West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-10-04
THAT DAMP CHESTNUT.

Senator VIM. NJ. o. Dawson adj
dressed the Republicans of Ncwburg
on Wednesday night of last week.
There was no spontaneous uprising OF
the faithful 70 come out and hear the
genial Senator clucidatc the benefits of
protection for projections sake. When
the writer dropped into the hall he
found two-thirds of the chairs empty,
and DIR. T. L. Lanham and A. NJ
Moore wore an expression of someone
come-quiek The brass band was
asked to reach down into the depths OF
its wind-pipe and toot some patriotic
tune that would fetch forth the unfaith-
full. But the tune didn't seem to VIZ
bratc or penetrate to any alarming ex-
tent, so Chairman Lanham, Of the Ian
ham-Schcrr combination which is irav-
elling on the trail of the Mccormick
Biggest Show on Earth or, Seven
Shows in One" introduced the Sena-
tor in his felicitous way, and the au-
diencc gave the urbane Senator hearty
applause when he arose to address
them, while DIR. Lanham went out to
drum up the boys and bring them in.
The ARGUS reporter has no desire TO
misreprcsent Senator Dawson for, apart
from his politics, he is a clever gentle
man, and one whom the reporter es-
teens as friend. But the truth must
be set in cold type so the ARGUS read
ers may laugh at the discontinue of
DIR. Lanham who sat on the platform
and lead in the applause, to the amuse-
ment of those present. Somehow the
audience didn't seem to grasp the good
good points made by the Senator, so
DR.. Lanham would call their attention
to the good point by clapping his hands
or making his feet go on a strike.
TO nutshell the Senator's speech, he
said that he was in favor of protection
for protection sake; that the consumer
didn't pay the tariff; that protection
made the neccssaries of life cheaper
that we could undersell the English in
their own markets with goodly num-
Der of American products, and quoted
from the London Times calling Clevc-
land free trader and in favor of the
Democratic party, so far forgetting him
self that the London Times article is
base forgery. He illustrated his mill
dam protection, but the audience didn't
seem to think it was necessary to run
the old grist-mill on the river with
forty-scycn inches mill dam While we
have so many steam grist-mills in this
country. He lauded Gen. Harrison as
favoring high protective tariff, and
said he would be elected like his grand
father, Harrison. The Senator forgot
TO tell his audience that William Henry
Harrison was elected on "frec trade"
platform, as they are wont to call the
Democratic platform. He might have
told his audience that under the Jack
son administration the tariff ran up to
sixty-two per cent. on dutiable goods,
and from 1880 to 1910 averaged forty
per cent. The Wings rose In rebellion
Gust like the people are to-day against
such high tariff, and the "Tippeaca-
noe" campaign was fought by them for
reform and revision of the tariff-the
very thing the Democrats are fighting
for to-day. The first act of the Wing
Congress was to reduce the tariff to
one-half what it was under Jackson
and Tylcr-to twenty-six per cent.
William Henry Harrison was elected
because the people said forty per cent.
tax was too high. Now his grandson,
Benjamin, is running on a platform
which says forty-seven per cent. is not
high enough Benjamin Harrison will
get left with a big l., and Grover
Cleveland will be reelected with big
r. Stick big pin there, if you please