The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-05-11
Extract from Hon. L. Danlorda
speech I'm Congress on the
Taste nueaff0n.

Extract from Hon. L. DanfOrd's
speech I'm Congress on the
Tariff Question.
We cannot afford at this time TO Try
experiments with any Of the great indus
tries otthe land. By thee Of 1870 Il
Is shown that the manufacturing, mining,
and mechanical products amount 70 81
220, 2S5, Az, while the agricultural pro.
ducts amounted to but 81 HI, 66S, 65S, an
excess Of the manufacturing over agricul-
tural Of S1,772,Ts6,Ts4. And, It Is these
industries that produced the large excess
Of wealth few years ago that are today
Frustrated, suffering in their capital, their
labor disorganiEed, awaiting the result OF
this measure. From 1852 10 1873, q perl
Cd OF eleven years, We developed very
largely the wealth Of the country, and
developed Il 10 very large extent BY
going In debt. We built from the close
Of the war till the crisis Of 1873, 3 period Of
about eight years, thirty.fye thousand
miles Of railroads in the United States,
doubling our railroad mileage, and We
went largely In debt for the means to
accomplish this great result.
We opened mines; we built up furnaces
and mills; we laid out towns and cities;
we built and embellished towns and cities;
we improved the country; we beautifsd
our homes; we erected school houses and
institutions Of learning, and in almost
every possible way We expended large
sums oil money that we borrowed; and It
Il estimated that the Indebtedness OF the
people Of the United UtAtes, aside from
the national debt, comprising State debts,
city debts, county debts, and debts Of
corporations and firms and Of private
individuals, reaches the enormous sum
Of S, 000, 900, 900; and this vast indebted
ness rests 10 great extent upon those In.
dustries which were 80 largely developed
from 1862 TO 1878. / repeat, then, that
this Is no time 10 try experiments In leg
islation that affect the class Of people
that produced this great wealth only
few years ago. We need the help Of every
hand that Is willing to work in this couns
try in paying of this terrible mortgage
that rests upon our people; and cannot
see the wisdom Of taking hundred bush.
els OF wheat from the prairies Of Illinois,
shipping IL to Liverpool, and there e1-
changing It for three tons Of railroad iron,
when the same exchange may be made in |
Saint Louis or Pittsburgh; and, when |
remember that the cost oil Theron is main. |
ly the labor employed upon II, l do not
see why any one looking to the beat in
terests Of the American laborer can ad-
vocate any policy that will bring about
such q change In our system. know the
chairman oil the committee, the honor
able gentleman from Mississippi, as well
as the gentleman from Texas, makes an
appeal in behalf Of the oppressed and
heavily taxed farmer; they enumerate the
burdens Of the farmer; they say that he
"pays q tax Of So per cent on the paint
with which his house, Ia painted; 80 per
cent on his window glass; IS per cent on
his nails; IS per cent on the screws; 80
per cent on the door locks, )" and so on.
: Now, when It is remembered that these
articles are from 80 10 so per cent cheap.
er than they ever were under what Is
revenue tariff" 1t will be
difficult to see that the farmer pays this
enormous tax as the result Of protection.
shall not stop here TO discuss for any
length OF time the claim made half cen.
fury ago, that by home competition we
could produce in this country from our
indigenous raw material, SO cheap and so
abundant, cheaper wares than we could
purchase from abroad. further than to
say that the last few years have vindicated
the policy OF protection. Great Britain
and other European countries are waiting
to day for q chance at the American
waiting for an opportunity to
break down our Industries that they may
sgain command this market; their
journals are watching this struggle more
carefullythan many Of our own people.