The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-07-31
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A PECULiAR COMMUNICATION 5s
That Covers u Good Deal Of Ground
and Discusses Tariff, Z aud Grants and
Political Economy in GeuerRi- Sugxes
lions and Reflections ON tho Signs Of
the Tunes. ~ ~ - 7
GnAFroS, July %, 1882. 4
Editors intclllgenccr. Is "a Ilsn,ifss s. (
have patiently md carefully read tht
illusions Of E. NJ. Turner, OF Clarksburg
on thetariTq question, and also your replies
take the liberty to send You few re
marks in opposition to bis views Of which
you can make such disposition rs you SEC
lit. After reading his many articles tlt
reader Is forced to the conclusion that the ID
borer and farmer arc using up their earning,
as they 80 along; In other words, the farmel
pays out his money MS fast as It comes In
The tariff may in some instances enhance
the price OF labor, but tho goods he is forced
to buyare endcarcd to fully the same extent
30 that he really Is no better. Off than Il
there were free trade. II these assump.
tions IRE correct how docs 1t come that the
farmers Ia Mr.. Turner's own county wear
"slore clothes" to-day while twenty ycars
ago "home spun" and 'jeans' were worn
almost exclusively. There arc hundreds OF
tlne buygies aud carriages owned In the
county, while at the time spoken OF the
owners OF such luxurles could have been
counted Mt your finger ends-to say
nothing OF better houses, better furniture,
musical instruments-in fact every thing
that makes home life attractive. What
holds good in Harrison county holds good
the country over. Is It to be presumed
that the people went In debt for NIL these
improvements? think not. | believe
that as Il class they owe less than they did
twenty years ago, and may have bank
account, to which they were strangers at
the time spoken Of. What slid in regard
to Mr. Turner's own immediate neighbors
may be said rs truthfuly in regard to the
laboring Glars. Wages certainly never
were better ut any time or in my country
than they are here in the United States
notwithstanding what Mr.. Turner muy say.
The strikes 10 which he constantly refers
hs showing the unsatisfactory condition OF
the laboring class, to my mind Just SHOW
the contrary Of what he wants to prove.
In The good old Democratic times for
which MIR. Turner signs, such things did
not happen, brcause the poor lab0rer, for
whom his soul goes out in longing, could
not afford such Il luxury. lie was glad il he
found sonittlling TO do ut any price. 1t
was that or stnrye or 10 on Government
and. But We nil know that Uncle Sans
has been fcarfulIy cut up sincc That time,
and it will not be long before the balance
will be gone. Then there will be nothing
for tho poor man 10 fall buck upon, il
the theories Of Mr.. Turner should he
brought into praclice-.whicha merciful God
may forbid. do not know where, Mr.. T.
GOT his statistics from, by which he figures
that an iron worker, for the last year or
TWO, earned but 81 81. l should judge it
must be news 10 your fellows up there
who Just now indulge in the luxury OF Il
strike, and equally 70 his repeated asser-
ton OF 20 to 100 per cent paid dividends to
stockholders OF pampered corporations.
Ii Mr.. Turner believes what he says aud is
anxious TO strike bonanza, the writer can
put him OIL the track by which he can be
come the owner Of shares In 4 variety OF
concerns ut fifty cpntson the dollar down to
mere nothing, To speak seriously, all Mr..
Turner bas said or can say, have heard
and read again and again, and yet am still
OF the opinion that Il tariff-at leust sufli
Client 10 cover the difference of the price
Of money and labor between Europe aud
America is best for the country and all
concerned, and will be so until the millen
inm arrives and the lamb and the lion lie
down together. The writer has lived here
long enough to watch the effect OF Il low
tariff in ye old Democratic times and the
present protective tariff, and | declare,
without iear Unsuccessful contradiction, that
the country has made more progress in nc
quiring real wealth and refinement in the
mode OF living in the last twenty years
than it made in forty under
Democratic and low tariff sway.
Why Mr.. Turner lugged Gould,
Vanderbilt & Company into his Inst tariff
discussion l can't say. Neither OF the
lNtlCu Nh5 CNSl hIlUf IL " w Sll-
gagged in any manufacturing enterprise.
hey are successful gamblers on Il gigantic
scale, for which the tariff laws are not re-
sponsible. Mr.. Turner is barking up the
wrong tree. lam more in accord, however,
with what he says about the evil effects OF
such enormous aCcumulutions OF wealth
and the power OF wealthy corporations. a
way must be found to diminish that gigan.
tic evil if not to eradicate il altogether. Our
Congress las passed laws and il still pass.
ing laws utterly ut variance with Republic
can institutions, chief OF which l consider
the repeated despoliation OF our public
land in the shape Of land grants to rail.
roads. 1t was andis CRYING evil, and it
will and must be redresscd. And who are
the receivers OF these princley gifts? Why o
few wealthy nabobs, I'M mbes OF Congress
and their favorites. Not IN acre OF tho
public domain should ever have been
donated for any such purpose. We are all
acquainted with the infamous history OF
the first Pacific road, called the Union and
Central, and may therefore omit repeii.
ton thereof. II population md traffic
justify building road, it will be built,
and those that want it shall build il Mt their
expense. Ii ut governments expense, let
the latter keep control Of it. The public
land ought to have been strictly preserved
Tor actual settlers in quantities not exceed.
ing quarter section. Numerous National
and State Conventions have passed rcsolu.
lions TO that effect but not with the inten.
ton OF seeing them carried, but merely for
political buucombe. Another serious
grievance is the lavish appropriations Of
the public money, OF which the so-called
arrears OF pension bill is conspicuous
illustration, standing reproach to the ign.
ORANGE and stupidity OF our lawmakers.
While the bill was under discussion various
gnesses were vcnturcd ut us to the amount it
would take out Of tho public treasury, rang.
ing from % to rs millions while the truth
is that 500 millions will be nearer the mark.
Equally wrong arc the wholesale appro-
prialions for sonlled improvements Of
fishing creeks and frog.ponds. Another
effort is being made to get whack Mt the
Treasury, in the shape Of an educational
hill Of which Won are Il strong nuyOcntp