Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-04-23
&gRspAY, APRIL %. 1908.
MODERN AGRIPPAS.


contemporary gives some severe raps to
its Democratic contemporaries who are de-
claring that this country is Lot enjoying
unexampled prosperity.
The News Leader, In very admirable
style, lefutes the charge of the blind per
tisans and pessimists that the present era
o. prosperity IS "absurd and delusion."
But after doing that successfully, it dts-
troys in great measure the force of its
reasoning by asserting a proposition that
is as absurd and as veritsble delusion as
the one it so logically disproves. 1t puts
into the mouths of the calamity howleis a
cry that is more dangerous to the indus
trial interests Of the country than the one
it has forcibly controverted
The valuable lesson which is taught the
chronic growler in this article of our con-
temporary is destroyed by its contention
that the country is prosperous in spite OF
the tariff policy of the Republican party,
and that but for that policy our people
"would be more prosperous STILL" While
we agree with the News Leader in its view
that good crops, the settlement Of the
silver question and the return of con-
fidence" have been valuable contributors
in stimulating enterprise, we deny the
sounduets of its claim that the country
would have been more prosperous If the
Republican policy of protection had been
displaced by the tariff for revenue policy
of the Democratic party. The News
Leader is fair sample of the modern
Agrippa. 1t is almost persuaded but
"willfully shuts out the light of logic"
For the past thirty or more years the
Democrats have been assailing the prolec
. tive tariff policy of the Republican party
sneering,y calling it, in succession, Nor
rillism, McKinleyism and Dingleyism
Yet, all the while, the country has been
faithfully adheling with one fatal excep'
tion) to these isms; and our commercial
financial and industrial growth have, in
the meantime, been so marvellous that
foreign countries turn their gaze upon US
IN awe and with apprehension. The mod
ern Agrippas zee these things but refuse tc
recognize the truth. They stick with des'
perate partisanship to the illogical free
trade theories of Democracy, though those
theories have been tried, even recently,
with the moet appalling results TO the
business interests If the country.
1t has been boldly asserted by the advo'
Gates of d, mocratic free trade at each
national election for the past thirty years
that high protective tariff was destruc-
tive to both our domestic or internal trade
and our trade with foreign countries.
This has been claimed in the face of the
most indispuable facts to the contrary.
Fifty years ago, when the Democratic free
trade policy Mas in force, our internal trade
amounted to the sum of $4,000, 100000,
annually. Last year, 1902, our domestic
on internal trade amounted to the vast
sum of $40 OOO, 900, 900, an increase of one
thousand per cent. in fifty years, and with
the so-called destruction policy of protec.
ton prevailing for the past forty years, ex'
cept during Mr. Cleveand's last admins,
tration.
During the past thirty years our export
or foreign trade has kept apace with oul
domestic trade. In 1870 the exports from
the United States to foreign countries
amounted to 10000, 900. In the year,
1902, our exports amounted to ST, 1855, OOO,-
900, an increase of about four hundred pei
cent. in thirty years. From 1870 to 1907
our imports from other countries increased
only about one hundred per cent, and the
balance of trade in Our favor last veal
amounted to about the pleasant sum O
$5O0,000,000. Our balance of trade ex
ceeds that of all the other countries in thu
world combined.
1t is not strange that President Roose
welt and Secretary Root have claimed tina
the prosperity of the country is chief,
attributable to the operations of the pres
ent tariff, which the Democrats tern
DIngleyism in derision. The Presiden
and Secretary were fully warranted in do
ing 50, as every protective law enacted b.
the Republicans has been followed Will
like happy conditions. They both hav'
given careful study to the economic poll
cies of the two great political parties, anC
are aware Of the fact that the Democrat
have always predicted that calamity would
come from the retention of or return to
high protective tariff. Then, they hayt
witnessed the magnificent business condi
tons that followed the enactment of thu
Mckinley bill and of the Dingley act; anC
they are also living witnesses to the dis
astrous results which followed the intro
y Al T.