The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-01-15
A TariTMeeting Mt Pittsburgh In
which u Free Trade Dtscussion
Iinaxneafatily Arose.

A Tariff Meeting nj ~
which u Free Trade Discussioh
Unexpectedly Arose.
Pi,aburCh Leader Of Saturday evening.
In response to n call from the Chamber
of Commerce, q large number oil leading
manufacturers and merchants met yester'
day at the rooms Of that body. Ihe OBJ
iect Of the meeting was 10 consider the
probabilities Of q change in the present
tariff laws. Captain J. F. bravo called
The meeting to order, and Mr.. James
Park, IT,, was called upon to preside.
MI. Park was mlonished that Congress
should seek to interfere with the tarii
laws, and thought that that body should
not conyen oitener than once in I'VE
years. A new law on the subject would
not be properly understood for len years
General Negley iaid that foreign com.
binations and foreign capital sought to
control our market, and also to exercise
their influence on Congress, y ne
thought that there was great occasion Tor
alarm among our industrial interests at
Mr. IIsrry Oliver said that the skilled
iron.laborcrs we're us much interested IN
The matter az the manufacturers, and
should help in ~agitating It. A change oil
Ten per cent in tie tariff would ruin the
manufacturing interests OF this commn'
nifty. h,
ocnmm;ttee appointel for the purpose OF
drafting them, Of which the followingls
a summary:
Il having been announced that a re-
vision Of The tariff laws il in progress In
Congress, and "a the present tariff laws
have not only been without detriment to
the beat intercstao Of the nation, but that
under their influences our manufacturers
have lourished TO m extent nnparal-
leled Ia the history OF II country, We
think il unwise in Congress to make
any sweeping changes in the existing
laws, which have proved so beneficial;
and The agitation Of the question pro-
longs the huSiness and industrial de-
preston which has weighed so heavily
on our interests. Upon this question
the interests Of employer and employ.e
are identical, and any enactment which
would cnrtail the amount OF our products
would bear heavily on the latter class.
We would, therefore, request our repre-
s~entatiyes In Congress to oppose all MAZE
risl changes in the present tariff laws.
Mr., Reese said that twenty millions oil
gold have gone to England for cotton
goods, while the women and children oil
New England are idle. -,
DR.. j. B. Bittinger, Of the Sewickley
Presbyterian Church, was noticed by Post.
master Anderson, and President Parks
called on him for a speech. The doctor
said
Iwill presume you also favor free speech.
We may as we'll make up u minds that
there will be a change in the tariff law.
The complexion Of the national legisla-
ture Is evidence Of that. Theoretically
speaking the Democratic party is In Ia
yor Of free trade, though the remark does
not apply to Pittsburgh Democrats. The
reports from Congress torewarn us OF a
change. That there will be a change 10 a
foregone conclusion. We should then
exert ourselves to see that this change
does not PROSTATE necessary inter.
eats. Now concerning the present tariff
law I dare say you never saw two men
who Understood Il alike. II is too intri-
cafe and too cumbersome. 1t cover too
much ground, and should be simp!ited
aud scaled. For instance. under iron you
have seventy items specified in the tariff
law. but vet not one provision that will
cover the article Of cotton ties. Many
articles protected yielded very little or no
revenue. The law should be changed In
scope, and made 10 cover fewer articles.
This would prevent smuggling. Atpres.
ent there Ia collusion between importers
and revenue officers, and a man can snug
Gle in almost anything il he will buttrv.
II the law was simpliied there would be
{ sssmuggling. Rates should be reduced.
While then we should make the tariff
cover few articles, We should also make
the rates on these articles lower. This.
too, would serVe TO diminish fraud. Tariff
for protection and tariff for revenue are
inverse 10 each other. The higher the
tariff the lower the revenue, and con.
yersely, What then should we do? Why,
tax those articles which everybody will
have but need not have. Acnpo OF tea or
acup Of coffee Is u luxury. Pit a tariff
on these and the revenues will be increas.
I'd. told them when the duties were re.
realed on theto articles that II was u
grand mistake; 1t was taking Of the tax
from articles used by forty millions Of
people, each Of whom therefore paid
about City cents a year, and putting a
heavier tax on other articles which DO.
came dearer IN proportion, and yielded
still less revenue, The duties should be
repealed or lowered on salt and sugar.
The whole law should be thus scaled. .r'
President Park-I ought 10 thank Dr..
Biltinger for that speech. think we
will have a lively time from this out.
Why the gentlemen would have us tax
coiIec-cofEee, an article which every man
on Gods big earth oGOhtto drink. 1t Is
an antidoie for whisky, aud II more strong
coffee were used there would be lcss SUI
iering from tho evils OF intemperance.
General egley.-The revenue laws are
not as cumbersome or intricate as the
reverend gentleman thinks.
II. w. Oliver, Jf.-Dr. Bittinger
should remember that We favor the tariff
rs a principle, and not through selfish.
ness. The doctors Speech boiled down
leaves the impression that Pittsburgh
manufacturers favor tariff merely for
their own advantage. Itwould DO a dis
grace 10 ask Congress- 10 abolish the duty
on salt and increase it on iron to meet
our own ends.
Mr.. I. j. BlSham-Dr. Bitinger has
read three times more on the free trade
side than on The tariff side. He takes the
view Of all theorists. He spoke Of going
abroad, and would have us do like the
iron manufacturers wife, who goes
abroad every year and brings enough
goods back in her trunk to last till her
next trip. Thatiton manuiaclurer-her
husband-says you a smuggle a trunk
through Tor ten dollari every time.
daughter. This thing Of going abroad
I n '