Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-10-20
RAUNI AND ATKINSON.


disputed. But he refrained from going
into particulars regarding the pension
bill passed by this Congress,
and he did not explain how it is that
quarter Of u century after the war has
closed ten thousand Rc,c pension claims
q day are being passed upon in his pen
sion Office under the new law. An hon
est explanation would have neceSSitated
the disclosure Of the fact that the Re
publican party managers at Washington
are in this way using nearly half tie
entire revenue Of the government prin-
cipally to buy votes for the Republican
party. Pension Commissioner RAUM
did not explain how 10000 pension
claims could even be read i'm one day to
say nothing of even the most curSory
examination rs TO their merits. And
Mr.. RAUN said nothing about the pat
ent refrigerator business which was so
foul and the charges against him in
connection herewith so grave that even
his own party was forced into an official
Investigation Of his conduct, and has
not yet been able TO whitewash him.
Strange the Republican party would
put man in such a position, on the
stump.
After Ms. RAUN had finished saying
nothing about the issues before the peo-
pie. Mr.. GEORGE WESLEY ATKINSON
took the boards and continued in the
same deSultory and utterly meaningless
line. The only thing that could by any
stretch be regarded as specific on the
tariff question in his remarks was the
following:
The individual who thinks he is opposing
Mr. Hubbard said out in BraXtOn county,
that the Mckinley bill increases the tax on
boots and shoes 50 much that the poor man
will not De able 20 buy them, aud will have
20 20 barefOoted for several years, until
| the Democracy gets in
Now. did Mr.. ATKINSON hear Mr..
/ PENpLEroN say the tariff was increased
on boots and shoes?" Did he hear any
body say they heard Mr.. PENDLEroN
say the tariff was increased on boots and
shoes?
What an absurdity, when American
boot and shoe manufacturers, on account
/ Of haring free hides (which MCKINLEY
at first wanted TO taxi, export boots and
shoes and sell them i'm the free markets
Of the world. Does not Mr.. ATKINSON
see how vigorously he is arguing against
himself by pointing out the fact that
American manufacturers of boots and
shoes are not protected? This is one Of
Americas greatest and most prosperous
| industries and itS. wonderful rrowth and
prosperity dates from the time the tariff
was removed from hides and left the in
dustry free.
We do not mean to charge Mr.. AT
KiNsoN with deliberate falsehood, be-
cause we do not believe him guilty Of
that. But we charge him with taking
too much from the H,teUgcHcr on faith.
Our contemporary is the originator OF
the lie, that Mr.. PENDLEroN said boots
and shoes were taxed by the Mckinley
tariff And the IutclligcRccr based its
deliberate falsehood ON the statement
made in the REGISTER last week that
the general advance in prices under the
Mckinley tariff was not confined to
protected" articles alone, but even
reached goods not directly affected by the
Tariff. The REGISTER quoted an in
terview with a New York shoe dealer,
who said:
"a large Chicago manufacturer told me
Yesterday that his end Of the trade had
reasoned that, as everything was going up
owing % the tariff they thought tnat the
time was ripe for AN advance in their line,
and acted accordingly. The house ne rep
resents has raised me price Of cheaper grades
of shoes % cents per pair, whac French cdg-
skins are unchanged.
This FIRMS goods are not taxed, but
as almost everything else is taxed and is
going up in price on account Of the new
go per cent. tariff this shoe firm thought
they might as well put up prices
too.
This statement the IpicjigmCcr de
liberately turned around and put in Mr..
PENDLEroN's mouth in the form of an
assertion that. TO use Mr.. ATKINSON
words, "the Mckinley bill increases the
tax on boots and shoes 50 much that the
poor man will not De able to buy them. "
Mr.. PENDLEroN never said anything OF
the kind. and the Intelligence knew il
ifMr. ATKINSON didnot. Nevertheless,
if this Chicago shoe firm persists in its
determination to follow the Mckinley
prices" procession, the poor man will
have 10 suffer, just the same.
Mr.. ArKINsoN'S tariff argument
consisted entirely In setting up men OF
straw and then boldly and valiantly
knocking them down. He put abSurdly
false statements into Mr. PENDLEroN'S
mouth. which Mr. PENDLErON never ut
tered. and then proceeded toproye them
false-an easy. IL not altogether an hon
orablc. way Of arguing.
In neither the speech OF Mr.. RAUM
nor Mr.. ATKINSON was the Mckinley
tariff defended. Both speakers wisely
contented themselves with combating
the abstract theory Of Free Trade-as if
the United States were an entirely new
country Just about TO enter into manu-
featuring buSincSS-and assuming that
the Democracy wanted Free Trade.
TARIFF REFORM, which the Democ- /.
racy does want, aud as outlined in Mr..
message, and advocated /
by JAMES q. BLAINE, Senator PLUMB, I
and other Republicans who have cast |
straws in the wind. neither speaker dared /
Suy lCord about.
RAUM and ATKINSON dodged every /
issue of the campaign.
There are lots Of things the audience /
would have liked to have heard Mr..
ATKINSON, especially, talk about, which