The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-10-30
NM. wM. LEIGHTON, JR.,
OF tho Firm OF Hobbs, Drockunier a

or the Firm OF Hobbs, Drockunier e
amy ,E4l =, Co., M HE
was found at the factory at the head Of
Thirty.sixth street, and after he had shown
our reporter the nature and extent Of the
new furnace and other improvements, We
asked him II he had read the generaliliss
contained In the Rlsis!r Of the morning.
"'Yes, cir, have. I am thoroughly
convinced that every one Of the gentle.
men represented In that interview Is sin.
cere in his expression Of opinion upon the
tariff. believe that all OF them are tariff
men, because 1t Is The question that most
nearly concerns them. But with me,
viewing as l do what is at stake In this
contest from my standpoint, / think the
success OF the Republican party is essen.
tial to my interests as well as to those OF
other manufacturers The Solid South
before the war dealt and traded W It'll
Europe. The war and It's results created
certain prejudices against the North,
and lit Is now question with
me whether these prejudiCes still exist to
such an extent as to induce the keeping
up OF that ante bellum trade with Europe.
II the Democratic party should happen to
be- elevated to power we shall have to
take this risk. There are certain con.
servatiye Democrats in the North, aud
these appear to be OF the opinion that
they will be able 10 control the action oil
the Southern or the free trade element in
determining this question Of tariff. The
question then with me, il the Democratic
party as sincere as the gentlemen whose
utterances the Regiiter gave this morning?
These opinions are counter to the plank
in regard to tariff In their platform, and
II they are sincere they are not very good
Democrats. How much influence this
conservative Northern element Of the
Democracy would have in shaping the
tariff question for our beneii! am not
able TO say, but prefer not to tako the
risk. On the ether hand the Republican
party is firmly and strongly pledged to a
tariff, and it cannot by any conceivable
plan violate It's obligations. Its past has
been good in this direction and it deserves
confidence for the uture. rs2a'Itf 77".
Astothe two candidates, Garfield is a
man thoroughly conversant with Ameri.
can politics, with the tariff issues, and all
Of the minutia connected with them,
while Hancock knows practically nothing
OF politics or points bearing on them, and
SO far as the tariff is concerned as betw cen
the Democratic party and the Republican
party; as between Hancock and Garfield
it is saIer with the latter than with tho for
mer. am not an alarlnist, ! do not
know that if the Democratic party were in
power that any immediate change would
be made in the tariff, but think the laws
would be 30 tampered with as to make
them not OF the same effect as they are
now, or ss they would be under Repub-
llcan administration. ,.1 "is.' (.
"But, Mr.. Leighton" said our reporter
VT il claimed that Democratic legislation
has induced an advance in wages recently,
is this true?" uH 79, h,.os, =
"Wages fluctuate. There has been rather
an increase than diminution in the last
i've years, attributable TO the fact that fac
tories have been extended, their facilities
increased, new ONES erected, new indus
tries sprung up; all these require laborsrs,
they hecome scarce and as a consequence
wages appreciate slightly. The rise in
wages is therefore attributable 10 natural
causes exclusive OF legislation.
The tariff ques,ion;is no bugaboo; that
it is an easy way of putting il of. 1t is
serious question. Let me ask why have tho
Democratic party that plank in their plat.
form il they are protectionists2 think
thattae northern Democrats imagine that
they l'aye strength enough to resist any
change; but then again there is the south
ern wing which isthe representative wing,
and whether these conservative northern
men can influence this wing or not rev
mains TO be seen. l prefer not to risk
the Issue. Tariff is necessary to protect
us from European pauper labor. When
laborefs in this country receive the same
wages as those ia Europe, then the tariff
question will be ol small importance; but
SO long % laborers oJn their own houses,
enjoy the comforts. tie privileges, tie Tree.
dom, political and otherwise, that result
from good wages and good employment, it
will be a question OF paramount interest
10 every American, idirdl Hn