West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-07-25

|
the civil war in lSG0.
AdRrCrLTURE AND TuE TARIFF
I The agricultural interest Is by Tar the largest
| IN the nation and a. entitled In every adjust
men o, revenue laws 70 the first considera-
| opment of agriculture I'm the United States
must be abandoned. Realizing this fact the
have laborcd very earnestly TO pcrsuade the
| farmers OF the United States that they are
| robbed by n protective tariff and the effort Is
| thus made TO consolitiate their vast inaucnca
| IN favor OF free trade. Hut happily the farm
| crs OF America are Intelligent and can not be
| inlslcd by soDhistry when conclusive facts are
] before them. They see plninly that ,iIIring
| the past twcnty-four years wealth has not
| been acquired i'm one section by one ter
est at the expense of another section or an
other interest. They sec that the agricultural
states . nave made even more rapid progress
Inc farmers see that I'm 1890 Massachusetts,
and Illinois had about the same wealth be
tween SpO,OO,OOO, and S9OO.0O0,0OO each-and
that I'm 1880 Massachusetts had advanced To-
s2G00,0Oo0O0. while Illinois had advanced TO
Sj.5O.0OO.OO0. They see that New Jersey and
Iowa were Just equal In population ia 1850,
and that i'm twenty years the wealth OF New
Jersey was increased by the sum of $50 OOO,-
90, while the wealth of Iowa was increased by
the sum OF $500 100000 They sec that thu.
south, which is almost exclusively argricul-
and that having recovered from the loss and
devastation OF war. has gained so rapidly that
Its total wealth is at least the double OF that
which IL possessed I'm 1860. exclusive of slaves
In these extraordinary developments tho
farmers see the hopeful Impulse of "A home
market, and they see that the financial and
party came into power has established and
constantly expanded the home market. They
see that even In the case OF wheat, which is
our chief cereal export, they have sold I'm the
average OF the years since the close of the war
three bushels at home to one they have sold
abroad, and that i'm the case of corn the only
other cereal which we export to any extent
one hundred bushels have been used ut homo
10 three and "a half bushels exported. In some
years the disparity has been so great that for
every peck of corn exported one hundred
bushels have been consumed I'm the home mar
kct. The farmers see that I'm the increasing
competition from the grain fields of Russia
anu from the distant plains of India the
growth OF the home market becomes daily of
greater concern TO them and that it's impair
ment would deprcciate the value of every acre
OF tillable land i'm the Union.
OUR INTERNAL COMMERCE..
Such facts as these touching the growth and
consumption OF cereals at home give us some
slight conception OF the vastncss of the inter.
nal commerce of the United States They
suggest also that, I'm addition TO the adynnf-
ages which the American people enjoy from
protection against foreign competition, they
ENJOY the advantages of absolute free trade
over a larger area and with greater populn-
ton than any other nation. The internal
commerce of our thirty-cight States and nine
territories Is carried on without let or him
drancc, without tax, detention or Govern
mental interference OF any kind whntcver +,
spreads free over an area of three and "A half
million square milcs-almOst equal in extern
10 the whole continent of Europe Its profits
American freemcn, and from this enjoyment
no monopoly Is created. According TO Alex
ander Hamilton, when he discussed the Same
subject I'm llHO, 1.-THE internal competition
which takes place does away with cvcry thinrr
lkc monopoly, aud by degrees reduces the
prices OF articles to the minimum OF a reasona.
bic profit on the capital employed. =" IL is limos
slbie to point TO single monopoly i'm the
tered by the industrial system which Is upheld
by the Republican party.
compared with our foreign commerce.
Ia oh.
great i'm amount, requiring merely as one in
strnmcntality as large mileage of railroads
as cHis,s To-Day In all the other nations of the
world combined. These internal exchanges
are estimated 10y the statistical Bureau of
the treasury Department to be annually
twenty times as great i'm amount as our for
eign commerce. 1t Is into this vast field Of
home trade-at once the creation and tho hort
taae OF the American pcople-that foreign
nntlons are striving 10y every device to enISr
u ~ into this field that the opponents Of onr
present revenue system would freely admit
the countries OF Europe countries into whose
internal trade we could not reciprocnIIv en-.
ter; countries TO which we should bc sur-
rendering every advantage OF trade from
which we should be gaining nothing in re.
turn. ~
EFFECT UPON THE MECHANIC AND THE IA.
