The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-02-10

DeCAuh6 Ll6y CAL Duy WouL CuehpeL II
/ South America and Australia; and the.
might say that they will vote for no dut.
on iron ore because they can import
cheaper from England and Wales. Bu
such o decision would be an abandon
ment Of the
WHOLE PRINCIPLE OF PROTECTION.
The benefits OF this policy must be reCip
roCal and the system upon which 1t i
founded must be universal. The Ameri
can farmer produces wool with the samC
competition that the manufacturer pro
duCes Woolens and should have the samG
consideration and protection In his en-
ploymenk that is freely conceded to the
manufacturer. No more, no less. Hi
product is the completed article oi his la'
Dor. And 80 with the mining and smelt
ing OF, ores, the rich resources planted
by Providence In every part ot oul
country. The labor bestowed in their
development Ia as much entitled
to the friendly aid OF the Government as
the finest fabric OF the loom or the COM
pleted work Of mechanical ekill. When
You remember that more than million
farmers are engaged in raising wool, and
produce 2S2, ,OOO,O 900 pounds, and hundreds
Of Thousands OF laborlng men are required
to mine more than ten million tons OF
iron ore, from Alabama to the borders oi
Lake Superior and from Lake Ohamplain
to the Pacific Ocean, you must see that to
leave these industries unprotected against
the competition OF the poorest paid and
most degraded labor Of Europe and Africa
would be indefenBible, and expose the
whole system to overthrow. All that the
farmer or miner asks Ia that
REASONABLE AND PROPER PROTECTION
which is extended to all branches Of man
ufacturing coming into competition with
foreign industry; that their labor and en-
ployments receive the same consideration
in framing your tariff laws given to other
industries, They only ask enough duty
to compensate for the difference in the
price Of labor here and the countries with
which they compete. Nor do they ask
duties on grades Of wool that they can
not produce. l confess that in reasoning
about this matter cannot help expressing
my profound contempt for the selashness
Of the policy declared by Mr.. Mayor
Hewitt In letter to tho League in which,
while demanding increased duties for the
articles that he is producing, he insists on
the repeal Of duties on the material he
uses.
Now, gentlemen, you may ask me what
l have to cay about tariff reform. l an
swer that am decidedly in favor OF tariff
reform. Always have bsen and always
will be. have participated In tariff re-
form since 1856; but my idea Of tariff re-
form is not especially to make our duties
acceptable to foreign nations, but. rather,
to promote the interests Of our own peo-
pie; not to take lessons from the Golden
Club or the English arlstocrRcy, but from
Washington, Jefferson, Jackson and Lin
coin, and to follow the teachings OF Web
ster and Clay. am not in favor Of that
kind OF tariff reform which brings Senator
Morgan and DR.. Lowell together. l do
not know what they mean by tariff re-
form. suppose 1t is eighty.two per cent
on eugar and twenty per cent on woolens.
The highest rate possible on what they
produce and the 10 west rate or none at all,
on what other people produce. am afraid
that If these two per cent represesenta-
tives Of tariff reform would exchange ideas
on other topics they
WOULD NOT DE so HARMONIOUS.
II Mr.. Lowell should discuss civil service
reform, Mr.. Morgan would pronounce it 8
humbug, and yet they agree on the tariff
reform recommended By Mr.. Cleveland,
which is general reduction OF the duties
on foreign importations, and, especially on
raw material.
Nov, to this l am opposed, frat, be-
cause 1t Ia an injustice to American citi-
zsns in every part Of our country who
have bean invited to engage In the process
OF Manufacture, and still greater injus-
tice to the millions Of lsboring peo-
pie who depend upon industries
thus protected. Again, the policy
proposed will not reduce the
revenue, but will absolutely increase 1t
ana thus swell the surplus as we'll as dis
turb the business Of the country. It will
necessarily check the enormous produc-
tions Of our country, increase and harden
the competition now existing between
European and American labor, and re-
duco the wages Of all laboring men en-
ployed in protected industries. It will,
in my judgment, disturb or break down
large Departmental OF industry now in the
course OF successful experiment. It Is
departure from the policy recommended
by our fathers and especially the policy
adopted within the last twenty-five years,
under which our manufactures have
grown 10 their present enormous aggre.
gate. 1t Is q departure from the policy
adopted by the most
INTELLIGENT NATIONS OF EUROPE AND
AMERICA,
especially our klnamen in Canada, who
followed our example and have been ben
eftted by it.
But, you may ask me, how l would re-
duce the surplus revenue. l answer
frankly that the tariff ought to be care.
fully revised with view to correct any
inequalities or incoDgruitles that have
grown out OF the change OF value since
the passage Of the act OF 1883 that every i'm
ported article which does not compete with
our domestic industry and ls essential to
the comfort and wants Of our people
should be placed upon the free list; that
every raw material OF industry which does
not compete with our productions should
be specially selected for the free list; that
wherever any industry which can be
conducted in this country with reasons
BILE suCCesa nesda a moderate increase
OF duty for its protection, to
give it, and in this way, check foreign i'm
portsiona and lessen the revenues. The
direct taxes upon American productions
levied by our internal revenue laws,
which interfere with the industry Of our
people, should be modified or repealed;
that in this way the revenues Of the gov.
eminent should be reduced 80 as to sup
ply only enough revenue to pay the ex.
penses OF the government wisely and
economically administered, and to carry
out the provisions Of the sinking fund for
the gradual reduction Of the public debt,
In estimating the expenditures Of the
government l would provide for proper
appropriations for the deiencs Of our sea-
coasts, for the increase Of our mercantile
marine, for Transporting our mails TO for
4 + T.