Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-10-07


nue. tariff means deprivation and suffer
ing for our working and all other class
es throughout the North. Therefore
our only safety is to elect Garfield and a
Republican Congress.
The Wood Tariff BiIl-HOw it I'm
settled Business Interests and in
jured Manufactures, Traders and
Observation-Disclosures Intentions
| of the Democrats.
The Wood Tariff Bill of 1878 undoubt-
edly did more than any, other one thing
to unsettle values, to destroy confidence
in our industries, to make capital timid
of investment, and to react with cruel eff
feet upon the mechanic and laboring men
and women throughout the country. At
first the industrial interests of the land
proceeded us as usual, under the belief
that it was merely one of the usual clap
trap devices of the Democracy, to secure
some little political strength in certain
localities, and that there was no serious
purpose in it. But after while appre-
hension was aroused and petition after
petition came in from the bone and
sinew of the land, deprecating and pro-
testing against any change in the wise
tariff act which had been given to the
country by the Republican party. Deaf
to these appeals, and refusing to give
audience to the delegations which came
to Washington in the interests of the
trades and of labor, Mr.. Wood and his
Democratic friends continued defantly
to press his iniquitous, illy-digested tar
foreign importers, and against the in
terestS of our tradesmen and working
men, and the people generally. Repub-
licans did all they could to refuse the
measure any consideration whatever,
but at last, on the 26th of March, 1878,
Mr.. Wood succeeded in bringing the bill
before the House. Upon his motion a
resolution was adopted making his bill
the special order for Thursday April 4,
and to continue from day to day until
disposed of. The vote by which this
resolution was agreed to was 1877 yeas to
ia nays. Of the yeas there were 122
Democrats and only Is Republicans; of
the nays 104 Republicans and only 10
Democrats. Thus, in spite of the almost
solid Republican vote against giving
this crude bill a hearing. an almost solid
Democratic vote brought it before tie
House. and gave it chance of being en-
acted into law.
The Republicans, however, continued
to fight the monstrous iniquities pro-
posed by this bill, and finally, latter a
long and doubtful contest-during which
many of our most important industries
languished. hundreds of business houses
were forced to suspend operations, hum
dreds of others were forced into bank
ruptcy, and thousands upon thousands
of our laboring people were deprived of
the chance to earn their daily bread
succeeded in killing this baleful Demo-
cratic measure. On the 5th of June,
1878, the enacting clause of the bill--to
the intense chagrin of Mr.. Wood and his
Democratic collea, ues-was stricken
out, and the bill defeated by vote of
1874 yeas to 120 nays. Of the 1874 yeas,
lis were Republicans and only 10 Dem
Ocrats. Of the 120 nays, 113 were DEM
Ocrats and only I Republicans. The
Democratic vote in favor of the bill was
therefore in the proportion of about six
for it, to every one against it! The Re-
publican vote against the bill was in the
proportion of about sixteen against, to
every one for it,
In order to see that the object of Fer
nando Woods Tariff Bill and of the
Democratic party is ultimately so to re-
lduce the present rates of customs duties
as to completely destroy the principle of
protection, it is only necessary to glance
at his speech, delivered in the House,
April 9, 1878, in support of that mon
strous measure. Speaking of the pres
ent rates of duties, this Democratic
leader airily said:
81 recognize an implied moral right to
a little longer continuation of the favor
which they afford to the manufacturing
interests. The bill reported affects them.
so far as the rates of duties are concern
ed, but LittLe 1t reductions are trifing as
compared to what they should be, and.
in my opinion. they could well afford to
bear. If had the power to commence
de 1OUo, l should reduce the duties so
per cent. instead of less than 15 per cent
upon an average, as now proposed"
Here is an admission that his Tariff
Act-for which, as we have seen, the
Democrats voted SO strongly-contem-
plates an average reduction of about Is
per cent, with further future reduc-
ton Of more than twice that amount,
when, if ever, the administration, as
well as both branches of Congress pass
under Democratic control. The "little
longer continuation" of the flavor" of
the Is per cent. reduction plainly refers
to that period, should it ever, unfortu-
nately for our manufacturing industries