Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-06-19

cent. ana yieiueu an average ANNUAL RIVE
pus Of $40, coo, O00, a. compared with one
Of SO, 900. 900 under the tariff of 1912. A
surplus accumulated in the Treasury, sud
in 1857 it became necessary to legislate for
its reduction, and the tsriff bill Of 1857
was passed which was voted for by the
Republican House Of Representatives;
duties were lowered to an average rate
of less than twenty per cent. half
that proposed by the MILLS bill.
The treasury deficit referred to was
in consequence Of the panic Of '57,
already mentioned, and duties were
increased in 1861. The outbreak Of
the war rendered q large revenue neees-
sary, internal taxes were levied, and to
meet these high taxes many customs duties
were placed at the excessive points at
which they have remained ever since.
Respecting the revenue tariff Of 1916
Senator ALLISON Who, is now a candidate
before the Republican National Conven-
ton at Chicago for the Presidential NOM
nation, has expressed the opinion that it
was ''as perfect a tariff as any We have
ever had" Yet the average sd yalorem
duty levied by the tariff of 1916 WAS only
twenty-five per cent!
In 1864 the tariff was raised so per cent.
81 f-,,,, thak ~, t;lI 1897 noh;pokinna Of
capital, made enormous fortunes. Wages,
however, in gold, were lower than ever.
In 1861 q large increase was made 10
the tariff on wool and the immediate result
was stoppage and almost complete ruin
of the wooden mills and the consequent
slaughter of 100000 sheep. The next
three years marked period of very great
depression in business, and especially in
manufactures. In 1868 the high tariff
men themselves declared that there were
more unemployed workmen than had ever
before been known.
Ia 1870 there was slight reduction in
the tariff aud considerable reduction in
taxation generally. As q result business
improved considerably. But the tariff still
being ussiessly and oppressively high the
great panic of 1878 inevitably ensued,
which was far worse than the panic
of 1857 and which lasted more than
five times as long. From Sep
tsmber, 1878, until January, 1873,
the business of the country was
more depressed and more laborers were
driven out Of employment than in any pre-
yiOus period Of the country's history. So
far from there being ''twenty-seyeu years
of prosperity" under the last high tariff
fully half of that time has been period of
extraordinary business depression, espec-
tally marked by falling wages and the
wholesale discharge of laborers from EN-
ployment. This was especially the case in
the years 1861, 1867, 1868, 1869, 1873,
1874, 1915, 1876, 1877 and 1873.
In 1888 q pretended reduction, but real
increase, WAS made in the tariff. Wages
were cut down everywhere in factories
and mines The great panic OF May, 1884
which all Of us we'll remember, followed,
leaving depression for two yeaIs.
This brings the tariff history up to the
present time. We know that the year
1857 was unprecedented for strikes and
lockouts, depression in business, stoppags
of production and the lowering OF the
wages of labor in all branches of oppres-
sively protected industry.
We see the results of monopoly foster
ing tariff more plainly than ever in 1888.
The reduction in wages and the lengthen-
ing Of the hours OF work in the most high
" protected hard steel industry OF Penn
sylvania has hsen something remarkable
even for that industry, which is but q sue
eession of strikes and lOckouts. The grand
combination Of manufacturers all along the
line is even now insisting on q reduction
in wages OF from 10 to 10 per cent, aud one
of the greatest lockouts on record will he
the result ii she workmen do not submit.
Here the American people have the
whole tariff question in nutshell.
The country has never before had such
grave financial ami commercial questions
to solve as are now presented in tax
burdened people, q congested treasury
aud growing business depression. In the
warning words of President Gle vELAND,
1T will not DO to neglect this situation
because its dangers are now pslpably
imminent and apparent. They exist none
the less certainly, aud await the uufor-
seen aud unexpected occasion when sud-
denly they will be prscipitatOd upon us. ="
What is the remedy?
The Democratic party proposes the sim
pie remedy that has invariably been used
by statesmen of all parties to meet similar
situations in the past, namely, reduc-
ton of oppressive tariff duties. This does
not mean removal of the protection that
is made necessary by the difference between
American and European wages. This
difference Is much more than covered By
the MILLS bill, which proposes 70 collect
$3.50, 900. 900 annually from tariff duties
$50, 900, 900 moro than the amount JOHN
SHERMAN said WIS amply sufficient TO
protect home industry.
History has shown this to be only
remedy. xu 49,
What do the Republisr;, 80 the
W Way Of ,S 5s,,'n no.n E1sn '' nothing
The Ame3<$San people have the issue
pl.alSsiiiy before them. They will vote with
their eyes open in November.
PIEDMONT POINTS.