Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-10-23
POOR, POOR POORMAN
CONES OVER FROM BBLLAIRR 10 TELL
WEST VIRGINIANS
What Hs Doesn't Know About the Tariff and Various
Other Matters Too Numerous to Mem
ton "A Slim House
Gresb Him.

uVu - u oLW uOVSo
Grsss Him.
The local Republicans followed up the
Elkins brosdfide with a volley Of small
shot, last night. The battery was billed
10 opersts in the Opera House, and Col. C.
L. Poorman, Of Bellaire, was the main
piece of destruction. The Opera Horse
was we'll lighted, warmed and an admira-
BILE plaza for speaking, but only about
three hundred of the faithful could sum-
mon up courage enough to attend; and
that three hundred began to look very
lonesome before the Colonel was through.
Mr.. Victor Rosenburg was msde chair
man Of the meeting. and in short and
appropriate address he introduced the
speaker Of the evening. Col Poorman
was on his mettle and began bostilities at
once. His first point OF attack was Presi-
dent Clevelaud's tariff message, and it's
method of dealing with the surplus. The
President had called attention to the
existing surplus of $3.50, ,OO0, 900 year.
Ssyea months later he had written his
letter of acce eptauce. Then there was
still surplus of $3.50, OOO, 900 year. The
amount was the tame. Where WIS the great
increase in all this time? What had become
of it?. Either Grover Cleveland's state
ment wa, untrue or his administration
had recklsssly disposed of q vast amount
Of money.
CONDEMNS HIMSELF.
Col. Poorma1 Immediately after wards
condemned his own st,tement, by admit
ting that this money had been used in the
purchase of Government bonds, ufe that
was made necessary by an unnatural and
unhealthy financial stringsncy. created
and maintained by excessive war taxation.
This immense surplus confronted the sd-
ministraiion, it was being increased daily
aud hourly; the channels Of trade were
clogped and poisoned, and the only re-
source was the one adopted by the Demo
cratic ad administration, which Col. Poorman
40 roundly condemns. 1t ia not necessary
to state that Col. Poorman did not emb:dy
this idea in his remarks.
Continuing he said the R publican party
had established and built mp our present
financial system. 1t had provided for the
contingency of o surplus by passing law
requiring that such surplus should be used
in the purchase of bonds. 1t was teri
ous arraigument now Of the Democratic
administration that it had violated this
law in order to create an artif ;ial excess
OF revenues,
Col. Poorman, of course, is strictly hon.
est in al his conings and outgoings. On
such an assumption it must have been
lap,e of memory that made him say that
the law of 1883 required the expenditure
of the existing surplus in the purchase Of
government bonis There is no c,mpul-
sory feature in it, ar man who sets him.
self up to instruct the voters of Wheeling
should have known it. The law provides
explicitly that the purchase of bends shall
be legsl icithin the discretion Of the Secretary
ofHe Treasury; and not one word or letter
of il can be construed into compulsory
provision for the purchase of bond'
COMPELLED TO BUY BONDS.
Asa q matter of fact the Democratic Ad.
ministration hiss applied the surplus in this
way. If Col. Poormsn had consulted the
dispatches he would have seen that the
purchase of bonds yesterday amounted to
over 81 900, 900. These purchases have not
been made indiscriminately ct any price
the bond holder might ask, but the interests
of the G ,yernment have been carefully a.d
faithfully looked after.
| No patriot can desire that the American
Government should be forced to enter the
market 10 bid for its own bonds at exoroi.
taut rates Of premium 10 order to dispose OF
a continually increasing accumulation IN
it's treasury, yet such condition is present.
cd to-day and is the direct and legitimate
result Of Republican policy.
Col. Po,rman then took up TIE question
Of taxation, claiming that the present rate
was not burdensome. There was no ex-
tended demand for relief. The cry was
only rsised as q subterfuge for an attack on
the protective system. That tsrif system
had been approved and believed in by
every President up to General Jackfon.
We have had tariff duties ever since the
yery formation of the government. The
tariff of 1924 was five per cent higher than
the present one. The tariff Of 1882 was
EIGHT per cent. higher. The REGISTER, be
, said, had questioned statements he mao
made in published communication 70 tns
effect that the tariff duty Of 1889 was more
than 81 per cent. He had in his hand
stati.tical abstract of the report OF thu
Secretary of the Treasury, showing thai
the average duty ia 1871 was 81 per cent.
in 1900. I9. 70 per cent |; In 1913 it was th'
hsobest we have evsr had, 69.3 per cent.
PROTECTION Oh FREE TRADE.
The REGISTER has already commented
at some length on the above statement
Col Poormsn's aim is to show that higi
, protective tariff at that time was sane
= tioned by the fathers of the Republic. Tt
Democratic party or the REGISTER ba
, never made war on the protective TAIN
, They have attacked unnect ssary and bnr
} densome taxation. Granting Col. Poor
I mans premises, do they show that tnse
high tariffs produced . surplus or that th'
great leaders of those days would nav
been opposed to reducing taxation II on
had existedP II not where does the fore
8 of his argument come In?
=. But we do not grant Col. Poormnn'
: premises. The fact remains, tnat tnee
tariffs were straws compared wit
tte immsnse burdens Of taxation imposes
under our present system. Under tn
tniff of 1913, which Col. Poorman say
was the highest ever laid. Wool, iron An
steel wira pig iron, manu-
fsctures of steal, lumber, woode
= iuplements, potteries, glassware, an
almost every important article were eiths
}, free or subject only TO nominal dut,
d Tire whole amount Of revenue derive
: from the law did not exceed $2o: :ooo, "
g annually. 1t was revenue tari6; and
l. Col. Poormau is to take it % erempiars
his tariff ideas, he is a Isnksr iIee u.a' ,1u
!, than any Democrat in all this brosd Ian
America to-day has over 1000 srtici'
y IN her tsriff schedules; the average rate
8. duty is AZ per cent. England ha. only
fsv sco,e OF articles on her dutiable l's