Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-07-04
THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1901.
THE SAME OLD FOLLY.

1t seems to be the nature OF the Dem
ocratic party to forever go around In
circle. Now and then it shrieks "Eure-
ka!" proclaiming what it affects to believe
is a new issue in American politics; but
in each and every instance the so'called
new issue is some old principle that has
been dug from the grave and FURNISHED for
use as a novel and startling proposition
In its circular journey the Democracy,
at stated periods, reaches point where
a sign post is erected with the words
'sFree Trade" painted thereon This STA
ton is the Mecca of the Democracy, and
when the veteran, or even novl'ate, ar
riyes in view of the sign board Free
Trade, he is imbued with a political tervor
and enthusiasm that have not been equal
ed at any other stage Of bis journey
around the ring.
Democratic enthusiasm has been
aroused in the tive last Presidential races,
in succession, at the affairs of Free Silver
or a DECEASED Currency and Anti-Ilnperlal'
ism. Under the magic touch of that arch
political fakir William Jennings Bryan
these antiquated and oft discredited issues
were FURNISHED up and presented to the
public as newly discovered issues in Amer
lean politics. But they successfully failed
to accomplish the purpose Of the Dem
ocracy to secure control Of the Govern
ment, and are now being denounced by
their once most infatuated supporters as
mistakes"
The old Greek philosopher Diogenes
made himselffamous in the written history
of the world by his eccentricities. de
lived in barrel and went about IN the
day time with lighted lantern searching
for an honest man. The American
Democracy has been making itself famous
in history by presistently travelling in
circle, looking for new issue. In each
succeeding national election the Dem
ocracv crys aloud, 81 have found il" and
succeeds in deceiving large part OF the
American people. We hardly know al
which to be the most astonished, the cour
age of those who present the old Issues
declaring them to be new, or the credulity
of those who accept them as such.
At the present time it looks like the
Democracy is again approaching the old
sign board Free Trade" and that it vii
adopt that issue for rallying lis scattered
and demoralized forces i'll 1904.
The party press is already giving unmls
taxable signs of such purpose. In re-
cent issue of the Lynchburg News there
was an editorial which undertook to SHOW
that the sleep industry Of the United
States has been seriously damaged by the
protective duty on wool, as provided by
the Dingley bill This contention is toe
ridiculous to win the confidence and sup
port of the sheep raisers in Virginia. They
remember two wildly the disastrous con-
sequences that followed the placing of WOO
on the "free list" by the Wilson tariff bll
to ever give their consent to the repetition
of that Democratic blunder.
A return to the Republican policy oil
Protection has been attended with such
happy results to all the industries Of the
country that 1t will hardly be possible fol
the Democracy during the present genera
ton to mislead the people with the ignis
fat,tss Free Trade. There never was a
time in our history. as a nation when our
domestic trade was SO extensive and salts
factory, while our foreign trade is swelling
to proportions that are truly astounding
For the fiscal year which ended the LIST
inst. it is estimated our export trade will
reach the immense sum of 81 800, 900, 900,
and our export and import trade, COM
bined, will be not less than $1,000, OOO,-
600. Our readers will remember that
when the DiDgley bill was enacted the
friends of free trade confidently asserted
that the protective features of the bill
would destroy our trade with foreign
countries. The result has been directly
the opposite of that predicted.
With such striking contrast between
the effects of Free Trade and Protection,
and With the comparison SO favorable to
Protection, it looks like desperation for the
Democracy to again introduce the tariff as
an issue. In its career as political evan
dering Jew" it is, however, approaching
the sign post Free Trade" and fate COM
pels it to yield.
WILL NOT TAKE OATH.