Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-10-23
nrKINLEY,s RELLAIRE FIAsoO.

LEY's meeting last evening was the
worst kind Of a fascO, and MCKIN-
LEY apparently felt correspondingly
depressed. His speech was exception
ally short and labored and was as the
REGISTER predicted devoted entirely to
generalities on the tariff. His audience
naturally expected him to say some
thing specific about our local glass, pot
terry and iron industries, but the Major
said not a word about them. He con-
tented himself with delving in mouldy
history to show what blessing high tar
i'll taxes are ana tried to demonstrate
that the Democrats were out-and-out
free traders, and if they ever got into
power would do away with the tariff
entirely and shut down all the mills in
the country. The Major had the hardi-
hood TO say this in the face Of the fact
that the Mills bin levied an average
duty Of 491< per cent, a reduction OF
AZ per cent. from the old war tariff
Of AZ per cent. which MCKINLEY has
raised to GO per cent.
In going into tariff history MCKINLEY
forgot to quote from the last report of
the Decennial State Board of Equaliza-
ton Of Ohio, according to which the
value Of farm land in Ohio
has decreased in the past ten years of
high tariff from 1854, see, $40 to $780,
1s3. 975, or a loss Of s1OS, 100000.
This is what is playing the mischief
with MCKINLEY among the farmers Of
Ohio, and MCKINLEY can go as far into
ancient history as there is history to go
into, but he cannot obliterate this
modern history from the minds Of the
people, nor make the highly protected
workingman forget that the tendency
Of his wages is downward and that the
tendency Of the cost of living is upward
under Mr.. MCKNLEY's tariff.
BY the way, if MCKINLEY had honest
ly and truthfully told his Bellaire audi
ence how his bill was made the little APP
plause he received would have turned to
q storm of indignation. Here is the way
it was done, and anybody can verify it
by referring to the printed report of the
MCKINLEY committee MCKINLEY
held court and the representatives of
the protected manufacturers, the com
bines, monOpOlies and trusts were
ushered in to him one after
another. One would say, 81 want the
people taxed for me to this extent.
Another would say, Il want the taxes
of the people increased for my benefit
on this article" and so on throughout
the bill. Whatever the rich manufac-
turers said they wanted MCKINLEY gave
to them. He sat in the Ways and
Means Committee room Of Congress as
the agent Of the Republican party to
farm out the right Of taxation of the
people to the wealthy manufacturers in
return for the "fat" they rendered into
the larder Of tho Republican National
Committee.
And MCKINLEY has the hardihoOd to
go before the people and tell them it
was done for their benefit aud that tax
Ing things che1peRS them! Did the
trusts and monopolies ask MCKINLEY
TO increase the tax SO that they might
charge less for their goods? Have any
Of them reduced prices since MCKINLEY
increased the taxes? II taxation cheap
ems things how comes it that in almost
every instance prices Of articles
on which MCKINLEY has raised the
tax have advanced, and that sugar,
on which the tax was removed
entirely, has cheapened? If the
foreigner pays the tax free sugar ought
TO benefit the foreigner alone and the
price ought to remain the same to the
American consumer. Let MCKINLEY buy
500 worth of goods in England, bring
them over here and say 10 the customs
officer az New York, "Just charge that
500 tax to the man I bought these goods
Of in England. de pays the tax, you
know. I'm an American consumer. 1
don't pay it," And let US see how soon
MCKINLEY will get his goods without
paying the tax ont of his own pocket.
That 500 worth Of goods will cost him
lust Sl6O before they are landed in New
York. And If he sells them in this
country does he throw OF that 500 TAX?
If the foreigner pays the duty on 500
worth Of goods taxed 60 per cent. he
would receive but $40, and in cases
where the duty amounted to say $50
per cent. the foreigner would actually
give the goods away together with $50
in money!
II is beyond comprehension how Mr..
MCKINLEY, who has seen so much Of
the American people, can have so poor
an opinion Of their intelligence as to
expect them to believe that the for
eigner pays the American tariff tax.
Bot the people do not believe McKIN-