Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-09-07
HON. oLIN wELLBoRN.
A Mastery Speech by the Distin-
guiShed Congressman

A large number of people assembled
in the Opera-house last night to hear
Hon DIN Wellborn speak upon the
tariff Issue in the present national
campaign. The audience was largely
composed of ladies who were deeply
interested in the remarks of the
speaker
No one who has not heard Mr..
WellboTn discuss the question can have
any idea of the power and force of his
argument in favor of reducing taxa
ton. His speech last night was the
clearest and most convincing one
against q protective tariff that was
ever delivered in this city, and when
he gave full scope to his imaginative
powers he held the audience spell
bound with his magniii cent oratory.
He commenced by saying he came
not TO indulge in flowery rhetoric but
to range over territory of practical
thought. He summarily disposed of
Greenbacl party by saying that to
see that party il would require a pOlit-
zeal telescope as strong as those used
by astronomers In scanning the
heavens; that IL was now wTithing in
death agonies in the foul embraces of
Ben Butler. The speaker then took
up the tariff question, explaining its
various bearings on the commerce and
agricultural pursuits of the country,
and warned his audience with all the
earnestness of his nature to beware of
incidental protection He said that
the government had no original es-
tate, and what IL gives to one it must
take from many, and went on to
illustrate how the manufacturers
profited without advancing labor, and
said "a high tariff does not en-
nance labor, but the great profits
under a protective tariff 90 as
legislative gifts to manufacturers. -
He stated that it was an amazing fact
that ST per cent. of the people of this
country were taxed in the interest of
Is per cent. Mr.. Wellborn then went
back to the early colonies OF this coun-
/ try and showed how the Revolutionary
war was brought about by unjust tax
alton, With burning eloquence he
/ followed Washington in his march to
victory at Yorktown in defense of tine
/ people against tyranny,
The speaker next alluded to the
| paralyzation of ship building which
was brought about by protective
tariff; and said that in 1910 England
4 did but Il per cent, OF the ocean com,
merce OF America while to-day it
was doing 50 per cent. He stated
/ that he had lately seen
q report which said that of the thou
sands of vessels which passed through
the Suez canal last year, not one bore
the American flag; that a ship which
could be built in Scotland for 500, 600
would cost $4,000 in America; that
our commerce is paying Sl0a 900, 900 a
year to foreign ship owners. In con-
clusiOn of this branch OF his subject he
said every wave on the pebbled sea
shore, every breaker on the rocky
coast, protests against policy which
locks America out of the commerce of
the world.
which pictured householder sur.
rounded by articles which were
protected so many per cent,
and said at last no would sleep under a
marble slab taxed 80 per cent. "This
will not last forever,n said the speak
er, "the patient and long suffering
taX.Layers will not always bow their
necks TO the rod of the oppressor.n
Speaking of the presidential eandi.
dates, Mr.. Wellborn said that Blaine
was corrupt man whose record
was stained with the worst political
yenaltty, thatif he had his justreward,
instead of posturing Us presidential
candidate, would be behind prison
bars, arrayed In the striped garments
ola penitentiary convict.
With an eloquent sentence he pic
tured the Chicago Democratic conven.
tloa, and the nominee of that conven-
ton, saying 1t was the greatest polit.
ical gathering that ever assembled I'm
America, and closed his remarkable
speech by pictnring the magnificent
manhood of America, and saying he
had an abiding faith in the election Of
Cleveland and Hendricks in the No.
vember election.