The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-08-30
PRONUNCIAMENT0
II THE FREE TRADE cRANKs,
Why They Want to Abolish the Protective
TarIR-HIalno's Latest Speech iH Maine,
The Defeat of Gibson for the Congress
slonaI NomInation-W Why We Weep.

nd AuAulAlbl VI AAIku bgHlbIl9NAG
majority in the national House OF Repre-.
sentatiYes to pass a bill for tariff reform
looking only to the removal OF heavy
burden OF taxation from few great indus
triea and the refusal OF the representatives
OF the Republican party and their allies to
even consider the abatement OF tariff tax
alton in any degree, imperatiVely calls for
aggressive and uuCompromising political
activity from the friends of commercial
freedom, There can be no doubt that a
majority OF the American people at pres
ent acting in unison with one OF the two
great political parties are convinced OF the
practical necessity OF tariff reform and the
abandonment OF the hitherto dominant
policy OF the high discriminating and un.
necessary taxation. A clear statement Of
the issue between proteCtionists and free
traders Is OF itself a demonstration OF the
truth Of the assertion.
On the one side the advocates OF "Pro-
lection" start with the assumption that
under free and regulation form OF gov
ernment the power Of taxation may be
lawfully used to aid private enterprises
and build up private fortunes on the false
plea now demolished by the hard logic Of
facts, that such legislation betters business
and raises wages. For long period they
have reduced this assumption to practice
by ignoring heavy taxes on articles neces-
sary to the processes OF great domestic
industries for the benefit Of special inter.
eats OF very small relative Importance OF
industrial interest TO the whole country.
TIN rLATE TARIFF.
Thus for years past our fiscal policy has
been practically dictated by the manufac-
turers oi pig iron, and the growers OF wool,
although the aggregate value OF the an.
nual product oil pig iron and wool ls not
equal 10 the value OF the annual egg and
poultry crops OF the country, and not to
be compared with the crop OF either hay,
wheat, corn or cotton. Emboldened by
long liberation the demands OF these
special interests increase In audaCity, as Ia
shown In the recent proposition OF Samuel
Randall, their Representative, to advance
tho duties on tin plate from Que to two
percent per pound. This article Is used
largely for preservation by canning OF an
exCess Of our meat, vegetables, fruit, fish
and oil products, which without such treat.
ment could not be marketed, but would
be wasted,
The present duty for this aud the COM
missions added constitutes bounty which
would cover the payment OF double the
wages paid In the tin plate industry in
Great Britain. But as the foreign manu-.
faCture Ia conducted at minimum ol
profit, the price OF Tin plate being the low
est ever known in hiatory, the present tax
ia regarded as insufficient, and Mr.. Ran
dali proposes, in spite Of an ovcraowing
Treasury, to increase this tax from ", ,0OO.
900 to an aggregate Of $l5, 100000 and to
collect 1t by adding to the cost OF the
preservation OF meat, fish and fruit, and
decreasing our export market accordingly,
the milk pans and cans Of every farmer,
tho cooking utensils and dinner pail OF
every workman, and the construction OF
every dwelling house and railroad car In
the country, and all for the benefit OF
few iron manufacturers and capitalists in
Pennsylvania.
FREE TRADE DENAEDJ.
On the other side the principles Of free
traders may be simply stated as follows:
Flrst-They demand that tho whole sys'
tenn Of federal taxation be 80 reconstruct.
ed and readjusted that all the taxes which
the people pay shall be received by the
Government without the diversion OF any
part for the fostering OF private interests.
SeCond-That the promotions and true
protection OF domestic industry is to be
found in the removal Of all taxes from
articles which constitute the foundation
or arc necessary to the processes OF our
yarioua industries; and that the incidence
OF taxation be restricted as far as posaible
10 articles which are ready for final con-
sumption and OF which the use 10 volun-
tary rather than necessary.
Third-They claim the abandonment OF
the present high discriminating aud un.
necessary tariff taxes and tho levy Of
national revenue and comparatively few
articles on which taxes can DO collected
with the least interference with freely
chosen pursuits OF the people are the
necessary steps to gradually ensure to the
country tho full Industrial employment
and high wages Of abundant production
and low cost, extended markets and q per-
mauent revival OF commercial activity.
The trade competitors OF the Unl nlted States
are loaded down with debt and with the
support OF great standing armies, which in
lime entail burden Of taxation 30 heavy
as 10 impair their resOurCeg, cripple the
energies Of theiE people and increase the
cost Of their products.
FREE TRADE pANACEA.
To successfully make tho race for trade
with the nations thus hampered 1t is only
necessary that tho people Of this country
adopt lax policy diametrically opposite.
Other nations must then disband their
armies and set their soldiers to work with
Ibetter wages aud better subsiBtenCs than
thew now have to afford them any chance
ior competing with a country 80 rich in
resouTces, 40 Intelligent and active Ia re-.
sneot 10 population and so free in respect
10 government Rs the United States.
L Ia for such result that the American
Free Trale League invites the Co'opera.
ton Of the patriotic men OF all political
partles, Tho recent trial oi strength In
Congress shows that a change Of o single
district In half OF the States from the side
Of the proteClionists 10 tho side oil the free
traders 10 all that 10 required to reform
lhe revenue System oil the government,
In more than this number Of districts
change OF less than 8 percent Ia the vote
will change the distTigt. a comparatively
smal number OF those opposed by con.
yIction 10 o policy Of taxation and
restrIcllon asserting themselves actually
can thus produce the desired result. Its
therefore essential that each friend ol
commercial freedom In anticipation Of the
Nominations In his Congressional district
shall determine, aud as far Es possible,
declare hls determination not 10 vote fot
any candidate for Congress who ls not op.
posed TO tariff for protection, except
where II is necessary to defeat by eleCIing
an Rvowed proteCllonist openly, a candl'
date who Btfaddles Democracy by cater.
ing 10 monopoliBts and traders IN special
legislation OH the one hand while Clalm'
Ing support from the toiling tax.pRylng
masses on the other. In what cases II
may be best 10 put an independent
candidate In the ilUld, and In what Others