The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-10-23

y good test OF the esteem IN which u
thing is held is the demand there is for
it; and the value OF this test may be in
creased by the quarter from which the
demand comes. II the people Of the
United States had for years been rush
ing to Great Britain, this would raise
a reasonable presumption that for
some cause they preferred that
country to this; and II the Ameri-
cans were continuing this move
ment it would be reasonable to suppose
that the cause leading to the migration
were operative to-day rs in the past. II
the migratory movementh has been in this
direction, and ii it were so now, Ameri-
can Free Traders who prefer to be called
"Revenue Reformers," would want the
fact rs an unanswerable and crushing
argument in favor Of the national econo'
mical system which they are pressing
upon the country.
The migratory movement, however,
has been in Just the opposite direction
and IRON the land Of Free Trade to the
lapd OF Protection, and this movement
from Great Britain to the United states
seems to have been limited only by the
ability of the British working classes to
get here. That they have been coming,
and are still coming, is very positively
known to everybody. How fast they
have been coming, and still are coming,
is only realized by consulting the
startling record. From this source we
learn that in the ten years just past, in
Guiding the fiscal year 1883, there came
to this country from the United King
dom of England, ireland, Scotland and
Wales, ], S79O27-more by 100000 than
the entire population ofthe old, rich and
great city OF Philadelphia. Tho record
for tho present year, ending June SC
last, is 10000 more than in any other
year OF the ten, four times as many as in
1870.
Free Traders like to make it appear
that this is almost an Irish movement
which, if it were true, would by nc
means help their cause, for, if anything
be plain, lit is that Free Trade.bas con-
triButed more than any other cause to
the depopulation OF Ireland. The record
shows that in the ten years just past
England and Wales sent G14,S29, nearly
as many as Ireland-625, 242. If we add
the movement from Scotland to that
from England and Wales, VIC shall have
from England, Scotland and Wales 1885,,
600 more than from Ireland. In the
three years last past England and Wales
have sent in each year more than Ire
land, in the fiscal year of 1880, $4,000
coming from England and Wales and
$4,000 from Ireland, while Scotland
showed up well with $4,000.
In the past ten years the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and ireland,
with about one.third OF the population
OF Europe, has sent to this country
about one.third of the whole number of
immigrantsirom Europe. Whydo these
people come herc2 II it is true that a
days work in Great Britain will buy
more OF the comforts of life, and leave a
great margin for saving than in this
country, then the British subject who
leaves that land for this would be maxi
ing his condition worse, not better. The
fact is, they come, they stay, and add to
their savings; they bring their kin.folks
over, and the changed conditions are
altogether satisfactory to them. Thisis
one of the unanswerable arguments in
support of the protective policy OF the
United States. 1t is an argument which
ought to impress deeply the man who
has come before; it is bound to be popu-
lar in this land, which protects its indus
tries.
The truth is that in these latter days
the people OF the old world are giving US
more than we want OF this kind OF testi-
mony of the practical value of Protection,
and SO it is in the mind of Americans, to
carry little further the policy Of ZEN
lightened selfshness" by closing the
back door, as we have long since been
trying to close the front door-to put
restriction on the coming Of laborers as
We have on the coming of theirproducts.
This second step is needed in order to
reap more fully the wholesome fruits OF