Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-10-12

We notice that the increase III the num-
Der of farms between so and 80 was Al
per cent; in the number of persons en-
ployed, 81 per cent. Between 20 and 80
the increase in farms was so, and in the
number of persons employed, % per
cent.
The figures l have presented show that
the country was more prosperous, and that
the increase i'll population, wealth and
manufacturers, &c, was greater between
1850 and go than between 1870 and 80.
TARIFF.
As some fyOu are aware, | was 4 MEM
her OF the National Democratic Convention
in 1891, and one of the subcommittee on
resolutions or platform, and had consider
able to do with the formation of the tariff
plank in the platform adopted by the con-
vention. l will quote the essential parts
of the platforms of the two parties, relat-
ing to the tariff. One, | think, is about as
strong the other rs to Inc protectiOn OF home
industries; in fact, | doubt whether any
man who has not recently read, or is not
familiar with the two platforms, can tell by
reading them which is the Democratic or
the IkcpuDllCiu- III lSduluS L IA OuliV
the names of the parties:
1.-The necessary reduction in taxa
ton can and must be effected without de-
priving American Labor of the ability to
compete successfully with foreign labor,
and without imposing lower rates ofduties
than will be ample to cover any increased
cost Of production which may exist in con-
sequence of the higher rate OF wages pre-
vailing in this country"
1.-The -- pledges itself to cor
rect the inequalities of the tariff and to re-
duce the surplus by such methods as will
relieve the taxpayer, without injury to
the laborer or the great productive inter
ests of the country"
You will notice there is but a slight diff
ference between the two platform, in fact
the parties could exchange, and the Re-
publicans would claim they were for pro-
lection and the Democrats were not. The
first clause | read was for the Democratic
and the second for the Republican plat
form.
In another portion of the Democratic
platform the party is pledged to revise
the tariff lin q spirit of fairness to all IN
terests." This provision | was particularly
anxious should be n part OF the platform,
for the reason that there were Democrats
and Republicans in Congress who were dis
posed to deal unfairly with the great in
terests of West Virginia namely:-coal,
iron and lumber, to which l will call at
~tention ut the proper time during my re-
marks.
The tariff has been u leading question
from the beginning of the Government.
On tariff, / am n liberal Democrat, for
tariff with incidental protection and agree
with the following quotations from former
Democratic Presidents:
Mr.. Jefferson said in his letter to
BENJAMIN Austin of Boston, in 1916. speak
ing of free-trade, manufactures, etc. Il
am proud to say that am not one ofthese
meaning free-trades). Experience has
taught me that manufactures are now as
necessary to our independence as TO our
comfort"
Mr.. Madison said in q special message to
Congress, May %, 1909: 1T will be
worthy at the same time of their just and
provident rare to make such further altera-
tions in the laws as will more especially
protect and foster the several branches OF
manufactures which have been recently III
stituted or extended by the laudable exer-
ton Of our citizens"
Andrew Jackson, in his letter to DIR.
Coleman of North Carolina, August 26,
1924, said: "In short, sir, we have been
too long subject to the policy OF British
merchants. II is time we should become
a little more Americanized, and, instead OF
feeding paupers and laborers of England,
feed our own; or else in n short time, by
continuing our present policy, we shall be
paupers ourselves"
/ could quote in favor of tariff from
Presidents Monroe, Polk, Buchanan, &c,
but have not the time. ,
The issue between Jackson and Clay
was: tariff for expenses of Government,
against protection, for the sake of protec-
ton. There have been between seventy
and seventy-fve different tariff bills passed