The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-09-12

| VINO leACu IHuL VIC IhEuib uuty uPS'
foreign goods sold in our market is pai'
by the consumer, and that the price 0
the domestic competing article is en-
HANGED to the amount OF the duty OF
imported articles-that every mil
lion OF dollars collected for Gus
toms duties represents many mil
lions more which do not reach
the treasury, but are paid by our citizeni
us the increased cost OF domestic produc
tions resulting from the tariff laws-may
not intend to discredit in the minds o.
others our system Of lcvying duties on
competing foreign products, but 1t Is
clearly, already discreditcd in their own
We cannot doubt, without impugning
their integrity, that il free to act upon
their convictions, they would 50 revise
our laws MS to lay the burden OF the Gus.
toms revenue upon articles that are not
produced in this country, and to place
upon the free list all competing foreign
products. | do not stop to reflte this
theory us to the effect OF our tariff duties,
Those who advance il are students Oi
maxims and not OF the markets. They
may be safely allowed to call their pro-
ject Tariff Reform" il the people under
stand that in the end the argument COM
pcIs free trade in all competing products,
CLEVELAND ANSWERED.
This end may not be reached abrupt
~, and its approach may be accomplish
ed with some expressions ot sympathy
for our protected industries and ouI
working people, but it will certainly
come, II these early steps do not arouse
the people to effective resistance. The
Republican party holds that q protective
tariff is constitutional, wholesome and
necessary. We do not offer Il fixed
schedule, but a principle. We will re-
wise the schedule, modify rates, but al
ways with an intelligent provision us to
the effect upon domestic production, and
the wagesofourw workingpeople. We be-
lieye il to be cne OF the worthy objects
of tariff legislation to preserve the Amer
ican market for American producers.
and to maintain the American scale OF
wages, by adequate, discriminating
duties upon foreign competing products.
The effect OF lower ratea and larger i'm
portations upon the public raYenue is
contingent and doubtful, but not SO the
effect upon American production anu
American wages. Less work and lower
wages must be accepted as the inevitable
result OF increased offering OF foreign
goods in our mGrket.
BY way OF reCOmpensq for this reduc'
ton in his wages, and the loss o. the
American market, II is suggested that the
diminished wages of the wOrkingnan
will have an undiminished purchasing
power, and that he will be able to make
IN for the loss OF the home market by an
enlarped foreign market. Our working
men have the settlementof Of the question
in their own hands. They nov Obtain
higher wages and live more comfortably
than those OF any other country, They
will make choice between the sueStan;;
tial advantages they have in hand, and
the deceptive promises and forecasts o.
those theOrizing refOrmcB.
THEY WILL DECIDE roR THEMSELVES
and for the country whether the pro-
tective system shall be continued or
destroyed. The fact of n treasury sur
plus, the amount OF which is variously
stated, has directed public attention to
consideration ofthe methodsby which
the national income may best be reduced
to the level OF wise and necessary ex-
penditure. This condition has been
seized upon by those who are hostile to
protective custom duties as an advanta.
geous base OF attack upon our tariff
laws. They have magnilicd and
nurSed the surplus, which they
affect to deprecate, seemingly Tor
tue purpose Of eKaggerating the evil
in order to reconcile the people TO the
extreme remedy they propose, a pro:
per reduction OF the revenue does not
neeessitate and should not suggest the
abandonment or improvement OF the
protective system. The method sug-
gestcd BY onr convention will not need
| 10 be exhausted in order to effect the
necessary reduction. Weare not likely
to be called upon, ] think, to make q
present choice between the
SURRENDER OF OUR PROTECTIVE SYSTEM,
and the entire repeal Of the internal
taxes. Such contingency, in view OF
the present relation OF expenditures to
revenues, is remote. The inspection and
regulation OF the manufacture and sale
! Of oleomargarine is important, and the
revenue derived from it is not so
great that the repeal OF the law need
enter into any plan OF revenue reduc,
ton. Thelsurplus In the treasury should
be used in the purchase Of bonds. The
law authorizes this use Of 1t, and II 1t Ia
not needed for current or deficiency ap-
preparations, tho people, and not the
banks in which it has been deposited,
should have the advantage OF tts use by
stopping interest upon the public dent,
At least those who needlessiy Aoafd y
should not be allowed TO use the teaE pl
a monetary stringency thus produced to
coerce public sentiment upon other
questions,
closely connected with the csubjeCt OF the
tariff is that OF the importation OF for
eign laborers under contracts OF GeTyice
to be performed here. The law nov in
force prohibiting such contracts received
my cordial support in the Senate, and
such amendments as may be found
neCcssitTy cutCtlNSAy w NS"'Si
OUR woRKINGMEN AND woHES
from this most inevitable form Of com
petition, will have my sincere advocacy
Legislation prohibiting tho importation
of laborcrs under contract to serve herC
will, however, afford very inadequate
relief to our working people il the sys
TEN OF protective duties is broken down
| II the products OF American shops must
compete in the American market. with
out tayoring duties, with the pro
ducts al cheap foreign labor, the
effect will be different, If at all
only in degree, whether The cheaE
laborer is across the street, or over the
sen. Such competition will soon reduce
wages here to the level Of those abroad
and when this condition is reached, we
will not need any laws iorbidding the
importation OF iabOrers under contract
they will have no inducement to come
and the employer, no inducement tc
send for them.
In the earlier years OF our history Ppb
lie agencies to promote immigration
were common. The pioneer wanted