Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-05-05
BApLY MIXED.

BADLY MIXED.
The esteemed, but rather muddled, In
telSgeneer, rises to object when the REGIS
TER points out the glazing inconsistency
between the platform Of the Ravenswood
Republican Convention and the character
of the delegates the convention elected;
between its tax,reduction, tarifrevision
resolutions and its non-tax-reduction, high
tariff speeches. The IRteihgeReer can't see
this inconsistency, but nevertheless points
10 out uneonsciously when it says in de-
tense (italics ours):
The Republican party at present, as it
was in 1884, is in favor Of correcting The
irregularities Of the tariff, but IL is not in
favor of removing the protection features
Of the tariff.
This is very slight amphfeation Of the
Republican platform of 1884, endorsed by
the Ravenswood conventions resolutions
and repudiated the next instant by its
speeches, reading:
The Republican party pledges itself to
correct the irregularities of the tariff and
10 reduce the surplus
Now, if this platform lie not mere jug |
Cling of words, we should like our neigh |
Dor to explain this pledge ito correct the
irregularities of the tariff and to reduce the
surplus" We should like it to explain
u .....o =. 81 L.. ,.ok hoar, ~ az q IN koan
the pledge. What irregularities Of the
tariff" would it correct? We have failed
to hear of the Republican party pointing |
out single irregularity of the tariff, the
correction of which would be in the line
of its pledge ITO reduce the surplus" We
have failed to hear anything from the Re- |
publican side but Hands off the tariff ~
The plain and notorious fact is that the
Republican party cannot correct a single |
irregularity of the tariff and the LHtelligen-
Ger knows it. The western Republicans, |
who want tariff reform, cannot act because
the monopoly Republicans of the east pre-
sent a solid majority opposition
and the monopoly Republicans
of the east cannot lift a
finger to strike of the Internal Revenue
because the tariff reform Republicans of
the west present formidable minority OPP
position. The hands of the Republican
party are tied; they can move neither one
way nor the other, consequently their
wOrdy pledges to the people are broken
and the warnings of their own leaders in
the past 90 UNDECIDED.
Again, the hteliigeneer strives TO bolster
mp its untenable position with the asser-
ton that its party is not in favor Of re-
moving the protective feature Of the tariff.
This has nothing whatever to do with the
Ease, because, aside from the additions to
the free list, recommended by such able
and popular Republican leaders as AR
THUR, FoLGER and McCULLocH, and en-
dorsed by the influential anti'monopoly
Republican press, the MILLS bill does not
propose to remove one jot of Legitimate
protection from the tariff, and, with all
its hullabaloo, the Republican party has
failed utterly to present the slightest
proof to the contrary. In fact, no one
knows better than the able gentleman,
who is at present editing the hteliigeneer,
that the MILLS bill is a positive boon to
the iron manufacturers of this section.
Again, the Iatelligencer attempts TO wriggle
away from the point by making it appear
that the Republican platform Of 1884,
where it charges the Democratic party with
failure completely to relieve the people
of the burden of unnecessary taxation"
had reference to the internal revenue alone.
Surely the people did not 50 understand
it But accepting the LRteligeneer's in
depreciation of the enigma let us say that
il did mean the internal revenue, what
have Republicans against the MILLS bill
on that score? Surely the IRteligeReer has
not forgotten the fact that the MILLS bill
proposes to take away twenty-five millions
of the internal revenue, namely, from the
tobacco tax. What more would the In
tslligeaeer have? Does il want free whisky,
too? If not how does it propose to keep
the Chicago pledge to reduce the $50, OOO,-
600 surplus unless it be to reduce the bur-
densome and unjust tariff taxation, on the
lines laid down in the MILLS bill? Where
else is the reduction to come fromP We
do not mean to say that the MILLS bill is
perfect or does not need amendment, but
we do affirm that the Republican party
cannot produce a more reasonable or popu-
lar measure. They can, in fact, produce
no measure at all, for they are fearfnlly
and hopelessly divided.
And now we repeat with emphasis, that
the RsvenswoOd Republican Convention
was glaringly inconsistent when it endorsed
the National Republican platform Of 1884
pledging the party to correct the irregu-
larities Of the tariff and 10 reduce theSarplus'
and then elected as its delegates to Chicago
two men, one of whom at least is loud
against any tariff revision what
ever and openly in favor of spending the
surplus.
Hsrper's Ferry's Boom.