The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-07-25
posed 70 have az equal chance, these vast
inequalities should exist, and Why one

posed to have an equal chance, these vast
inequalities should exist and why one
man should Lave more actual wealth than
all he trd9s paid IN a irho.s year 10 all the
men employed In all ne iron industria OF
this country. The lnboring class Is not
contented; nay, are not ms prosperous ns
they have u right 10 erptci 10 De under a
tariff which they are told was intended for
their benefit. They are beginning 10 want
TO know II II Is NOT time they were having
some Of the benefits Of this protection.
Look at your Amalgamated Association;
look ut yonr Knights Of Labor organization;
your United Order OF American Work.
men; your Miners Union; your Brother.
hood Of Locomotive Engineers. II labor
Is 80 well paid under q protective tariff,
why all this discomfort and organiza.
tion for self.protection against capital? ye
! am no alarmist. But It behooves us TO
look these questions squarely In the face
and prepare Tor what Is coming unless
something Is speedily done 10 relieve the
laboring people Of this country from the
burdens Of unequal taxation. For your
tariff taxes man not according to the
amount Of property, but according 10 ,rhai
he has 10 tuy and hence the tariff tax falls
with ten fold more weight upon the poor
man than on the rich. Unless something
IS done, and done speedily, the time Is not
far distant, In my Judgment, when there
will be seen labor troubles In this country
before which the riots OF 1877 will "pale
their Intellectual fires" As Mr.. Hewitt
said in the speech from which quoted IN
my last article, "With n failure to comprc.
bend the situation It free trade) will come
through commissions and revolutions, from
the suiIerings and horrors OF which | pre-.
fer to turn away In silence. But there ia
one aspect OF the case TO which cannot
shut my eyes. The whole structure and
genius OF our government must be changed
in order 10 meet the primary necessity
which will thus arise for preserving social
order. With the general occurrence Of
strikes and lockouts will come, MS in the
case OF the niilroad riots OF 1877, the de-
mand upon the Federal government for
the presence OF troops 10 maintain order
and put down violence and MODS. VI
With large standing army MS National
police, under the direction OF our execu.
tive whose authority will thus be as ON.
nipotent as his troops will be omnipotent,
the era OF free government will have pass.
ed away, and the reign Of despotism will
have commenced. Such calamity ought
never TO come 10 pass, andFit never will
come unless this generation OF men
and the representatives OF this
generation upon this floor fail to compre. |
bend the warnings Of the time; when CAPT.
tai and labor, modified by the discovery
Of new laws Of force and BY the progress |
Of invention, demand and piH receire lie
same free Interchange for their product. which |
they have already achieved Tor themselves:
when all thoughtful men now see and know |
that "the glad tidings OF great Joy" pro.
claimed two thousand years ago OF "peace
on earth and good will to men, are, after
the lapse OF ages, to be made q reality,
through the untrdmmeled intercourse of men
and nations with each other, bringing TO
nnught and utterly confounding the doc.
trine born OF passion, prejudice and ignor.
ance, ,rhich regards men az natural enemies
instead OF proclaiming them to be the
children OF the same Heavenly Father
whose service is perfect freedom"
With many thanks, Mr. Editor, for your
courtesy in allowing me the use OF your
columns to answer your criticisms OF my
articles in the Ners, and TO give at least
some OF the reasons which have influenced
me in assuming TO defend the interests OF |
The great laboring and farming classes OF
This country from the injurious effects of |
what conceive to be most oppressive
and unjust tariff system, / am
Yours respectfully,
- Il z NJ. TURNER.