The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-03-11
Tariff Meeting at lEtnaylilc.

The Meeting at Etnayille on Saturday
last was all that the friends Of Protection
could desire excepting only it should
have been ten times larger, but what it
lacked in great numbers WIS more than
compensated for in the enthusiasm Of the
friends Of the good cause. Etnayille
never does things by halves, and their
meeting on Saturday fully sustained the
reputation Of her enterprising and intel
gent citizens for earnestness and enthusi.
asm in advocacy Of their purest conyic-
tons.
AT the appointed hour for the meeting
the Etna Mill men headed by the Mar
tins Ferry Band and a drum corps, march
ed in stroug force down to Bridgeport ex.
pectiug to meet promised delegation Of
workingmen from Wheeling, which for
some reason failed to put in an appear.
ance. Retracing their march TO the mill,
which was gaily decorated with flags and
eyergreens, an organization was effected.
On motion Of Wilbur Trueman, Lewis
Jones was chosen President, Wilbur True
man Secretary. VIM. Howell, 4. j.
Smith and Thomas Jones were the COM
mittee on Resolutions, who, through their
Chairman, W. J. Howell, reported the fol.
lowing as the sense Of the meeting, which
were adopted with great unanimity.
Resolved, That the proposed changes
are hostile 10 the best interests Of the
country, and that the experience OF the
last sixteen years has proved the protec-
tive policy TO be most important factor
in the development Of our business, and
ia an essential element in the resources OF
our nation; and we further call attention
to the report Of the Secretary Of the
Treasury in proof Of this; that the pro-
posed changes contemplated in the tariff,
will cause the revenues Of the nation to
fall of annually fourteen or fifteen mil
lions.
Resolved, That the proposed changes in
tho tariff can only result in reduction
Of quantity and variety in our products
and imposing burdens thereon which
will work injuriously on skilled aud or.
binary labor, which added 10 the general
depression and small compensation for
work, can only be an increased
and enforced idleness OF thousands
Of laborers who even now in pros.
pect Of the changes find 1t hard to keep
the grin OF the gaunt wolf at their doors
from demanding the meagre supply Of
daily bread.
ReSOlred, That the history OF the coun-
try proves that under protective policy
It has been prosperous, while under dit.
ferent policy, labor, manufactures, agri-
culture and all the national interests have
laugulshcd and died, while the avenues
OF revenues have been destroyed altogeth.
er; we therefore most earnestly urge our
representatives in Congress to spare no
honorable means to defeat the neiariou4
scheme against our rights and prosperity
embraced in the tariff scheme Of Wood 4
Co.
Re,olred, That we regard the Wood
tariff bill in all its nature Us the progeny
Of British gold in the interests Of British
monopolistR, including the trick OF scrap
iron, "free ships" Sc, &C., and denounce
1t as unworthy the favorable conSidera.
tion Of any man worthy the name Of an
American citizen, in Congress or out oil II;
and we do stubbornly protest sgRinst be.
ing degraded 10 the level Of European
paupefs. We can build Our own ships.
We can make ourselves, all we need to
make US prosperous and happy as peo.
pie, aud all we ask Is, and this We do.
mand, that the authority vested in Amer.
ica's Congress be not turned in dishonor
against American labor, American labor
erS and American interests and prosper
lily.
Col. Poorman was then introduced, who
for nearly an hour argued the tariff
Issue In ils every phase. 1t was q mas.
terly defense Of the American policy.
The Colonel was more than usually hap.
py in the treatment OF his subject, and
his wholespeech eyinced careful research;
close analysis Of the merits Of the pro.
tectiye tariff policy, its whole history,
with the inevitable advantages accruing
thereirom, proving eonclusively that the
country was always prosperous under
q protective tarif, while, on the other
hand, trade, enterprise and the indus.
tries languished and died under free
trade. The speech ought 10 have been
heared by every operative, mechanic, ar.