The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-02-03
4 Republican Merchant ON Revenue Re-
form

last Friday night in favor of revision
| of the tariff. There were present,
says the Philadelphia Times, "manufac-
| turers and merchants, lawyers, clergy
| men, brokers and bankers, ex-public
officers of both political parties the
toiler in the mill and the factory and
very few of the Office holders and poll
tic;ans.'' Wilson Welsh, a well-known
Republican merchant, presided, and we
publish below the very sensible and
conservative speech delivered by him on
taking the chair. Mr.. Welsh said:
81 am exceedingly grateful for this
mark of your confidence in calling me 10
preside over a meeting that, 1 believe,
marks a new departure in the history o.
| this city and State upon the tariff
| question. Permit me to say, however,
| that it would have been more in accord
ance with my disposition and feelings
| to have occupied a less prominent posi-
| ton on this occasion /; and it is only from
q sense OF duty, coupled with the con-
viction that the time has arrived when
those who believe in tariff revision and
reform should assert themselves, that
am here tonight. / am also free to
confess that the significance Of this
demonstration, as / understand it, con-
sists not only in an assertion OF the
necessity for tariff revision and reform,
but also in the right and the necessity
for a fair, manly and intelligent dis
cussion of the questions appertaining TO
il.
THE President OF these United
States, In the exercise OF his preroga-
tives and IN the performance of his
duty, has called the attention of Con-
gress and OF the people of the whole
country to the importance OF this sub
ject. You may object, il you please, to
the method he has adopted in doing
this !; you may call into question the
logical accuracy OF his arguments or his
deductions but no fair man will, L
think, question his earnestness of pur-
pose or bis sincere desire TO reach
conclusion that will be for the best In
terests Of the whole country. And
here permit me to say that there should
be no sympathy or respect for those who
in the consideration of the question
cannot sink mere party or personal in
tsrest or what they may consider the in
terest OF their city or State. The PIssi-
dent and Congress have to consider lot
alone what is best for Philadelphia and
Pennsylvania-ror ). ZOO, 900 people-but
what is best for 60,0O0, 600 people. for
the whole country, for all the States,
remembering at the same time that no
one State can long be prosperous under
a system that Is adverse to the inerests
OF majority OF the States. Let 1t be
understood, also, that do not for a
moment admit that an intelligent revi-
sion OF the tariff would be detrimental
to the interests OF Philadelphia and
Pennsylvania, but the reverse.
"It should be borne in mind that the
President in his message does not advo-
cate free trade or the abolition OF the
tariff as whole. He says the revenues
or the government are in excess of its
requirements and the surplus in the
Treasury has become a menace TO the
business interests of the country. How
can We best overcome the difficulty !?
In other words. come, let US reason to-
gether and in the exercise of our best
judgment and in true spirit OF patriot
ism endeavor to reach a conclusion that
will avoid the threatened danger with
out inflicting injury upon the manufac-
turing or business interests of the
country. That 1 conceive to be the
spirit OF the Presidents message and
that Insist is the highest and best type
OF statemanship.
lone other thought in this connection.
Is 1t reasonable to suppose, does il
a
which may have been proper aud necss-
sary twenty-five years ago is proper and
necessary now? We boast-and very
properly so-of our remarkable progress
Ill all that goes to make a nation great
and independent. Is il possible that
our manufacturing Industries have not
Kept pace with this Improvement, this
development ; that they are in the same
need o: protection now as then To
ask the question is TO answer il. What
they do need are fewsr legislative re-
strIctions, an elimination from the
tariff of it's contradictions and gross iue-
| qualities TO be put on the same foot
ing as The manufacturers Of other
countries as TAR ar least as raw
materials are concerned. When you
shall have done this there will be little
danger,II appIehend, that we will L OF re-
train the control o. our own market and
also become competitors In the mark
els OF the word, and that, let me add,
has become a necessity OF our industri ial
system and rapidly increasing populs.
| tion.
~ have already said that what is
needed at this junctuIe is fair, manly,
| Intelligent discussion an admission by
both parties to the controversy tina,
I theirs IS ground for honest differences OF
opinion, and recognition OF the princi-
pie that just criticism OF existing laws
and methods Is a necessity OF our sy;em
or government and also the basis of all
substantial Improvement and progress.
"A recent writer upon the subject OF
the taTlf calls attention to what / fear
is too much the case IL this city and
State-that some of those opposing thi,
reform exhibit the same unreasoning
attitude and spirit that the pro-slavsry
element displayed before the war
Though, comparatively speaking young
msu, / am old enough 10 have attended
meetings in this city that were address
ed by such men as Wendell Phillips
Charles Sumner, Henry Ward BeecheI
and Fredrick Douglass. which were de
nounced by the press and leading and
prominent men of our city as an unwise
and unwsrrantable interference with ar
existing institution OF the country.
Well, Notwithstanding these remon
strances, the discussi On went on and
slavery went down in a sea Of blood
The parallel cannot lie completed, fol
| this question is national. not sectional!
and this contest will be fought out or
the platform, in the press, in the homes
on the business exchanges OF the country
| and in congress, but the result will bt
| no less decisive, unless those Cd losing
this reform shall have something more
to offer than appeals to the selfshness
and ignorance OF the people.
ut will be part of this discussion
to determine whether the dogma that
the wonderful prosperity and develop
ment of this country during the past
twenty years has been all owing ia
protection. and, IL it has been, then
whether that other dogma, that one OF
the enevitable results of q protective
system is TO 80 build mp and entrench
our manufacturing industries that they
can eventually bid defiance to all COM
| petition. has been realized.
| gtT cuhpait alaO that the