Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1907-09-05
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1907.
COMPARATIVE IGNORANCE:

The Grayson Gazette says that the
Republicans out in that section do not
know much about the tariff and that is
why they think they favor high protec-
ton. Perhaps there is more truth than
poetry in this. At any rate it carries
the suggestion that the Democrats,
even in the legislative canvass, might
not make it a mistake in converting
that canvass to an extent into a cam
paign of education on tariff revision. By
so doing they might bring not a few
Republicans, or voters who imagined
they are Republicans, to the Democrat
ic side.-Richmond News Leader.
The GraysOn Gazette and our Rich
mond contemporary are vastly mistaken
if they think the Republicans of Gray
son county and Southwest Virginia ia
vor protection because they do not
know much about the tariff. They are
well educated on this economic ques-
ton, not as an exact science, but as a
practical, operative principle. Educa-
ton can be secured more thoroughly
from intelligent, honest observation
than from study with impractical
theorists and by porting over the anti
quated teachings of free trade political
economists.
The people of this section of Virginia
are very observant. They think great
deal, and when they think they study
conditions rather than theories. The
past fourteen years have furnished the
people out here a rare opportunity to
learn by comparison and arrive safely
at the truth with regard to the question
of tariff, upon which question our Rich
mond contemporary is led to believe
they are so ignorant.
There is hardly Republican in this
section, be he farmer, laborer, merch-
ant, mechanic or professional man, who
cannot, with few words and practical
illustrations, break down the most
plausible argument the most learned
free trader could advance against a
protective tariff. The people had first
been made to eat of the bitter fruits of
free trade, and then they have for the
last ten years been growing robust and
happy from partaking freely of the
abundant, delicious fruits that grow
perpetually on the Protective Tariff
tree. Protection has been the pillar of
cloud by day and the pillar of fire by
night that has led them into the Prom
ised Land of prosperity. After feast
ing ten years upon the milk and honey,
the grapes, figs and other delightful
fruits the land is capable of and has
been producing, the Republicans of this
section do not wish to return to Egypt
ial free trade slavery, to be forced to
gather their own straw, be dashed by a
Cleveland scourge, and endure all the
horrors through which they were called
to pass under the last Democratic tariff.
Our Democratic contemporaries are
mistaken as to who are the ignorant
men in Southwest Virginia. The Re-
publicans are so we'll convinced of the
soundness of their views that they will
gladly welcome a campaign of educa-
ton on the tariff question. They have
not sat at the feet of any free trade
Gamaliel, and imbibed the impractical
theories of Democratic political econo-
mists; but these plain men of the South
west, who are but as babes in knowl- |
edge of the scientific intricacies of the
tariff, could, perhaps, do something for
the relief of their erring fellowmAn who
are scientifically learned but practically
ignorant about the tariff. Out here it
is the Democratic free trader who is
densely ignorant, because he refuses to
observe and learn from observation.
There are none so blind as those who
are blinded by prejudice, and none so
ignorant as those who stubbornlv re-
fuse to learn. Southern Democracy is
blinded by prejudice and stubbornly
ignorant
AFRAID OF FtINnAMFNTAIS