Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-10-05

streets. The organizations broke ranks
on South York street, and as many as
could possibly do 30 entered the building
where the addresses were to be made.
The meeting was called to order by Mr..
j. A. Woods, Vice President of the Sew
enth Ward Democratic Club, who was
chosen Chairman of the meeting. MIR.
J. B. fancy, Of the REGISTER, was elected
Secretary. Without waste Of time MIR.
Woods Introduced the first speaker Of the
evening to the audience, in the person OF
Hon. J. B. Somerville, who was loudly
spplauded as he advanced to the edge OF
the platform.
Referring to the tariff issue, Mr.. Som
meryille declined to give his assent 10 the
Republican idea that the tariff was the
leading issue before the people. DE was
willing TO admit that 1t was prominent
Just at this time, but its importance was
of ten porary nature, and would in time
dissppsar or at least allow other matters
TO come to the front The cardinal prin-
cipls of the Democracy was the right OF the
masses of the pc pie to govern themselves,
and the relations of the States to the gen
eral government, and that doctrine under
lies the entire party structure.
The speaker took up these ideas
aud enlarged upon them in an able way.
He was not PFC pared TO say the Republican
party would blot out the Sia'e lines, If it
mad chance, but tbs organization stood
several steps beyond the Democratic party
10 that direction, and 1t was well enough
to take the precaution that tLey got no
further in dangerous route. Every great
rece6t conferred upon the pc ople of the
United States since the foundation Of the
government wss the outerowth Of Demo
cratic thought and Democratic action, ard
he felt sure the people app 'eciated these
facts, and would act accordingly.
The speaker took up the tariff question,
and said the republicans referred to the
tariff as though they hal o sort Of a potent
right to it--as though they had originated
and perfected aud perpstuated the entire
tariff idea. he pointed to the historical
fact that there had been tariff from the
very foundation of the Government, and
added that the high tariff of the war ps,
lriod-the Morrill, tariff law-was passe d
before Abraham Lincoln was President o.
the United States, and received the sane
ton of James Buchanan, Democratic
President. Mr.. Sommerville spoke forcibly
and at some length upon the question Of 6
tariff, covering it thoroughly and present
ing his points clearly aud forclbly. HI
had the undivided attention Of his audi
ence, and was frequently spplauded.
The second speaker was Col. w. W.
Arnett, who YVES very warmly greeted
Col. Arnett protested, as he walked TO thu
front of the platform, that he had beer
taken little unswares, and to get warmed
% he told little story, which served Il
happily introduce him and put everybody
at ease. Touching upon the Issues Of TIT
campaign, he said the Republicans were
raising q great cry about the removal of TIT
tariff en- wool. A Calhoun county FRIEND
of the speaker hsd said the Republican,
were alarmed, not because ths Dsmocra at!
were going to fleece" them, but because
they were going to 60 farther than that
and take the hide off 'em. Seriously, the
wool cry had been raised because the Re
publicsns expected and hoped to catch
votes among sheep rsisers. He wanted Il
point to the historical tact, that Just in
proportion as the duty had been
removed from wool, the prizes had
been higher, and when the duty on
wool was high, the price had tean low.
That had been the inevitable result in Amer.
lean history.
The removal of the tariff on wood gave
tie Colonel occasion to say it had been
suggested he had o personal interest there,
because he needed the wood for wbittlipg
purposes, but seriously, he pointed out
that the forests OF America were rapidly
disappearing from the hills and valleys Of
America, and already it was becoming
necessary to draw on foreign supplies.
Let those importations come TO the people
as chsaply as possible.
Nobody, he said, wanted to interfere
with American industries. No party had
any desire to cripple our man ufactures.
The Mills bill afforded ample protection,
as might be seen at glance by comparing
that bill with the report of President Ar.
thurs Tariff Commits ion. So long as the
incidental expenses Of the government had
to be raised by duty on imports there
would be Q protective tariff, ard all the
Democrats sought to do was to lop, off the
unnecessary margins which were weighing
down the people. The Tariff Commission
had recommended areduction of20 per cent.
That was q Republican r~commendation
The Mills bill contemplated reduction oil
but ) per cent, or one-fouIth less than the
Tariff Commission thought proper, and yet
Republicans talked about Democratic free
trade! 1t was simply amusing. He re-
terred to the Republican tariff bill, and
said that if Democrats were free traders,
because of the Mills bill, why not charsc'
terizs the Republican Senate by the same
words, for it was travelling the same road.
The Republican statesmen had bsen
preaching tariff reduction for years, ride
the fifteen or twenty cuts Of. Rspubl' can
Senators, published in the REGISTER q
week or 90 ago. The Colonel said much
more upon this topic in very able way,
and was sgain and again interrupted by
applause.
he referred to the free importation Of
paupsr lsborers - 'the poor wretches
thrown up by the troubled stomach of Eu-
rope"-in 9 telling way, and showed how
fallacicus it was to accord the employer
high protection and let the European Is
borer 20 in free to compete with his Amer
| lean fellow-lsborer.
Hon. Roes ]. Alexander, Of Bridgeport,
was the third and last speaker Of the even
ing, and he was received with every dem
onstraiion of satisfaction. He said his
Ohio friends were accustomed to watching
affairs In West Virginia, and they were
wonderfully interested in the CAM, ign
now going on here. In fact, they got so
deeply interesteds at times, that they wished
the southeastern part of Ohio were slsshsd
of and annexed to West Virgins. He said
Col. Arnett had asked about block tin;
and desired to know why Republicans
were 80 earnest in discussing the retention
OF that duty on . product not mined in
America. He could tell the Colonel how
it came. Over in his district they had Q
Congressman, Mr.. Taylor, who was inter
ssted in an iron roofing mill. The pro-
duct was called corrugated, because they
bent il up 30 the purchaser would
have 10 buy large amount Of it-they