Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-10-04

DEMAGuGUES of the Democratic per
suasiOn are industriously dinning into
lhe ears nf all neu whom they can per-
Sr,sde tn listen TO them the declaration
that the Republicans are responsible for
the reduction of the duty on imported
wOcls.
Here are the facts, and we challenge
successful refutatiOn of them.
|. The tariff act repealed by the act
Of 1888 was enacted shortly after the
close of the war, and was based upon
prices of materials and labor and a cur
rency and upon state of affairs gener-
ally, thoroughly abnormal and incom :
patibls with the existing state of affairs
There was general demand throughout
the country. from ali classes of people,
for revision of that tariff. Provision
Was made by law for the appointment
of Commission to consider and report
upon the subject. Men of high eharac-
ter and of distinguished ability were Sc
lected. All parts of the country were
visited by the Commission, and repre-
sentative men Of all the great industries
of the country, including wool grow
ing, appeared before the Commission
and made known the situation and the
wants Of the callIngs in which they
were engaged. After hearing all that
was offered, the Commission patiently
and laberiously considered all the facts
presented, and after much deliberation
made its report. In due time that re-
port was taken up and thoroughly con-
sidered by Congress, and in the end a
tariff bill was framed.
II. A multitude of conflicting inter
ests had to be treated, and their advo-
Gates reconciled. For weeks there were
grave fears that this could not be done,
and that the attempt to adjust the tar
iff to the existing state of affairs would
be failure. To that end the so-called
Democrats Of the two houses of Con-
gress labored assiduously. Rvery vote
and every utterance of members of that
organization was with view to embar-
rass and defeat any revision whatever,
and thereby bring the system of pro-
tective tariff into reproach.
III. When the bill reached the Senate
Mr.. Sherman moved an amendment fix
ing higher duty on imported woods.
That amendment was warmly supported
by Nr. Sherman and the great body of
the Republican Senators, but WAS op-
posed by all the Democratic Senators
but three, and. a few Republicans voting
against it, was lost. Nothing remained
but TO vote for the bill as it came frem
the House, or defeat it, because of re-
ductlOn of duty Mr.. Sherman and those
acting with him thought should not be
tariff altogether.
The foregoing is fair statement of
facts, which our Democratic friends can
d0t fairly refute. OF course the Demo-
Gratis in Congress voted against the bill,
not because they feared higher duty
on. woods, but because they were opposed
TO a protective tariff altogether. This
fact all intelligent men well know. Ad-
mitting, thus, that the duty on woods is
not as high as it should be, what hope
of relief does Democratic ascendancy
offer the wool growers?
The So-callsd Democratic party, as
national organization, is opposed to a
protective tariff altogether, and always
has been. The Republican party, as a
national organization, is in favor of
protective tariff, and to that party alone
the country owes the unparalleled pros
perity of the last twenty years. IL any
wOol-grower imagines Democratic as
cendancy will help him, that idea will
be thoroughly obliterated when he reads
the organization of the Democratic
House of Representatives, next Decem-
Der.
That great tariff paper, the St. Clairs-
Vile Gazette. devoted much space to
this subject last week. and we observe
that many young Democrats of St.
have suddenly become tariff |
men. Judging by the industry with which
they circulate placards c0ndemning the
in Congress for voting for
a tariff act solely. as they would have
greenhorns believe. because the tariff on
wool was not made high enough.
If ever there was a checker perform
ance than this, it has escaped our recol-
lection.