Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-09-03


pose of advancing private and corporate
wealth. The effort to do this at this
time is a cause Of alarm and will arrest
the attention of the country. | cannot
witness the close Of the debate without
few observations which may 90 upon
the record with what has been said.
Mr.. President, the discussion Of the
pending bill, as far rs it has progressed,
has been able aud exhaustive. 1t has
demonstrated among other things:
l. That the demands of a favored
class and not the public necessities or
the public good are the inspiration and
purpose of this measure.
.. That the increase OF the public
burden by the raising of tariff duties is
to be the actual, if not the acknowledged,
effect of the bill.
3. That Just in proportion 10 the eN-
cluSion OF the foreign articles which
these increases Of tariff duty will ac-
complish, the American consumer will
pay his taxes to the manufacturer and
not to the government
4. That thus the public revenue is to
be reduced not by reducing the burdens
of the people, but by compelling them
to pay To the manufacturers through
the increased cost Of the articles they
consume, what ;hey now pay through
the retail and wholesale dealers and
custom houses to the Treasury of the
country.
4. That this extraordinary scheme is
for the protection chiefly OF single
class Of citizens of the nine States of
the Union, which own more wealth than
the other thirty-three States combined.
g. That this scheme will enable the
American manufacturer TO continue TO
sell, as he does now, his plCws and
reapcrS and thousand other articles 10
McXicanS and South American Indians,
from - to 30 per cent. cheaper than he
does to our own citizens.
=. That, therefore, and to that extent
this is a bill for the protection of MeXi-
cans, Spaniards and half-breedS and
South American Indians. at the expense
of the farmers, labOrcr> and consumers
of the United States.
;. That the duty on hundreds Of arti-
clcs is largely III excess Of the entire
labor cost Of their production and often
mutiplies it many fold.
O. That protection To the product and
free competition in labor reduces labor
to the simple proposition OF supply and
demand, while il enhances the cost to
the laborer and his family Of the pro-
duction of their own hands.
10. That the home market is TO be re-
served for the manufactures, but the
markets of the world shall supply his
labor.
H. That we are to refuse to buy from
anybody else, and nobody else can
therefore buy from us.
-. That our SupluS cereals are to rot
in their barns, and our farmers to starve
to enable our surplus manufacturers to
find profitable market in foreign coun-
tries with fifty per cent. off.
IS. That the proposed reciprocity
with South America is intended to eStab-
lish a market there for our manufactures
and market here for South American
products Of the farm.
IA. That the enormous largcSScS levied
upon our people were made possible by
the consequences of war and have been
made profitable by the manufacturers
who have been thereby enabled to main |
tain the prices of war in time Of peace.
u. That the farmer and laborer are
pundered by war taxes under the !
specious guiSe of protection to both.
1G. That England like Carthage, has !
made herself mistress Of the seas by the |
vaStneSS of her commerce while we are |
impoveriShng our people by denial OF !
intercourse with the commercial world |
l.. That we have no ships to float our |
productions and our mails are carried |
under the British flag.
Is. That the system which this bill is |
intended to perpetuatc has given half
the wealth Of the country TO three hun |
dred men and is reducing the masses OF
the people TO vasSalage and to bondage. |
10. That the men who are the most |
clamorous for this kind of protection |
are the millionaire aud monopoliSts.
20. That Mr.. Carncgic'S million dol !
lar castle i'm Scotland and Mr.. GOuld'S !
five million private fortress in Mexico |
are twin Illustrations OF Republican pro-
lection to labor
81. That this bill involves a rapid |
rush in the transition already far adj |
vanced from a free people 10 condition |
Of landlordiSm and tenantry throughout !
the Republic.
-. That the dcprcSSionS and panics, |
the wants OF employment, the CONNER |
cial disasters. the lockOutS and strikes, |
the complaints of labor and the impov- |
erishment of the farm, the millionaire |
and the tramp have alike for quarter |
of century eXempliiied the power aS
they have illustrated the process of Re
publican protection
These and kindred propositions have
developed all along the line, and upon
them the political parties have divided.
| shall not undertake TO repeat these
discussions They are on the record
and before the country. The condition
which they depict has been approached
by degrees II could never have been
reached directly. No people were ever
enslaved by their voluntary assent. Like
tho stealthy crawl of the tiger before
he springs or the inSiduouS invasion OF
disease before it racks the flesh and
dimS the eye, the citadel Of human
liberty Is undermined before the call
ito the tower" is heard. And so Of eX-
tortion upon the earnings OF the
masses. The open demand for tribute
that would encounter prompt rebuke at
the hands Of the multitude finds easy
and successful substitution in the
eyaSive process whereby its beneliciaries
declare dividends OF the earnings OF
labor and marshal their assets OF It's
surrendered reward.
So. it is true, Mr. President, that
while platforms Of political parties have
not demanded the imposition OF tax
upon the people for protection only. the
debates which have occurred AT various
periods in the consideration of the sub
iect disclose the fact that legislation
itself has not been based upon that idea.
The history Of tariff cnactments in the
United States is illustrative and instruc-
live. The subject has been discussed
I'm its relation to protection at every
stage of the country's progress II
there be an exception to this propoSl-
tion it covers period from the break
ing out Of the civil war to the tariff en-
actment of 1867.
During that period larger burdens
were imposed upon the people by i'm
most duties and otherwise than at any
time in the history of the country. But
during that period the question OF pro
lection was not 4 factor that entered
INTO the debate. The truth is that the
exigencies and consequences OF war