The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-10-09
SOME PLAIN FACTS
ron THE CONFEDERATION OF BrsI'
NESS MEN.


The present tariff law ia no doubt faulty
in many particulars Some Of lie prosi.
sIops were adopted during the war, when
the Immediate needs Of the Treasury were
the prime consideration. Others are the
results Of the combination Of local inter.
esls without much regard to broad prin'
ciples Of national welfare. A thorough
reylsion Of the law, II 1t could be made
with full knowledge Of the condition Of
the industries Of tho country and with pa
triotc motives only, would be an excel.
lent thing. Il Is not such re-
vision that the Democrats propose,
however. Their avowed purpose Is to
strike down the whole fabric Of protective
duties which shelters thous:nds Of pros
porous manufacturing enterprises, and
put In It's place a tariff devised with the
single idea Of deriving revenue. Its thil
purpose, plainly declared by the party
clamoripg for "change" in the Govern
ment, that has alarmed manufacturer
and workingmen In every city and village
ofthe North where protected industries are
established. These men know that II The
Democratic programme is carried out The
occupations which now afford employ
ment for their hands or Investments tol
their capital will be rendered proatless
and thus destroyed. Nor does the alarm
stop with the artizans, operatives, ant
owners Of mills, furnaces and fac
tories. People who have no direct inter
est in manufacturing realize that the Dem
ocratic tariff plank Is menace to the gen
eral business prosperity Of the country
Business interests are so interviewer tha
one great branch cannot be pulled dowt
without bringing all the Others down will
Il, II our manufactures are crippled, onl
agriculture, trade and transportation VII
suffer too. Whatever people may think
about the abstract theories OF free trade
and protection, common sense teaches
that the great industries which have
grown up under q protective system until
thew employ hundreds OF millions Of cap.
ital and hurdreds Of thousands oil skilled
hands, cannot be destroyed by uniriendly
ieeisIRtion at Washington without In
yolying all the material interests Of the
communities where they are established
In a terrible calamity. The practical
question is whether We shall 80 on making
the goods we consume or shall close OUT
factories and set our work people adritt In
order 10 swell the revenue by heavy i'm
portAtIons from foreign countries. The
Republican party, which copied the pro.
,eciive system from the Wing party, and
has greatly enlarged Its scope. takes one
side Of this question; the Democratic
party has always taken the other side
since the days Of John o. Calhoun and
The South Carolina notification.
The only apology the Democrats make
for their revenue tariff plank In such man
ufscturing States as Connecticut and Penn
sylyania, Is that the party will not carry ou
the principle II prOclaims. Perhaps u
would not Il the question were left 10 tht
Democrats OF New England and the Mid
die States, but they will have little to 50!
about It's settlement The "tarif for rev
enue only" plank was adopted on the dc
mand Of the Southern delegates to thl
Cincinnati Convention. The Western
Iree.tradeIs backed up their demand
When 1t comes to legislation, the Soutl
and West control the Democratic Congress
sional caucus by an Overwhelming atoTi
~, and the protests Of handful OF East
ern Democrats representing manuiactur
Ing constituencies will not keep them from
carrying out the principles OF their party
set iorh In lis national platform. A res
enue tariff bill, having no regard 10 the 10
tsTest Of home manufactures, will b
passed by Democratic Congress Rnt
signed by a Democratic President as
leading feature Of Democratic policy. Th
South is tired OF what It calls "payin
tribute 10 Yankee iactories." What doe
Il care for the prosperity Of our bus.
Northern towns? II want TO buy goods II
the cheap markets OF Europe In exchang
for It's cotton and tobacco. For all pun
poses OF shaping Government policy th
South Is the Democratic party, now a
much as before the war. Place that part
In power, and 1t will make rs shot worI
OF the Republican tariff as It did In lS46 O
the Wing tariff Of 1912. =,
Manufacturers, mechanics and laborin
men cannot overesumata the gravity
this issue. ADemocratlc victory this yea
means the destruction OF the protectiy
tariff system. A Republican victory mean
the maintenance OF the system and th
continued prosperity Of the industries
has nuTtured.