The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-10-05

| Changes WHICH ITtC LTUue LueOTltb Cll
force, the President and his party havt
made it perfectly understood, in thi
country and abroad, that their accept
anCe OF these theories is complete ant
that they intend to put the axe to th'
root Of the protective system.
II will be noticed that in 1860, aftel
fourteen years of revenue tariff, the tota
production OF domestic wool was G0,2B4,
Ol3 pounds, or IL pounds per capita
while in 1884, after twenty.four years O.
protection, the total production had in
creased to 303, 900, 900 pounds, 5.4 pounds
per capita. This increase justiiies the
policy of affording this important ngri
cultural product adequate protection
The development Of wooden manufaC
lures in the United States has been ar.
rested by the inadequate duties that
were imposed upon manufactures Of
wool by the act of March 8, 1888, which,
taken together with the erroneous class.
itlcation OF manufactures oil worsteds,
have lead to greatly increased importa.
tions from England, Germany, France
and Belgium.
The protection OF the allied indus
tries OF wool and woOlens has not, how
ever, been beneficial alone to the persons
employed in woolen mills. 1t has, at
the same time, helped to increase the
wages and rewards Of farm hands; it
has enabled us to raise and sell 800, ,0OO,-
900 pounds of wool where 60,000000
pounds were raised, and to employ oper-
atives in working up 400 900, 600 pounds,
where but SG,0OO,O0O pounds were man
ufactured.
Coincident with this constant advauc.
in wages and enlarged employment
there has been a great reduction in the
cost Of woolen goods TO American con-
sumers. Free Trade in wool and bare
revenue duty for woolens would compel
farmers to raise other crops, OF which the
supply is already greater than the de-
mand, and it would close factories in
which many millions OF capital are in
vested, rob an army Of operatives Of en-
and force down the wages OF
all other labor. All this sacrifice
and suffering, this arrest OF har-
progress, and this dis
OF labor, we are asked to
lace in the hope that with one-sixth OF
the worlds supply Of wool cut of we
may thereby get cheaper wool and wool
Ems. II this hope were rational, the
oss would far outweigh the gain. 1t is
better TO maintain the wages OF our
workers and 10 develop our own re.
sources than 10 abandon our fields, stop
)ur mills, and to look to Europe for the
supply OF our manufactured products.
The majority terms the Mills bill "a
sectional bill," and says its provisions
point to an attempt to discriminate in
avor Of the planters Of tho cotton grow
ng States, an attempt made with the
vain hope that it may be found possible
o achieve the permanent prosperity OF
,ne section at the expense OF another.
This discrimination is not less marked
n favor Of the people of Canada and
Igaftfst the farmers and the lumbcrmcn
living along our northern border from
Maine to Oregon"
Ii all the articles in our tariff schedu-
es upon which protective duties are
evied should be placed upon the free
list and all our protected industries des-
royed and duties should be maintained
1t present rates upon tobacco, silks,
vines and liquors, and sugar, the aver
lge advalorem rate imposed upon duti-
lble importations would be 7l.09 per
cent, instead OF 1910, and by this
wonderful mathematical process OF
lscertaiuing the extent OF the prOtec-
lion by the average advalorem rate, we
should find that the nearerwe approach
10 free trade, the greater would be the
legree Of protection afforded our indus
.ries.
The controversy, it says, however, be-
tween the opponents aud the friends of
the bill under consideration is not one
over names or phrases; 1t is q contest be-
tween those who support and those who
oppose the American system OF defen-
siye duties; and this conflict is as ire
pressible as that which was waged be-
tween the respective friends OF freedom
and slavery. The majority deny the
charge that war tariff is being main
tained in time Of peace, and express the
opinion that the sections OF the House
bill intended TO modify existing laws re-
lating TO the tax on distilled spirits are
certain to open wide the door to fraud
in the collecting OF taxes on distilled
spirits.
In conclusion the report says: The cx-
cessive duty OF from 2 to - cents per
pound now imposed upon sugar adds u
sum to the daily cost oiliv-
ing Of every family in the United States,
most cases the cost OF sugar is
greater than the cost OF bread. The high
rates OF duty which have been levied
upon this important article OF food have
not successfully developed thesugar pro-
IluCing industry OF the United States.
The great natural advantages which the
producers OF cane sugars in
ih0 tropical islands have over
those OF the United States
preclude domestic competition upon
equal terms II it were not for the fact
that parties interested in the production
Of sugar from sorghum or beets are con-
iident Of the rapid development OF these
industries in the United States, the
committee would recommend still
greater reduction in rate OF duty upon
sugar, as the advantages OF this rcduc.
ton would be felt throughout n larger
circle than any other which could be
made in our tariff schedules"
Your committee have considered
suggestions for the repeal OF
all internal revenue taxes and the abo-
iition Of the entire internal revenue
system; but they deem the adoption OF
this course at present both imprarticable
and unwise, not only because the repeal
OF those taxes would create n large an
nual deficit, but for the further reason
that the taxes levied on distilled spirits
used as . beverage and ON beer should
be retained and the legislation to pro-
tect American dairy products from fraud
ulent importations should be enforced.
TIE MINORITY REPORT.
The report Of the minority makes a
document OF twelve printed pages. 1t
begins with the statement that in the
preparation OF the substitute for the
House bill no member OF the minority