The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-02-11

tity up 10 slSteeh nuhureu' the InuSie
was furnished By fifty lone bands, and one
hundred banners with appropriate mot.
toes were displayed. The movement
was very orderly, and Notwithstanding
the dreadful condition of the streets the
best of feeling prevailed. A, the Expo
siti0n Building was assembled vast
crowd. The interior of this mammoth
structure had been gaily decked for the
occasion with banners, flags and mottoe5
strung around its walls. Three stands for
the speakers had been erect
ed. one at each end and
the third opposite the central entrance.
Pennsylvania occupied the central stand,
West Virginia the east end and Ohio
the west end. About 2 o'clock the vast
asseLlblage was called to order from the
Pennsylysois stand by K. S. Wsring,
Esq, acd the three meetings were organ
lied simultar eously. AT the main
stand B. F. Jones, Esq, of the Ameri
Can Iron Works, was chosen Chairman,
with full list of Vice-Presidents, rep
resenting all the industrial interests Of
the community The meeting being
thus organized, Chairman Jones
addressed the assembly. He expressed
surprise that after our former experience
of free trade, our law makers should
persist in tinkering with the tariff. The
protection OF our Industries is
right as q principle ard is ab.
solutely necessary rs policy, II
we desire peace and prosperity within
our borders. Practical free trade be-
tween nations, about which SO many
visionary theorists, hired advocates and
designing orators prate so much, is
simply absurd. 1t does not, never did,
and never can exist. 1t is a fallacy TO
suppose that reciprocity of trade is neces-
ssry 10 induce foreign countries to buy
the products of our farms and plants.
tions. They will buy under any circum-
stances only what they must have, and
will purchase tha. in the cheapest market.
At the close of Mr. Jones remarks Mr..
w. 2. Shirss moved the appointment of
q committee on resolutions, which the
chair appointed.
Telegrsms were here read from Gov.
Hartranft, ii. l.. Quay, Secretary Of
State, and many other prominent gentle
men from Eastern Ohio, West Virginia,
Mary land and Pennsylvania aid other
States.
sPEECH OF JOHN II. RICKETsoN.
Mr.. John Ii. Ricketson was intro.
duced and spoke at considerable length.
After stating the purpose for which the
n.11aa ha apnnulaH 70 tho
American people to judge the system
of protection By its fruits and say whether
history does not show and observation
prove that it has secured the
greatest good to the greatest
number Of people and given US a
foremost place as q nation. Mr..
Rlcketson evolved from the last
report of the Secretary of the Treasury
To show that a reduction at this time Is
not necessary. On the 30tb of June,
1878, there will be a surplus OF $780, ,O69,-
306.2S to be applied to the sinking fund
for the payment of the public debt. The
estimated receipts from sll sources for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1919, will be
S2G9 25OC0O, while the estimated ex-
penses will be S243, 492, 75l "a, which ex-
penses, the Secretary says, can be re-
tuced Sll 100000 without impsiriug the
efficiency OF the service. There will,
therefore, be surplus of S37,0C0,000 on
June 30th, 1879. The full amount is
required by law to be carried 10 the sink
ing fund, and these are the estimates
made at this time when the people are
economizine and importstlOns have de-
creased. The speaker then adverted to
the proposed reduction OF the taxes upon
whisky and tobacco, and condemned the
policy which would take the tax of those
articles and put it on tes and coffee. He
explained fully the workings OF the pro-
tectve tariff, and cited the case OF Eng
land, whose manufacturing Interests lie
prostrste to-day, the result OF tree trade
and open ports. He claimed that the
new tariff bill would strike severe blow
at on. commercial industries and business
representing y capital of S75 100000 and
giving employmeu: to thousands OF men.
MIR. Ricketson closed with stirring
appeal to the people OF the country, and
particularly those of the southern States,
to join in this protest against policy
which would inevitably work ruin to our
industrial interests, and bring disaster
upon us as q natiOn.
A woRKISGMGN's SPEECH.
Mr.. Joseph Bishop, President of the
Rsnslgsms:ed Iron and Steel Workers
Union, addressed the meeting from the
workingmen's point OF view. This gen.
tleman's speech was one of the strongest
arguments against free trade presented
by any Of the speakers. The industrial
classes he said, constitute nineteen.
twontieths of the population of the
whole country; they are the peO.
pie by whom and for whom
the government exists. The prosperity
o: these, the development Of our resour-
ces, the increase of national wealth, the
advancement Of the people in all tha
should constitute their true glory must
find root in the recognition OF this truth
a. We hope it is or Will be recognized by
those who are now considering the new
tsrlf bill. Labor msy need pro-
lection from other dangers, but that
menaCed by foreign competition is now
the most Imminent Mr.. Bishop spoke
At length Of the effect which the new
tariff bill would have on the iron and
steel industry of this country, and
clearly showed the disastrous effects
which would follow its passage. Not only
will tie bias, and pudding furnaces
that are now idle remain SO, but their
number will be very largely increased.
The mining interests Will be sllenced, ard
icleness snd poverty forced upon hun
dreds of thousands OF American work
iagmen.
srEAKING FROM THE OHIO STAND.
Master George Il. Anderson. who sd
dressed the meeting from the Ohio
stand, reviewed st length the events OF
the wsr, ard showed that ore reason OF
the great prosperity then wss the high
protective tariff winch the gold premium
imposed on foreign products. He stated
that the imports Of foreign goods