Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-01-17
MR.. WILSON'S SPEECH.
An ADDRESS DELIVERED At THE TARIFF
REFORM BANQUET
By Congressman Wm. L. Wilson, Of West Virginia
A Thorough Exposition and an Able and
Eloquent Defense Of the Principles Of
Tariff Reform.

tee of the House Of Representatives, and
his address at this time will he read with
the keenest interest. The REGISTER takes
pleasure in reproducing it in full. Mr..
Wilson spoke as follows
Mr.. CHAIEMAN:-We stand to-day in
the presence Of \ great crisis, and IN the
reach Of n great opportunity. Our surplus
revenue, the product OF unjust and eNces.
sive taxes, can no longer find m outlet
from the Treasury by the payment of the
bonds o; the United States, and is now az
cumulating so rapidly that by the end OF
the present fiscal year one-tenth part OF all
| the money usually circulating among the
people will ae drained from the channels
al trade and enterprise, and held locked
and idle in the vaults of the Treasury
We can no longer postpone or daily with
| the question OF tax reduction. We must
act promptly and effectively to stay
this steady contraction OF the cur
rency, with it's resulting distress, uucasi-
ness aud panic Shall we merely reduce
the surplus, or shall We seize the Opportun-
lty to reform, simplify and reduce our
system Of taxation so ~ to Tighten it, bur
dens where they press most unevcnly amt
disastrously, bring il into harmony with
the spirit of the age, with the progress OF
the country, and make it promotlve ot our
truest and widest industrial interests,
| This is no minor issue. In all the domain
OF government there are no questions OF
more gravity than those that concern the
! laying, collecting and ~ penditure OF taxes
They are the fundamental questions oi
! tree government
4 French monarch, drunk with absolute
power could eXClaim, "a am the State, ~
| but the most philosophical Ot British
statesmen, looking to the inmoat
springs ot iree government, uttered
pregnant and wcll.cunsiiered truth whcL
! he said, The revenue 0l the state ~ Tho
State. 70 frame "a system UI import
! taxation for this country, with lts great
and diverse industries, that shall r,gari
! the general aud permanent welfare MUlr
! than local and temporary interests, that
shall bs flexible to its growth and The
! progress OF invention, that shall drI" no
/ hard ani fast line upon lis hhoyanI enter
prise, IFS mercantile daring aud u,hIr,c-
mcut and lis dedication to individual lib
erty--suIeIy this s task calling for the
! hest and most cOnslderate statesmensmp
ORR PRESENT aESrEM
was not thus framed. II VA, nGiit 90
! by almost blind aud random addition ai
a time When the attention at ii- author
was strained to other than economic que.
uIons, when their great object MNS rc}tuuc,
AMI thJy could not StOl Ia Cun,Idr. whether
they were getting it by processes the least
wIstlUl ani the least oppressive. ihr,
meant and declared it to be but q tcmpol.
aTy device Ia meet Il temporary Crisis. It,.
increases and sO-called rs,I,lons were
passed without sitting aud without debate,
IL would have been stiGngc indeed II tu-
selfish interests that aFc always watching
20 secure Il lOdgmeHt in 4 tariff sySlo3h hal
! not seized thl9 fl,oIahlr Orc.-tun. II
would have been contrary IT, 'rt~nu and
10 all experience II a tarIIl ~ framed hal
not become 4 vredt ,p,b bag ior local
aud selfish Interests. 81 know what tn.
! law means sa.d Mr. Joseph Wharton To
! the turin C0mma,ion, when - planning
| the statute that Ttlsys the tarIlI an LI,llc
Ul which lie waE, ! believe, the onlS prD-
duccr in the country, IluiH ~ pee cent al
! Nalorcm 10 81 per cent per pound, he
cause wrote the words Ol It mysrIl' AMI
many Others were doubtless allowed thr
saiud privilege. Hence II ~ "a. more sur
/ priaiug that these very interests nave Tor
nearly a quarter ui a ccniuTy been able To-
battle all efforts at re.urm, aud have finally
rallied great party 10 maintain their
| right Oi Possession ~ sacred and mnuues-
! ti0Iable, and tO defend the cNisilng turli
/ ~ u masterpiece of wisdom aud 81 perfect
adaptation to our fiscal and industrial no
cessities Perhaps no more hnmlIiating
chapter in the history of free gO,rrumru,
will ever he written than that which will
recite the vain efforts %. Our people 10 rc-.
cover the right OF :eii-taxation.
EEEpLESs TAXATION,
ESery reason or pTcteNt tor the increase
made Oh the Morrill, tarItG, itsel careful.
ly devised protective suhcne, has vanished
.,,'s ,,, ,'',' ''' '','""' 'u'
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r., - 80, ,'''"
~ =. - man A''''' nav
"%''h n"''" 'oi '''e 'hNeh''oh III hhh'hihoiN,
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r'is"'' an" ''H 'PP'i'"'",'' !" INV a''S ''!"
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''l'1i VI, i1",' li'He "hd aR"in t"'
60, . a." i''rN'' E"ie" ~
~, p''''.'.' - .'''' " t"'"" " ""'
ct '',e S'"'S VI 'A''" ',''' 'n since 'he WAL
III All i's f''"''S anu 'h"P'''., may ~
! '"''''"N' "P =" Wv P"'",' "'' '".i'N
s'he'"'8 "GH ffe'ens'H nave "snit'"
III minor 'hahSr-' "III' we general sI--
i,ocl. nc,bn. na,,,Ia im,--., ,L, r. .,.,..'',
tee OF Ways and Means rrrnrt,d a bill to
purge the tafin, as they said. Of the supqt
abundant protection that smells uf molroe-
! oily. Congress, under skilIlul maHipula
tion, substituted for their bill III per ceut
hnrizOn,ul reduction and TepeaIed that in