The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-10-27
Something that Every Votor Should
Rond and Think Over.
THIS is AN ERA OF PROSPERITY.
An Answer to Calamity IIowlcrs.
Figures that Do Not Ltc...Whnt the
Protective Tariff Has Dono for This
Country...Thc Current Running Our
Way.
american Grocer.

IONS, ana advancing theories foY pollti-
cal elect. This would I've Of little mo.
mcht were it not that many OF tho state.
ments SO made spread discomfort, In.
Jurc business and dcmoral!ze society.
Any one convcrsant with tho recent
utternnccs OF prominent politicians
must bo amused at the radical contra.
diction OF advocates OF tho same meas.
urc For instance, friends OF the FREQ
coinage OF silver differ materially. One
party wants FREQ coinage Of American
silver only, while large number favor
unlimited free coinose. Some claim
that ii means M expansion Of currency.
while other shrcwd students OF the
matter believe it will check the present
addition Of Si,5ONO0O monthly to the
circulation. Eminent tnancicrs assert
tina; IL will make :!ie United States tho
dumping ground for tho silver OF the
world, whlie others, and tho beH. in
formed, demonstrate that it will Ito
nothing OF tliesor,. Opponents Of the
measure make all manner Of wild and
bcwildering statements, based entirely
upon theory.
Worst OF all, however. arc dolcful pre-.
dictions OF calamity and tales Of oppres-
SION and suffering on the part OF Ameri.
can people, such as arc contained in n
recent speech OF Hon. Roger q. Mills,
says:
III the per capita circulation is an in.
dcX OF prosperity, we ough. TO have
been more prosperous in $500 than We
were III 1870, but We are in the depths
OF distress now, and we were standing
on tip-toe on the mountain tops Of pros.
perity then.
What, then, is the scourge that Is
tormcnting tho. land and driving con-
tcntment out OF so many homes?
ut is excessive taxation, re.norselcss,
contiscating taxation, indirect, conceal.
ed, hypocrtical, exhaustive and blight
ing taxation"
In 1870 the revenue OF tho United
States was equivalent to q per capita
tax OF 500; in 1890 it was l6.4i. re.
duction oil 1928 or over 3S per cent,
In 1870 the gross expenditures OF the
Government were over 81, 600 900 great
er thanin 1890 with a population q, 0OO,-
900 more.
In 1870 the national debt, less cash in
the treasury. was S2,299 ,030, S35; in 1890
it was $934, 230, 49G. 1t is prosperous
people that can pay of $l,357 ,SO0.599 OF
debt III twenty years. 1t certainly is
not 4 sign Of being in "the depths OF
distress"
In 1870 the customs duties were
equivalent to S4.9G per capita OF popu-
lation, against S3.G2 in $780, -.
In lS10the government collected $780,
sl9,04l, duty on sugar; in 1890 it made
sugar duty free after April, lS0l--a gift
OF over 10000, 900 annually.
In 1870 tea and coffee wore taxed: in
1890 they were duty free with per
capita consumption in 1890 greater than
in 1870. In England the breakfast table
is taxed heavily; in our depth Of dis
trcss" it is free.
in 1870 the foreign commerce of the
country was 1915, 3O5, 02l; In 1890 it was
the heaviest on record, reaching ST.
49,, 293, 1913, with Europe owing us for
merchandise, whereas in 1870 the
United States imported more than it
exported.
In 1870 there were 44,Gl4 miles OF
railway operated in the United States;
in 1890 about 10000
In 1870 ono man or firm out OF every
12O in business failed; in 1880 one in
every 0S.
Why 90 OH and enumeratc? No
matter in what direction we look,
socially, financially, politically, COM
mercially, We are ahead OF any other
period in our history.
Never were there more prosperous
years in the history of any nation than
recent years in the history of the
United States.
Labor is well employed and has been
for years. y dollar OF wages will buy
more food and better food than at any
other time i'll the past thirty years. The
people OF this country are better housed,
better clothed, better led, and enjoy
better sanitary conditions, have more
OF luxury, shorter hours OF labor. great
or public advantages in the way OF
schools, nurseries, hospitals and chart
! ties than ever before in their history.
AS to minor matters; the duty on tin
plate was doubled, and the cost Of
canned goods is lower This year than
last, in spite OF dolciul predictions.
1t has been claimed that IN agricul-
tural country could not prosper under
high tariff, for it placed it At disad-
vantage in foreign markets. Still near
ly all the world comes to tho United
States for wheat and q stream of gold is
pourin. in from France, England and
Germany. Railways are overtaxed by
excessive demand for transportation.
Grain is stacked along some roads in
enormous quantities until grain block
Ides have become everyday occurrences.
But why 90 further TO controvert the
misleading and untruthiul sayings OF
theoretical politicians in both parties
In view OF the ubove facts and hun
drods more liko them that might DO
mentioned, IL ia incomprchcnslvc how
ajournal OF the character and standing
! OF the New York Ercning Poet, can allow
its bigotry to 20 so Tar as to command
such wild uttcrances as those OF Mr..
Mills toita rcaders-probably as intol!i.
gent and prosperous body OF constit-
uents as that OF any journal in the
world. Such an endorsement is in
marked contrast to tho comments OF the
New York Sun--a Democratic journal Of
equal ability and moro extensively rcGd
upon tho lugubrious and wociul utter
anccs Of Mr. Mills. The Sun says:
Man that is born OK q Woman" OBJ
served tho great sage, lis OF fow days
and full OF trouble"
3 II the lion. Roger @. Mills had been
present he would have said that the