BoRER
policy of this kind would be disastrous IN
the mechanics and workiugmen of the United
Slntes wages are untustly reduced when an
Industrious man Is not able by his earnings
10 live In comfort, educate his children. and
Jay ny II sulnclent amount for the necpSoitfas
OF are The reduction of wages Inevitably
consequent upon throwing our home market
open To the world would deprive them OF the
power TO do this. IL would prove n great
calamity To the country. IL would produce n
conflict between the poor and the rich. and
In the sorrow full degradation of Labor wnc,,id
plant the seeds of public danger.
The Republican party has steadily aimed tn
maintain Just relations between labor and
each. conflict between the two has alyyaVs
i s.' IN the past; and will always lead i'm the
future, TO the injury of both. Labor is indis-
pehsaDlc 10 the creation and profitable use of
capital, and capital increases the efficiency
ana value OF labor. Whoever arrays the one
against the other il an enemy of both That
policy is wiscst and best which harmontzes
the two on the basis of absolute iustice T'bc
hepubncan party has protected the free labor
vi america so mat its compensation Is larger
than is realized i'm any other country. In has
guarded our people against the unfair compe-
tluon OF contract labor from China and NAV
uc Saileu upon 10 prohibit the growth of "A
similar evil from Europe. 1t is obyiousIy
unfair TO permit capitalists To make con
IhCls TOT cheap labor In foreign countries
10 the hurt and disparagement of the labor az
american citizens Such policy like that
winch would leave the time and other con.
dittions OF home labor exclusively i'm the CON
trol OF the employer is injurious to all
parties-not the least so 10 the unhappy por-
sons who are made the objects of the contract.
The institutions of the United states rCst
upon the Intelligence and virtue of all the
people. suffrage Is made universal as n lust
weapon of self-protection TO every citizen n
Is not tue interest of the Republic that any
t'OhOnllc system should he adOptcd which In
wolves the reduction Of wages to the hard
standard prevailing elsewhere The Reuub-
mean party aims 10 elevate and dignity labor
not to degrade H..
As substitute for the industrial systcm
when under Republican Administrations has
developed such extraordinary prosperity ot,r
opponents offer a policy which Is hut "A series
OF experiments upon our system Of revenue
polcy whose end must be harm to our man.
utHcturers and greater harm TO our labor
Experiment in the industrial and financial
tysuH ~ the country = greatest dread as sta
b'lity is It's greatest boon. Even the uuccr-
tainty resulting from the recent tariff aRita-
ton IN Congress has hurtfuIlv Affected tho
business Of the entire country who can
measure the harm 60 our shops and orr
MONIES, 20 our farms and our commerce. IN tho
uncertainty OF perpetual tariff agitation Is 10
bc inuiCted upon the country We arc i'm the
mldst 81 an abundant harvest; VIC are on tho
eve OF revival Of general prosperity Moth.
ing stands in our way but the dread Of a
chanHc IN the industrial system which has
Wioughi such wonders in the last twcntv
years, ana with which the powers of Increased
capltHi VIII Work ttill greater marvels Of pros
pcrity In the twenty years 90 come
OUR FOHEIGN POLCY.
Our foreign relations favor our domestic de.
Veiupmcnt. arc a. peace with the World
at peace upon sound basis. with no unsettled
questions Of sufficient magnitude TO orubar
rass or distract us. Happily removed by our
g'uEraphical position from partlcjpation or
boundary which 80 frequently disturb tbe
pAtt OF EUROPE, We arc left 10 cultfvafn
friendly relations with oil. and arc free from
posi- hic eutauglemcnts Boo the quarroIe Of anv
No. niie1 states has no cause and no desire
20 cngage no conflict with any power on earth