The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-05-07

with tho Republican party to obstruCt th
wise and patriotic legislation by Demo
cratic majority. Ho was willing 10 trust Il
the honesty, wisdom, good senae and goot
faith Of the friends Of the measure to 4,
s,a. exact justice to ha State and justice to al
t.s RANDALL's SPEECH. "sl4sl4a'
Mr.. Randall, In tho course Of his remark
in opposition 10 tho hill, said: I
This twenty percent reduction was not st
dangerous for what It did as for what /
promised. In this respect there was NJ
room for conjecture. II was proclaimed L
be the first step towards free trade. Ls
the gentlemen consider what free trade
so.called, meant. 1t meant change Of
our wholeHcheme Of collecting revenue. The
people had become accustomed to import
duty, and It had been proved the safes. and
be'tmethod oftaxaton. It caused no friction
or comparatively little. All this would be
abolished and internal revenue war taxes
continued. Was that the wish OF the peo.
pie? The Old Confederation relied on di.
rect taxation and 1t waH q failure. The
fathers OF tho country sought refuge in q
different Hystcm, and the result was q more
perfect Union in order to provide Tor
common defence and general welfare. !
Tho bill bore acaptivating caption and il
was doubtless intended to be captivating.
1t did not abolish war taxes.
The surplus revenue for this current
year would be about eixty millions. &
Ills CHOICE MADE, rs
Tho House was invited hero to choose
between tho first step towards free trade
or 10 wait to reform the tariff until such
time as the Democratic party should
build on the principles expressed in the
Ohio platform. He had no difficulty in
choosing between the two lines OF public
policy, and he CHOSE for his own people
and his own country. lie did this in tho
full assurance that free trade would bring
nothing but disaster and ruin, while the
principles expressed in the Ohio declaration
would bring prosperity, happiness and
higher order OF civilization. .al
Would 1t not be wiser to defer the con.
slderation ot 30 important question until
the country had passed through the excite.
ment OF presidential struggle and until
some information could be secured as to
the workings Of the tariff bill Of 1883 Then
real reform measure could be- adopted,
which would remain undisturbed for years,
and would be eafe, steady and universally
accepted. Take the four States OF Con-
necticut, New York, New Jersey and Penn.
sylvahis. and the census showed that more
than 100000 persona were engsged in
manufactures in those four great common
wealths. \
M u. A STUNNING ARGUMENT. !:
Did :hegentlenen believe reduction OF
wages was a potent factor in winning the
support Of those people, and especially
when Republican orators, backed by a
powerful preas, would thunder in their
ears the statement that the Democratic
party had been the main cause OF that re.
duction. He begged the gentlemen to
ponder on these things, and not lightly
dismiss them. This much was certain,
they would not act without a warn.
ing and it was kindly meant,
but not lesB, emphaticany, as it sprang
from his deep conviction OF its truth. II,
however, ,-the inexorable logic OF events
should demonstrate his apprehensions 20
be groundless, there would pe no one more
willing to acknowledge bis error, and re.
jolce that his associates had been right.
But to him it seemed inevitable that the
action OF the Committee on Ways and
Means would fall little short Of public con.
domination. 0a....