Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-10-25
DEMOCRACY'S DAY.
[continuod from First Page.l


eonalize itself, and that in the end no
one will be wronged. We do not oe-
lieye in the doctrine that 1t Is rignC "
rob Peter to pay Paul. Applause !
Therefore. | may consider 1t certain ana
clear that this is the Democratic posi-
tion: that it is right, and that there Is
No answer to il. | know that there are
certain interests that for many years
have been asking for governmental Ia
yor. So far as the government can le-
ultimately give them this AID, there can
be no objection. So long as many
millions must be raised by TAX
on imports. we have right 10
take into consideration the great ana
growing industries of the country. No
one objects to that. Applause IL is
a part of the policy of the Democratic
marty. and it always has been. APP
plause. You have right to dlscrlmi,
nate between what is made in this ana
what is made in other countries, put
Won have no right to make II eNoroiIah'
or to raise money beyond the govern
ment's needs. nor TO set up prohlpltory
tariff. Inside of that limit you may
make these determinations. The Dem
ocratic party believes in the, protectloh
of American labor. Applause. LEI
me eyplain what mean by that. Inc
democratic party recognizes the dliter-
ence in the rates of wages here, ana
those in vogue abroad. l am giau 10
know that there is ii higher rate pai9
here than in other countries, applause
and hope that difference may continue
TADplause. But recognizing that fact,
what does the Democratic platform say?
Permit me TO read it. Asking as we dld'
in 1883. for a reduction in taxation, we
used Just this language:
..The necessary reduction in taxation
can Az must be effected without deprlv'
inc American labor of the ability to com
nete successfully with foreign labor, ana
without imposing lower rates OF duty tnah
win cover any increased cost OF production
which NAV exist in consequence OF Tue
higher rate of wages prevailing III thls
country
There it is in language clear and eX-
plicit. In other words, it declares, rec
ognizing a difference in wages, that IN
effecting reduction in the tariff II
should not be reduced so low that 1t Will
not recognize the difference in wages
and equalize it. For instance, II IL costs
two dollars to manufacture an article IN
Europe-for labor, and it costs TO man
ufactnre the same article in this coun-
try. for labor four dollars, tariff duty
of two dollars eQualizeS the difference.
Won thus see that labor is protected.
Yon thus see that there can be no
unjust competition. Therefore,
think | am right when say
and maintain that the Democratic party
believes in protecting labor. | know
what was said in 1883, and what Is being
said now 1t is that the Democratic
party proposes TO lower the wages OF
working men. | deny it, Applause.
Ii never has been the policy of the
Democratic party so to do. Go where
YOU will, in any portion OF this great
land, and you will find that from one
third to one-half of the Democratic
party is composed of men who earn
their bread by the sweat of their brows,
and lack of selfish interests would
prevent us from doing aught to injure
them. even if we had no higher
or nobler motive. This places on a
better. higher, clearer and more com
prehensive plane, the proposition that
more than any other party, the Demo
cratic party is the best party In the
history Of the government.
A great deal was said in 1883, in re-
gard to the Mills bill. 1t is impossible
10 frame bill that will be without de-
fccts. but stand here to say it was
fair. Just and reasonable measure. II
was not framed in the interests OF the
manufacturers of the country, but IN
the interests of the masses of the people
of the country, and make the further
statement, and | challenge its contro'
vcrtion. There was not reduction
contained in the Mills bill on
/ a manufactured article-not artl'
cles on the free list-but what
still had left sufficient amount OF duty
TO represent the difference in the rate:
paid labor in its production, between
| this and foreign countries. | made tha'
statement repeatedly in lSSs-l made II
| in towns where Republican orators were
TO follow me the next evening, and
asked the reporters present 10 tell the
speakers present to point out the
error i'm the statement. and alter
ward, when | saw some of those report
ers. and asked them about it, they SAID
they had done as | requested, and had
been answered that Hill could make hi:
speeches in his own way, and they would
not answer them. Applause.
That was the Democratic position
then. and that is the Democratic posi-
ton now. | know they say the tariff
Question is settled. know they say We
are disturbing the business interests Of
the country by discussing it. | say tc
you that no question is settled In this
country until it is settled right. APP
plauSe. | know they are seeking to
avoid a discussion of this matter This
discussion cannot be stopped. Every
time YOU enter a store to buy some OF
the necessaries of life, it stareS you in the
face, Applause and you can not put ii
down, i you try. Applause. Ineed not
urge before an audience like this that
there is danger in having big
surplus in the treasury of the Uni
ted States. That question was an
important one in 1883, but in the light
of the appropriations by the last Con-
gress, aud in the presence of possible
deficiency, it is scarcely worth while, at
this time, to follow up the discussion
Applause. In this one thing, the Re
pubicans have kept their pledges
They said they would 90 away with the
surplus, and they have done it. But
tell you that the place for surplus take,
is in the pockets of the people. APP
plause. object to raising money from
the people to clog the treasury vaults
Applause. 1t makes hard times
That money is standing temptation
for all sorts of raids upon the public
treasury. know it is better to have a
surplus than a deficiency, but it is not 8
better thing to tax the people simply to
hoard up money. Applause. 1t i:
anything but just, and an infa
nous exercise of the conceded
privilege of taxation. / know wha
is urged against US by the other side
They say that certain interests need The