Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-09-20

strife and has relegated them 10 tne desd
past. 1t has brought before you new
and living issues-issues which affect
your daily life and daily subsistence, ques-
tions that affect the conduct of government,
questions that come into your workshops
and Your homes; and to these invite your
attention tonight. [Applsuse.
THE CHICAGO RATTLE-TRAP.
Before entering upon this discussion,
however, let me refer q moment to plat
form adopted in Chicago a few months
since. A very brief notice will be suffi-
cient. It's inconsistencies and absurdities
are too glaring to require more. Every
plank OF that platform is an Indictment,
stronger than any / can draw, of the Re-
publican party and its history. In that
they declare in hypocriticsl phrase their
hostility to Chinese labor, and at the same
time they were adopting that platform,
the plans were laid for the nomination OF
man to the highest Office in the nations
gift. who, when he was in the Senate oil
the United States, did not stand shonlder
to shoulder with Allen G.. Thurman, IN
protection of honest American laborers
against this dread curse. Another plank
declares in favor Of building up navy,
vet that party has spent $4OO, 600, 600
on navy, and left nothing but
fleet of rotten hulks to the
Democratic party. They again reatfirm
that the public domain should be kept for
honest settlers, yet 200, 600, 900 acres of
this domain have been donated by this
same Republican party to great corpora
tions. And only the patriotism OF DEM
ocratic House of Representatives, backed
up by patriotic President, has recovered
so, ,O0O, 900 acres of this vast tract to the
peoples use.
But our Republican friends tell US there
is one great issue before the people to-day.
1t is needless to say what that issue is It
is upon every tongue. But stop; how did
that issue come before the public? Did
our Republican brethren bring it out 30
prominently All, no! II they could
nave their way it would not be discussed
in every school-houss and in every haRlet.
The Republican party did not throw down
THE TARIFF GAUNTLET.
It was Grover Cleveland, the President OF
the United States, seconded by the patriot
ism of Democratic House of Representa-
tives. It WAS the Democratic party that
selected this ground to fight the campaign
on, and on it they appeal to the honesty
and intelligence of the people Of the United
States. That ground was not OF the choos~
ing of the Republican party. They were
driven to take the position they have, and
driven to it, they have resorted to all
kinds of tricks and clap trap and cheap de-
vices, TO any and everything to distract
public attention. They even go 30 far as
to say that the Democratic party is making
this fight in the interests of England, for
petful of the fact that since the incep-
ton of the Democratic party 1t
has been composed of the great
masses of the humble and hard
working citizens. Such claim aS they
made is prepOsterous-prepcsterous as
made against any party. For l believe
and you believe that the people of this ns-
tion, the great masses Of any aud all par
ties are patriots, and none in his secret
heart doubts that patriotism. Referring
TO the charge that the proposed reduction
was equivalent to free trade, Mr.. Daily
stated that the Mills bill proposed to re-
duce the tariff from an average OF AZ per
cent to an average of AZ, or a little less.
He drew an apt illustration from story
of two friends, one Of whom was heavy
drinker.
YES IT'S FREE TRADE,
Meeting his companion one day, in reply
to his queries, hs said he was doing well,
better than at any time before in his life'
He had quit drinking entirely, and become
a total abstainer.
'why, how is that, John?" said his
friend;"I Just saw you take drink In
Wonder saloon. / wish you bad stopped
drinking, but know you are not total
abstsiner."
"Oh, but ann," replied the disciple of
Bacchus; ~ am a total abstainer. Why,
I used 10 take Al drinks day and now !
only take A." [Great laughter and ap
plause.
at you believe that is the honest prac-
tice of total abstinence priuciples," said
the speaker, "then you can believe that
the tariff reduction proposed by the Mile
bill is for free trade"
Now let us consider some Of the prophe'
cies made by our Republican friends. They
say we have high protective tariff, which
is all very true. They say again that our
lsboriug men get the best wages 10 the
world, which ia also true; aud then they
tell us that these high wages sre the direct
result Of this protective tariff. This We
deny. Bot let Us 90 on with their propo-
sitiOns. What else do they urge? They
say modify the tariff and wages will be
reduced to the level of the pauper labor OF
Europe; business interests will be ruined
and we will have the hard times and suf-
fering that prevailed before the war. Oh,
they say this ignorantly. They know not
whereof they speak. What were the hard
times and suffering before the WARP What
was the condition of the country then?
GOOD REPUBLICAN TESTIMONY.
Let me call your attention to report
made by nine gentlemen, appointed by
President Arthur, TO investigate the ques-
tion of tariff. This was Republican COM
mission. Read the figures these gentlemen
give. They publish o table showing the
number of manufactures, and the number
of hands, and the value of products for
comparative periods in the country's his-
tory. They say in the ten years ending
1864, as under q moderate Democratic
tariff, the capital invested in the cOuntry's
industries increased 80 per cent. For the
10 wears, from 1870 to 1888, under a high
Republican tariff, capital increased S3 per
cent.
Here is another question that the labor
of America ought to be interested in. The
capital increased 80 per cent. did wages
increase in the same proportion? Let us
turn to our good Republican commission
acaiu. 1t says from 1850 to 1860, under
the Democratic tariff, wages increased 60
psr cent, while from 10 to 80 wages in
creased only % per cent. Suppose the
rate of increase in wages from 1850 to 1850
had been kept up in every succeeding de-
csde until to-day. Suppose the rate of in-
crease in capital had been kept up. Sup
pose the labor of the land had not been
burdened with taxes heavier than imposed
in any other nation of the earth, what
would have been the condition of labor,
and what the condition Of our industries
Great applause.
WHAT A DEMOCRATIC TARIFF DID.
Again our good tariff commission talks
Il saws from 1850 to 1860 the value of
manufactured products increased 50 per
na,t ap.3 from 1870 IN 1890 the yalue in