The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-03-19
FRIDAY, MARCH 10. 1897.
SOUTHERN DEMOCRATIC PRO-
TECTIONISTS.

Among democrats there is a small
.class-not 10 per cent Of the whole-in
the south who are protectionists and
ought to be in the republican party.
The southern commercial organs are
high protectionists and greatly misrep-
resent public sentiment in so far as the
true democracy are concerned. Men
who manufacture in the south are apt
TO be like the men who manufacture
in the north-tO lean towards a robber
tariff tax as they think it would ben
eft them in their pockets. The prln-
ciple Of Injustice, Of inequality, of class
legislation is lost sight Of in their greed.
There are in North Carolina intelligent
and fair minded men who are engaged
il manufacturing who do not hold to
the Rob Roy doctrine Of taking all
who cam and all hat is possible. There
is talk Of southern democratic farmers
going in for a tariff for their w pro-
lection because other interests are pro-
tected. That is to extend the doctrine
of grab and to widen the sweep Of
the swathe Of injustice and wrong. 1t
is to do evil to the country hat good
may come to them. 1t is based on the
law OF retaliation. The manufacturers
outrage and Cypress us with great taxes
laid for their particular benefit, and we
will outrage and Cypress other classes
tina we too may reap where We have
not sOwn. a bad policy and worse
morals.
The right way, the honest way, he
safe way is for all oppressed classes Of
all parties to unite against a obber
principle Of taxation and down he
manufacturing abObs who favor the
principle of taxing others that they
may prosper and grow richer still.
We remember that when the crank
Blair, Of New England, was in the SEN
ate and spent his time in trying to
. fo1 &c upon the country the bill named
after him, requiring the government to
g educate all the people that some people
calling themselves democrats in the
scuth took the ground that it was right
10 accept all that could be got out of
Inc IoOGTal lne
paid a great deal more tax than the
south because Of its superior wealth
and that it was right n proper to
get from it some of the money back
that had been wrested from the south
in war taxes. 1t was purely Of retalia-
ton and righteousness, all right, all
moral aspects being ordered to the rear.
We fought that Blair bill from first to
last. 1t was wrong in principle and
without constitutional sanction.
And so it is with a protective tariff. The
congress has no constitutional right
to Ievy a dime of such a tax. 1t is
wrong in morals, vicious and unequal
in principle, and without sanction of
law. A very able republican supreme
court decided that it was robbery
to levy a protective tariff of any kind.
That decision has not been superseded
or repealed, but stands today. 1t is
hard to understand how a man can be
just, humane. even honest who WOULD
sustain or demand a law for his own
personal enrichment by heaping a bur-
den upOn others. 1t is only d1OlIIcI IL
stance of unholy greed-an exhibition
of a desire to grow rich at the ex-
pense Of all the other people. 1t IS
a system Of deliberate robbery made
possible by the congress that has lg-
nored all principle of moral right. 1t
is an outrage upon the burden bearers
and bread-winners. The new congress,
soon to meet in extra session, is to re-
port such an unrighteOus, oppressive,
infamous tariff law. The president, be-
longing to a Christian denomination, is
so perverted in his political views, with
such a twist of moral ~obliquity, that
he is very hot for enforcement in tax
alton of the fine old robber principle OF
Rob Roy and Dick Turpin for whom,
THE good old rule
Sufficeth them, the simple plan,
That hey hould take who nave the
power,
Ind they should keep who can