The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-08-24

lars or eight dollars or nine uOllars OF
ten dollars ton on pig iron in favor o
: the English manufacturer, he should be
, required to pay duty OF Mt least thai
much on every ton he brings into this
, country: and so with everything else.
Thus our employers can continue
their business and their wages. In other
words, we are not willing to drag oul
iabOring men down to the same level
with the same wages and dependence oil
other countries. Hence it is thus one
of the primary objects OF the tariff fol
protection is TO protect labor as well us
to have manufacturing establishments.
r The wisdom OF protection has been
demonstrated Just us often rs the folly oi
free trade. Under the articles OF Con-
federation we had free trade, and all our
industries were destroyed, the country
bankrupted and the people itnpoverish.
ed. In l7S9 the first protective taritl
= was enacted, and prosperity at once fol.
lowed and continued until 1916, where
the protective features OF the law were
repealed and financial distress, industrial
prostration and general bankruptcy
were ushered in. This condition con.
tinued, nil the while growing worse, nn-
til 1924, when tariff for protection was
again provided, and prosperity immedl-
ately followed and continued until
broken down by the Democrats under
the leadership OF Calhoun in 1892.
Many men yet living can remember tho
understandable prostration OF business and
the absolute destruction OF values that
resulted. This condition continued un-
til it eliminated in the general financial
panic aud crash OF 1887. 1t was this un-
iversai bankruptcy that aroused the
people OF 1910. and won the greatest vic.
tory in our political annals for "Protec.
ton and Harrison" The tariff law that
followed in 1913 again gave protection
and at once brought prosperity and hap.
piness out OF prostration and distress.
In 1874 the Democrats elected Polk
and Dallas, upon the false cry OF "Polk,
Dallas and the Tariff OF 49," but they
were no sooner in power than they made
war on the principle they had thus ad-
vocated. In 1916, at the very moment
when they were making war against
| Mexico in the interest OF slavery, they
restored free trade in the same interest,
and once more started the country down
hill to ruin. The war with Mexico, the
large acquisition of territory in conse
quence, the discovery OF gold in Catifor.
MIA, and the wars OF Europe, all helped
us greatly, but Notwithstanding all these
aids, the balance OF trade was constantly
against us, the tide could not be
stemmed, and in due time we were over
whcImed with disaster, and our business
prosperity was swallowed up and dissi.
pated in the panic OF 1857. This pros.
tration continued until the beginning OF
the war.
CONDITION OF COUNTRY IN 1861.
Such was the history Of this question
and ousexperiences with it up to the
time the Republican party came into
power. They found the country bank
rupted, politically rs well us financially.
They had to fight great war, in which
thousands OF millions OF property were
wasted and destroyed. 1t occupied four
years OF time and cost hundreds OF thou.
sands OF lives. Notwithstanding all
this, almost magic-like, they worked the
most marvellous changes in our indus
trial conditions and wrought the most
unexampied prosperity the world has
ever known. When they came into
mower the total wealth OF the country,
excluding slaves, was Sl4,00O,000,OO
When they went out OF power that ag-
grcgate had been swclled to $50, ,O0O,0 ,00O,-
600. In twenty-four years they had
more than tFipGed all that had been az
Icumulated in $50 years OF American civ
Iilization. When they took control OF
the Government the question was how
to raise enough revenue to meet its cur
rent expenses. When they quit its con-
troll the question was how 10 avoid hav-
ing more than was needed, They found
the Treasury empty; they filled it to
overflowing. They found the Govern
lment without credit; they left it with
the highest credit in the world. They
found universal stagnation and prostra-
ton; they brought and maintained uni
yersal prosperity. They did it by sim
ply saying that American interests
should be protected against all the world.
In the face OF such record it did not
seem possible that we should have to
fight over again the merits OF this con-
troversy.
WHAT CLEVELAND KNOWS ABOUT TARIFF.
That we are doing so is due to the fact
that we have President who has
reached only tbs theoretical stages in
his studies OF political economy. He at
tained his high office without having ut
tered a sentence from which It could be
inferred that he ever gave the subject a
consideratc thought. All the grand,
I Il, nRiR Il IL tWN
have passed has been completely wasted
upon him. But he knew enough to
know that he was the head OF the Demo-
cratic party, aud that he owed all he was
J to the Solid South. The statesmen from
that section were free traders. When
they undertook to set up government
OF their own, they were careful TO put it
in their constitution that they would
never have anything but free trade.
That was the idea OF Jefferson Davis,
and that was enough TO make il forever
sacred and sanctifed to them. 1t would
not do to let the Democratic party drift
) away from it. That would be treasOn to
the Lost Cause" and to the mem
ory OF all its great apostles
But there was more. Protec-
ton was gaining favor in the South.
The people there were beginning to find
out that their country was richly tn
dowed by nature; that all they had to
do to come abreast with their sister
States in wealth and prosperity was to
} take advantage OF the blessings OF pro-
lection and goto work and develop their
resources, They had entered upon this
policy; they we're rapidly becoming its
converts. Unless something was done,
and done quickly, there would come an
end to free trade, a Solid South and
to Democratic Nscendancy. They deter.
mined to stop such tendencies. They
resolved that the best way to do so was
to fasten Democracy once more to her
moorings. They would make it dis
tnctively free trade party. As the first
, great, preparatory step in this direction,
they opened
\ SCHOOL or INSTRUCTION
in the summer of 1887 at Red Top. They
!