Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-05-12
GEN. NATHAN GoFF.


American can stand. He said:
do not believe with President
Cleveland, with Mr.. Speaker Carlis.
lie. with the ways and means com.
mittee, that our protective tariff
laws are vicious, inequitable, and
illogical" am protectionist,
believer in the protective tariff. |
am for legislating in favor fmy coun
try, her industries, and her institu.
tions, first, last, all the time. | I've.
lieve in the old Bible doctrine that
/" he who proyideth not for his own
household is worse than an infidel.n
Applause.
While my sympathies go out to
the oppressed, to the distressed of
all lands, my duty is with the toilng
millions of my native land who la.
Dor that they may live, who in fac.
tories, mills and by furnace doors,
who in mines, shops, fields, and for,
ests, who in many and varied honest
and honorable ways earn suSten.
ance for themselves and their loved
ones by the sweat of their faces, as
by the Divine command it was or.
dained.
/ believe IN the system of onr
fathers, in the theory as enunciated
by the founders of the republic, by
the trainers of our constitution. |
believe that our first Congress was
right when it enacted our first pro.
tective tariff law, and / think that
this the fiftieth Congress is wrong
when it endeayors to repeal it.
believe that George Washington,
our first President, was grandly
right when he advised the enact
ment of and approved our first tariff
law, and / think that Grover CIeve.
land, our present-and | hope our
last--free trade President, is shame.
fully wrong when he not only sug.
gests but uses the power of his
great Office to secure the destruction
of our present system. The history
of my country teaches me that Ham.
ilton, our first Secretary of tie
Treasury, was true to the best in.
terests of our people when he draft
ed our first protective law, and
forces me to conclude that Fairchild.
our present Secretary, is false to the
trust confided to him when he form.
ulates the present measure.
These are ringing words. They
express the sentiment of American
ism broadly, grandly. They go to
the heart of the people, and the re.
spouse will come reverberating from
ocean to ocean and from the lakes
to the gulf
After showing the marvels
wrought for the country by the Re.
publican system of protection and
the evils resulting from the confirm
ed Democratic agitation of free
trade theories, Gen. Golf closed
with the following:
And still, Mr.. Chairman, this
measure is offered by gentlemen
who in political agony cry out,
"what shall we do with the sur.
plus ?" The question is not hard to
answer. Pay our debts with it.
Build ourselves a navy with 1T. In.
prove our rivers and harbors. Con.
struct coast defences. Educate our
children. Pension the veterans
manned, and suffering heroes who
by their patriotism and their devo.
tion to duty made it possible for us
to have country and surplus.
Applause. Provide for the wild.
ows, orphans and dependent parents
of those who in their strong man,
hood shouted in reply to the nations
cry for help, We are coming,
Father Abraham, six hundred thous.
and more," and who battled for the
graDdest cause for which men have
commended since time was. APP
plause.
Mr.. Chairman, we must not de-
stroy our protective system. 1t has
accomplished wonders. 1t has
pleasant surprises still in store for
us. 1t has enabled us TO perfect our
grand system of finance, the marvel
of the world, and has caused our
credit to shine with the sun OF civil
cation. 1t has fostered our indus.
tries, built up our manufactures,
and opened our wilderness. 1t has
elevated our manhood, dignified our
labor, and educated our people. Il
has made our valleys to laugh in
their gladness. and, touching our
barren mountain sides, has caused
/" the waters Of commercial prospect
ty to flow DER all the land.r II has
made the flag Of our nation typify
all that is grand Of human action, all
that is grand of human thought.
God only knows what it would not
do for us, Mr.. Chairman, if Presi
dent Cleveland and his party would