West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-07-27
SENSIBLE.

turer of Wheeling and has heretofore
beena good democrat. Recently he
announced his intention to vote for
Harrison. The other day Judge
Morrow was in Wheeling aud the
Registers reporter prints the follow
ing report of Il conversation with
him.
"Have YOU read Col. Hearn's inter
view. published this morning?"
Eyes sir; ] have not only read it,
but have had talk with the Colonel
on the subject"
"What do you think Of his posi-
ton p
sit is not well taken. He assigns
no reason for the great fear which
seems to fill his breast. Surely, q
reduction in the average of tariff
duties from AZ per cent.to 40 per
cent. will not bring about the dan
gerous things he stands in dread OF,
and l told him so in my conversation
with him."
"DO you think his conversation to
the tenents Of the minority party
will have any effects here in West
Virginia ?"
"Yes, sir; decided effect, but not
quite in the way Mr.. Hearn and his
Republican friends hope. will con-
cede that Mr.. II. and his high tariff
friends are men of position and in
tiuence here in Wheeling, and their
flop may have some little results
among men who are lacking in the
reasoning faculty, but among the
farming elemeDtoand the working
men in the interior of the State
and here in Wheeling, too-the eff
feet will be decidedly advantageous
to the Democracy. Men will be set
to thinking that when the heads of
great corporations like the Riverside
plant have something to fear from
the Democratic policy and platform,
the people at large have something
to gain. The great wealth of men
of Mr.Hearn's class must come from
the great body of the people, and
anything which tends to reduce the
profits of the manufacturers means
a corresponding sum saved to the
public"
"And you think this economic
idea is making progress among The
masses -
"Yes sir. The people are no long
err saturated with the high protection
idea. They no longer blindly accept
the statement that to a high tariff
are they indebted for every good and
perfect thing they enjoy. They are
beginning to analyze and think over
thesepublic questions for themselves,
and the more they think over them,
the more doubtful they become as to
the truth of the gospel so long din
ned into their ears. AS they ponder
they either become uncertain and
wavering in their views, or else go
clear over the other SIDE"
''And for this reason, you think
the change Of front by such men as
Col. Hearn will in the end add to
the Democratic strength p
Yes. / tell you, this long stand
ing claim that the great body OF the
people have become prosperous and
we'll TODD under the workings of the
high protection idea, is fallacy.
The masses of the people, in the
country districts especially, are not
well-to-do. On the contrary. they
are in Strengthened circumstances.
Take my own county, as an example.
You can ask any well-informed man
if he knows a dozen families in Mar
ion county, which has twenty thous-
and inhabitants. in thoroughly easy
circumstances, such as industrious
people ought TO be in, in a land
having all the advantages claimed
for this under protective policy,
and that man will fail to name that
number Those best off are only
getting along fairly well, and the
majority are in almost daily dread
that poverty and want will finally
overtake them. The same thing is
trne of the interior counties. The
people are in debt. and want relief.
A change of front by large manufac-
turers will only set them to think
ing more intently."