Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-10-12

1t, w. VA, fhlDA1 L
that high tariff wss o benefit to labor.
1t was always considered
TAX ON LABOR.
But In 1872 the Republican party made
the discovery that high tariff duties had
been imro ,sd lo!ely in the interests of the
workir gman and they have religiously
proclaimed it ever since
Senator Kenna then reviewed the record
of Republican financial legislation st
length. He said: When the war was
still on our hands and the necss,itie, OF
the government were correspordip
great, We were CON npsiled 70 resort to oil
sorts of measures to raise revenues. Then
it was for the first and only time in the
histo, of Rspublic,n IN admir- i,trations that
wealth clme in for is share of taxation.
The dire necessities of civil strife forced
the Republican party 10 it, and they laid
taxes on railv ayJ, on incomes, Oh insur.
ancs companies and other forms of wealth;
bit, my friends. not until they had heap d
q mountain of taxation on every necessary
Of life that the poor man was compelled to
buy. They didn't tax air, because they
could find no place to stick revenue stamp
on il. They didn't tax water, because per-
haps they we looking f,rgard With pro-
phetic eyes to that time when Republi; ;sn
platform should enter free whisky and
fr,e water in equal comp stition. Cheers
and laughter They diin't tax su alisht;
if man went out from his humble home
to enjoy it, but if Re eat by his fireside its
benefice1t rays could onIy reach him
through pare, of window glass taxed 30
per cent. or more Cheers 1t is thus
that taxes had bee pied on tie poor bs-
before the r,ch were called upon to bssr q
share of ths burden. But conditions
change. There came time when these
taxes-these erO!mous taxes were not
nesded, and the Rsp1blic n psrty began
TO reduce them, aud they began by taking
take, of of capital. They
RELIEVED THE RAILWAY COMPANIES
and thu irs1rance companies, bat they left
cha'gs upon your coat and shoes and hat.
Tn, y took the tax off the New England
Trust Company, bat they l-ft it upon the
farmer, who owed that company mort
gage. They took the burdens of Of law
yeIs, doctors, deeds of Conveyance, in
comes, and ell forms of wealth, ard left
the consumers Of the land prat tically
where they had stood during the war.
The result Of such system Of taxation
could have bte1 easily forecast. It is seen
around US on every side to-day. In 1870,
So 600, 600 600 were invested in msnufact-
| lna -, 10 \
years they reaped profss of over $50 per
cent, or 25 per cent. year. Dur
ing the same length of time
the great agr cultural interests of the coun-
try Obtained annual profits of only 2 psr
cent. Twenty five par cent. profit on man
ufactures and only 2 par cent, on agricul'
ture! Cheers Now let me ask you one
question. If this condition OF affairs lasts,
how long will it bs until be until we have
handful of landlords who will gobble
our rich farming st res and the agricultural
clas ses will bs reduced to the level of serfs?
How long will it b, beftrs we have in
every StIte of this Union a condition OF
affairs similar to one county in Missouri,
where farmers owe mortgages to over 50
per cent. of the value Of their property,
and 78 per cent. of these mortgages are
held in New England,
The Democratic party proposes to Go
away with this unjust and unnatural con-
dition Of aff4irs. Its aim is to reduce the
tariff, bat it does not pu'p>se or desire TO
injurs auY Industry. The Mile bill s'ys,
tha. wool should be put on 'hs free list,
and believe it shoul1. TIE e UNIT a
country on earth that produces all the
wool it uses. Thee is not coat on the
backs of all this vast audience that is ma lie
entirely Of American grown VOL. We
must have mixing woos to go with oDr
own wools. These mixing wools are all
for, ign. Senator Kcnna here produced
sample of f,reigu WOOL.
WHY WE WANT FREE WOOL.
Tell me, my friends, he said, where ia the
sheep in America thst can gov wool like
til, 1S iLches long and ss fms as silk ?
We can't grow that wool. We want it for
our manufactures, and let us have it free of
taxatioa.
will tell you about West Virginia wool.
Some of Y ou may b, wondering why it ba,
suffered IN the market, ard asciibed it 10
the tariff agitation. Oh, it is not that.
|
the wool growing industry has been trans.
fe;red beyond tie Mississippi. You raise
your wool on land worth from $40 TO $3.50
an acre. Now it is rsised on land which
ths Republican party grants TIE cattle
kings for nothing, and it enters into c)m-
petition with your wool, and cuts down
your profits. Cheers.
TIE Democratic party proposes to take
off these high duties on wool, which do
no. protect you. II proposes TO give our
manufacturers cheaper raw material, and
thus encourage them 70 extend their in-
dus,ries and develop their trade. They
will c'eIte stroIgsr demand for home
wool, and Tn bile the American farmer to
sell more wool at the same time that
wool IN goods are made cheaper TO every
workingmsn in our broad land.
| Col Fellows Address
Senator Ksnna csncluded his address
with a warm trib1te to the distinguished
guest Of the State Democracy WHO was by
his side, and into iuced Col. John r Fell
lows, Of New York. Never has Col. Fell
lows received warmer graetirg from a
West Virginia 1dience than followed his
introduction. Nothing was lacking to
show both the appreciation ard desire of
the great mass Of peo2ls before him. 1t
was tribute of which even he might well
be proud.
Col. Fellows stated bIi:fly that it would
bs impossible fer him t) spsak at length
under such conditions. He felt tie NJ 81
sity ofreserviug lis strength for other oc.
cssiors, and while he regretted his insbil-
ity to talk in the open air, he tsit that his
duty to himself aud his hearers dem anded
that he sto aid be brief.
Four years ago, he said, came into
your mid t, at o time when the Rspubli-
cans cf the East were making load claims
that they would capture the electoral vote
of West Virginia. came then to assni e
you that on the banks of the Hudson, at
least, there would bs 70 9o,irg Of en-
thusiasm, no lack Of ardor sni no want of
De nocratic votes. Cheers.
I found the sane spirit mere as there.
You were determined to hold your State
where your ballots had put her, in the
column of solid Democracy. To-day in