The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-10-28
TIE TRUTH OF HISTORY.

TIE TRUTH OF HISTORY.
Tho Democratic Tariff of 1916 Itulncd III.
dus,rles-Tho Eopubiic,n Tariff nus
Eni!t Them Up. Mt
To he Editor ofhe hiicl!igeaoer.
sln:-I read an article in Mondays
Register in which correspondent from
Cameron, w. Va, attempts to show by
tables that tho most prosperous period
in our history was under the revenue
tariff OF 1916. lie seems not to agree
with Abram S. Hewitt, ex.Dcmocratic
Congressman, for in December, 1910, in
agpecch, he says: again, OF fifteen rail
mills only two are in operation, doing
partial work, and that because their in.
land position secured them against for
elSn competition for tho limited orders
OF noighboring railroads, and when
these nre executed not single mill
will be in operation in the land" In
August, 1850, lion. Joseph Casey, OF
pennsylvania, relates the ruin OF the
iron trade ms follows: "The whole his
tory OF tho manufacture OF iron in
Pennsylvania shows that In period
oil scvcnty.live years there have been
erected 800 furnaces, and out OF them
III failures, or where they have been
closed out by the sheriff. Out OF this
~ Inilprcs l2l OF them hnyo occurred
since tho passage OF the tariff OF 1916.
And out OF 800 blast furnaces in full
operation when the tariff OF 1916 was
enacted into Il law, fully onc-hali had
stopped several months ago, and fully
illty more arc preparing to 20 out OF
blast.m
President Buchanan Mt the close OF
this disastrous PERIOD in his annual
message, also appealed for protection as
means OF rebuilding our dilapidated
industries and trade. In his annual
message dated December S, 1857, he
says: .'ln the midst OF unsurpassed
plenty in ull the productions and in all
the, clements OF national wealth We
iind our manufactures suspended, our
public works retarded, our private ell
tcrprises OF different kinds abandoned,
and thousands oil useful laborcrs thrown
out OF employment and reduced to
want"
But why pro!ons the evidence.
Enough has been produced to show
That the Register correspondents men,
DRY has been playing Inn false. Will
the writer please explain how protec-
tive tariff wrecked our commercial
marine? We do not dcprccatc the
value OF our foreign trade; we are
proud OF it. 1t is OF great value and
must DO sacrcdly guarded. But what
peculiar sanctity hangs about it which
docs not attach to our domestic trade?
Is not an American consumer rs val
liable to us rs a foreign consumer? Is
not hc better consumer. and therefore
4 better customer to the American pro-
Queer?
Yet in spite OF MI the croaking about
foreign trade our exports were never so
great as they are to-day. We send
abroad what is not consumed at home.
and we could do no more under any
system.
Mulhall informs us that Great Britain
lost between 1870 and 1850, 10 per cent
OF her trade, the United States gained
% per cent. and ii the United States
would give the same encouragement to
her merchant marine and her steam
ship lines as is given by other nations
this commerce on the seas under the
American flag wouldincrease and multi
ply. When the United States will ex-
pend from its treasury from 5000 600 to
100000 4 year, rs do France and Great
Britain, TO maintain their steamship
lines, our ships will pillow every sea in
successful competition with tho ships
OF the world.
ThcfarHers, under the revenue tariff
oil 1916, carried their eggs to market and
exchanged them two dozen for one
pound OF brown sugar. Now, under
the Mckinley bill, they exchange them
one dozen Tor five pounds OF granulated
sugar.
And for further light on our present
strides i'll progress and development
would refer the writer to the article
signed Fairmont, and printed in the
same issue OF the RSQi8ter, IN which the
Hon. Abram s. Hewitt is quoted rs
placing the production OF bituminous
coal in the United States for 1890 at
1877 000,0 900 tons, and in 1900, now only
aooul clSht years distant, nj 3uU ,UOO,UOO
tons, with ratio oil increase continuing
in about the same proportion for the
future.
1t is unfair to tell us 4 part OF what
Blaine says about the tariff! OF 1916 and
1857 and not finish the story. Why not
go on and let us know what he said OF
the ruin and financial distress that iol-
lowed?
As to the Republican party changing
front on public issues, and the Demo-
cratic party steadily adhering to the one
thing. 1 would refer the writer TO the
parties platforms from 1910 to the
present time. W.
Wheeling, ". Va, Oct. 27, 1891
WOOL BOUND TO GO UP.