this characterization OF silver. which
is one Of the principal causes of the
present depressed prices OF all agricu.-
tural productions.
How do the parties stand now on this
question? A vast majority OF the Demo-
Gratis are IN favor OF restoring silver TO
the position II occupied before the vicious
and corrupt legislation of L573, whilst a
yast majority OF the Republican party are
opposed to the free coinage OF silver. This
a. shown by the votes at the recent ses-
sion of Congress upon the Bland bill for
the coinage Of the seignorage; nearly all
the Democrats in the House voting for
that bill. and nearly all the Republicans
against IT, IL IL true that n few OF the
knowing ones In the Republican party.
like Tom Reed and Mckinley, are trying
to hang on behind tho silver band-wagon
and here in Virginia some OF them are
irving 10 crawl under and hold on 10
the coupIlnr-poe: but this won't do.
gentlemen. for the vast majority Of your
party f. dead against you. and your at
tenopt to restore free coinage Of silver
"a a 6 futile as darling straws against the
wind. Your only hope Is TO line the
Democracy" and get into the silver band
wagon.
Second principle announced was tariff
for revenue only. A tariff on coal and
iron-ore in proportion to value just as
YOU have on cotton yarns" Now, what
Is the obvious meaning OF this-that coal
and iron-ore. like everything else. should
be taxed with a view to revenue only?
There is certainly no protection in this.
The fourth principle was. an Income
tax; one of the fairest taxes which can
be imposed. My experience and observa-
ton for more than fifty years leads me
70 the belief that most men as they ac-
ouire wealth evince a disposition to make
other people pay for protecting II. |
claim that one Of the most equitable
taxes which can be imposed upon pro-
perty for its protection Is a just and rea-
sonabe tax on the net income derived
directly or indirectly from property. How
stands the Republican party on This
question? Voting in the Senate almost
soldly, with David b. Hill, n boiling
Democrat. against the Democratic party.
and against an income-tax. VIII the
Spirit of the Valley please Inform us how
the Republican candidate for this district
stands on this and the silver question?
If he Is even right on these questions
what can he accomplish In Congress when
Al of HE Marty
dead against him?
/ stated in a former part or THIS ieIter
that the characterization Of silver by the
Republican party In 1873 was one or the
principal causes OF the present depres sed
condition Of the agriculture OF this coun-
try I will now state two other causes
for this depression First, during me
war and for some years thereafter
whilst the Republican party was revealing
In carnival of public plunder, they gave
TO great railroad corporations lo34l6'VIb
acres of the public domain, held by them
as a sacred trust for the beneft or the
whole people of the United states. Ihese
corporatIons sent their agents all over
the north OF Europe and imported Scan
dinavians by the thousand. virtually Civ
ing them large portions OF this land.
They lived AS they had lived In Europe
(some Of them even living in holes in the
ground; whole communities Of them can
not speak the English language, ana are
ignorant of our institutions AMI laws.
In this way an unnatural development
stimulated by this fraudulent DONATION
to these corporations OF the hhdS De-
longing TO the whole people, was given
10 agriculture, especially 10 the cultiva-
ton OF wheat, which has well nigh de-
stroyed wheat culture in the Eastern
and Middle States; and now the monster
CORPORATIONS, like huge boa-constrlct0rS
are gradually squeezing the He out Oh
the whole people. The Democrats pro-
pose TO restore TO the people. so tar as II
legally can be done, all these lands not IN
tho nossession of actual settlers. and 10
regulate. not destroy, these corporations
The second wrong and outrage Is the
system Of tariff taxation inaueurated by
the Republican party, and eliminating III
the Mckinley bill. by which the great
masses Of the people have been sys-
te,natlcallv. and, under the color of the
law, plundered for the benefit OF IA
vored classes. so that where we had one
millionaire before the war We nave tnou-
sands now, and even hundreds or inuito-
,nillionaires Now. what is the excuse
for this robbery OF the masses? The rot
ten chestnut" of protecting American
labor against the pauper labor of Europe
How have they protected American labor?
BY importing the pauper labor of Europe
TO America. They have imported by the
thousand Poles. Hungarians. and Italian
banditti. who have driven out those spien-
did laborers-the Irish-who, TO use an
Irish bull, are natice-born Americans (;
they have also driven out the coiOred
laborers. who, although slaves for more
than 200 years. have absorbed from their
Notwithstanding masters more OF the
true spirit Of Anglo-Saxon law and liberty
than these imported hordes ever possessed;
as witness, the numerous strikes in the
Northwest, whilst there have been none
in the South, or. If any, only where these
importations live.
Very respectfully. II. T. W. DUKE.
Charlottesville, Va. August %. lS9i