The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-04-12
AVARIFFSPEECH.

TARIFF SPEECH.
On Tuesday, after the House of Repre-
sentstives had gone into Committee OF
the Whole for the consideration of the
tariff bill, Mr.. FERNANDO WOOD made |
one Of the most thoughtful and instruc.
tive speeches upon the question we have
ever read. /! is PLAIN and practical IN
its suggestions, lucid in its statements
and arguments, free from partisan bias,
and calm and rational throughout. we
commend perusal of it to the lnteIli-
gent and rejecting tariff man. In this
speech Mr.. WOOD does not discuss the
details OF his bill, and those facts and
tables which are presented are rather
intended Ms illustrations OF the argu-
uents than as expositlons OF the mnutis
OF the measure lie begins by reviewing
the present condition of tariff legislation,
its complexity, Its confusion, its contra
dictions; and his arrangement OF 1t
is very severe. lie fLds that duIaole
articles are sometimes subjected to
compound duty, specific aud al 0alorsn;
tina. the ambig uities Of language lead to
litigation, loss of revenue, and injury to
the importer; that the luxuries of the
rich are less highly taxed than the neceS-
sares 0. the poor; that the high rates en-
courage frauds by underyalustlens and
smuggling; that on many articles the
duty is altogether prohibitoryi that the
CONSEQUENT loss OF revenue has TO be made
up By additional tsxatoni that
the customs machinery Is complicated,
cumbersome and costly. Mr.. WOOD holds
that the evils of the present tariff laws
are so outrageous that it is difficult to
speak oil them with patience. They are
the results of series of assaults through
legislation upon the pockets and labor oil
the people. The greater part OF them
were passed between 1861 and 1876, and
were in many cases il!-considered, and In
others were doubtless the results of cor
rupt influences. Within the sbove-men-
toned fifteen years one hundred and
eigbt lars were passed affecting the tariff
and the collection of duties. Nearly
every one of these acts was the creation
Of some special domestic interest, or to
subserve some partisan purpose. They
were passed at the time when the lobby
was all powerful and legislation was 81
most in market overt. That the time
has 3cme,lo correct these abuses, to reduce
confusion to order, and Tighten the bur
dens upon the people, is too plain pro-
position to admit of debate.
Mr.. WOOD also shows that the cOndi-
ton OF the country is now peculiarly IA
vorabe TO calm discussion Of this sub
jet. During the first quarter Of the
century Of our national existence We
were emerging from the colonial condi-
ton, and had to deal with another class
of political problems: during the second
quarter our energies were devoted to
building up a maritime wealth during
the third quarter we were engaged IN
vast territorial expansion and the dcveL-
opment OF mineral resources; during the
last quarter we were occupied with the war
and its sequences. Yet during this latter
period, while the country WAS occupied
with more absorbing questions, the
greatest evils of unwlse tariff legislation
crepL in. Fortunately now there is no
great party question before the country.
The deplorsbie business stagnstion all
over the country has turned the thoughts
OF men rather to industrial, financial and
commercial questions than to partizan
struggles. The epoch is therefore favor
able to rising above party and legislstiug
for the business prosperity of the whole
country.
An interesting portion of Mr. WOODS
speech is that which shows that
many of the leading American industries
so far from needing protection, are
already able to compete with European
manufacturers upon their own ground.
In the iron snd steel trade, which usually
is most clamorous for protection, we are
now in condition to rival England.
Our exports OF cutlery, machinery and
engines are large and increasing. In
the wooden trade the American manu-
features are now causing alarm in
Europe. The exhibit of cloths and cassi-
meres a. the Centennial filled the Euro
pesn manufacturers with surprise and
anxiety. Still more strongly is this true
of cotton fabrics, American cottons now
have the highest standing in the English
Our silk manufacturers are
also now the rivals of the European.
These facts are proven from the state
ments Of the foreign manufacturers them
selves. The speech concludes with
strong appeal for non-psrtissn aud un-
biased discussion of the suhipCt And
the country can now afford to enter upon
such discussion. Let light shine in
upon this great question.
THAT WICKED WHEELING REGIS
TER.
The Grafton Sentinel having observed |