The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-02-23
acknowledgement,
Tr.,,c convention.

While Congress has been "rahglng
y Ir I,oD,.nding to little purpose, a body
80 pi.5 better represents the people has
'a''1 .;riur in Washington, considering
set' s,,.,. , which lie at the very door Of every
ai.. ti..n Of hi. Republic. The National
saar s..S,, 7 Trade Convention, which sat for
~ ~ J,,,, was made up Of men who are
Wv VII I engaged in manufacture, buying
w n.y., .,lIiDg, and iu the Ocean'c@rying
I.Em.p Wv who are heavy tax payers;
Wv, bo,epre.cnt thousands Of the hard
sJ 49, There was well'planned effort
a.a, ',.,ntDre the Convention in the interest
y Ji, t,.s Ilr.Je and a special subsidy that
.,,,y w dear to the hearts of certain gen.
amen. The itst thing that the conven'
us, Is Ji,l was to put its great foot square,
!. w joTp S on the free trade viper, and
,l..s,. ,he life out Of It, Following this
,,, ~, n.ce.ary and creditable perform
W! w., zane The declarations in favor OF a
IiSs,,I NJ, and indicious system of subsidtes
!, ,5s nature Of compensation for ocean
~,iI ' ,eryire. Unfortunately Subsidy"
In t,lleu into disrepute, and carries with
i,,a pp..yOry Odor. 1t has been abused
,,5 doubtless will be again as often as
onro,,unity shall offer and jobbers get
IL % upper hand. But abuse does not mar
n. principle. There are some things
Tbi,h The government ought to encour-
~ lOr the general prosperity and its own
ri,y There are enterprises which in:
iiy,juuIs cannot carry to a successful
i.p, and yet which are as necessary to a
I,, reOpie IA life. boats to sinking ship.
When The benefit is 10 all and to genera.
tor, to come, i.isgoOd political economy
i, the government-being the people in
C,muiIlee Of the Whole-to put its
,Soulder to the wheel aud aid private en-
tt,pri.e. Does anybody suppose that the
B,i,bh Commercial Marine would rule
ii. world il the British government had
10. helped to build it tup-did not still
gire It aid wherever the exigencies OF
.lrorg competition make aid necessary?
II the British Commercial Marine had
bt.a left to be buiIeted about by every
.Iv.r.e wind, the British flag would to-
d,y airg il. shadow on a very small part
a the great ocean pathways. There
|, no first rate power save our own that
leaves its shipping to..take care Of itself.
Eoglaud-brawling free trader that she is
has not only protected her commerce
against all corners, but she has pointed
her provo, in an offensive trade warfare,
,Iaipsl the commerce Of every people on
thsylObe. The British Lion is the great
commercial gobbler. We are making
better and cheaper commodities than
EasI,ud; we are selling to her and her
possessions the very products which, but
, lev years since, We bought from her.
Ia cheap cotton fabrics, edged tools and
. rOie Of staples once her boast We have
leil her far behind. We are sending
Goals to NewcastIe," but we are not car
iying them; We have not the bottoms.
The problem Is very simple and easy Of
'oluIiou: We have come upon hard times;
production has been stimulated and the
lone demand has fallen Of. Here are
iuse and effect bound together. We are
alking goods which a great part OF the
fOtld wants. il we could supply the de-
4And We should unload the stock on hand,
pose The iied-up hands OF labor, build
lore miIlS and factories, and enter upon
. era Of solid prosperity puch as this
Ountry has not known. Our first need
J .biPs. Brazil, for instance, which
dsts 30 fine a field for our warea,
innOt afford 10 buy them TO be shipped
ia Liverpool, and We cannot afford to
.llsnbiect 10 an allowance for the dii-
'tuCe. Our own Ohio valley, grow
,g in extent, variety, quality and finish
it. products Ia suffering to-day for
lut Of this very outlet-the whole coun.
vi. in the same plight. With our re-
,arces we must be n selling instead Of a
ayipy people or our mission will fall oi
To this end We must
ave such encouragement as govern
lat may give with profit to the whole
ountry, 40 wisely ordered that there may
eIree competition among our own peo-
s. We must avoid scandal by avoiding
arrow legislation in special intereHts.
Iut this will not be enough, we must
lare tariff laws that will foster, not kill.
there could be n profitable division Of
be tariff, but the device which Mr.. Wood
dtts ia not Of that kind. Once We pass
ush Law We shall have nothing TO sell,
OF We shall make less than We need.
Ihi' country is not ready for free trade.
The example of England in this respect
: held up by free traders for our
The advice is better than
t Is intended to be. Let us emulate 1t.
lst Us do as England has done-build
p commercial marine and project home
sdu''ris until they no longer need prOtectia,
This is the course England has pursued
without sentiment, without regard lor
bet neiEhbOra, with her eye fixed steadily
'u her own gain. II any man thinks the
line hAs come to abandon our industries
10 The mercy OF competition made pos
! 'lSIe by the degradation of European
labor, let him look on the toilers Of tEis
'oanIry-his countrymen and neiShtors
and say first whether he would have
'A'n degraded TO the same level.
THE business men OF Germany are
limiting the credit system in conducting