St. Paul daily globe., 1891-04-19
AN EASTERN ORATOR.
Congressman Wilson, Of West
Virginia, Stops Over in
st. Paul,
En- Route to the Pacific to Or
ganiZe Democratic So
cieties.
A Scholarly Address on the
Economic Question Of the
Tariff.
Equalize the Burdens and Per-
petuate Our Free In
StitutiOnS.

UlSlflcG Oh w est V lrglnld, IS SueSI vi
st. Paul. he arrived here yesterday,
direct from his home, aud, though on
political mission to the coast, stopped
over by preconcerted arrangement to
see the city, and perhaps contribute a
tariff talk to the campaign of educa-
tion." Mr.. Wilson is conspicuous as
one of the leaders of the present
congress, and his name has fire.
Quently been mentioned in connection
with the speakership. As a tariff de-
batter and as an economist he has few
Superiors anywhere. During the cam
paigns of 1888 .and 1890 he was a potent
factor on the stump and was in demand
everywhere. Upon his arrival here he
was escorted to the Merchants hotel
and subsequently entertained at the
Minnesota club. In the evening he de-
livered a short address at the Harris
theater.
Mr.. Wilson was escorted to the stage
promptly at o'clock, and took seat in
front of a group of citizens, among
whom were Mayor Winston, of Mime
apolis; Charles NJ. Foote. Judge Charles
e. Flandrau, A. T. Ankeny, of Mime
apOliS; w. M. Campbell, chairman of
the state Democratic committee; Hon.
Lewis Baker, Hon. G. ID. O'Brien, B.
Cloutier, of Minneapolis; and Judge
Egan. A number of distinguished citi-
] Zens occupied seats in the audience.
G. M. Foote. president of the Demo
cratic State club, introduced the distin
guiSned speaker in a few expressive
sentences.
The Address.
Mr.. Wilson began by saying that when
| he had been invited by friends from
both sides of the continent to deliver
| series of addresses on the Pacific slope
he did not expect to make the first
| speech in st. Paul. From the opening
statement he glided gracefully from one
| topic to another in manner that indi-
Gated a master mind, and with a
purity of diction that indicated
a born orator, equipped with
| the refinement of observation and in
| innate knowledge of the realms of
| scholastic attainments. His address
was a graphic picture of the conditions
Of the past and present, and the condi-
| tons that distinguish classes and ma
tions. He said that the extent and va
riety of conditions in country connOt
be brought home to man by studying
map. Study it is much as you will,
and still you will not get what
| preachers say is realization of
| the magnitude of the country.
| I'VE have an idea that free institutions
are the model theories of government;
| but free government does not exist in
! the laws of the country nor in its con-
| stitutiOn, but III the freedom of the peo-
| pie themselves, and they must have
patriotism inStilled into them. This
was the theory of the founder of free
dom of government eighty-eight years
| ago. Fisher AmeS had said that this
| country was too big and too crude for
patriotism, but the great leader
of the people had demonstrated
the fallacy of that statement eighty
eight years ago, and stirred the
country to sweep onward and surpass
the countries of the old world, and we
see a great commonwealth that is not
confined to the United States alone, but
extends its influence far beyond into a
| great American commonwealth, and we
compare ourselves with the great coun-
| tries of the earth.
He then referred to the gifts of
Nature and the great agricultural and
| other
Resources OF the Country.
They had been roamed over by the
Indians until people from the old
countries came here with Chris
tianity, industry, energy and nat
ural ability, and had by rea-
son of the natural resources of
the country been able to surpaSS the
land of their ancestors. Yet it has been
| declared by men on the platforms for
the past year that in the acts of con-
| greSS lies the result of success, and not
in OuI natural resources. These men
have said that an act passed at the in
stance of Mr. Mckinley and a few 9TH
erS and not in our energies and re-
sources, lies the prosperity of the cOun-
try. Suppose that Mckinley had slept
the sleep of Rip Van Wrinkle, or that the
engrossing clerk had left out of the
bill the tax on pig iron or steel rails
or some other articles of goods, then, ac-
c0rding to their theory, we would seek
the level OF the lowest native of the
earth. No, my fellow citizens, we don't
owe our prosperity or superiority to an
act of congress or any system of taxa
ton; 1t is because of our natural re-
sources and to the institutions given us
by the fathers of our country. When
Washington left his home for the seat
of government he travelled by the same
means that Julius Caesar used. We
who have lived the past twenty-five
years have seen a new heaven and a
new earth.
Referring to the theory of Henry
George, he SAID that but few people
adopt his views, but he had illustrated
the theory that wedge had been driv.
en- into the midst of the people that
lifted one class up while it drove an.
other class downward. The Mckinley
bill has divided the people, elevating
the rich and pressing the other class OF
people down to a poverty. We have
the richest men of the world. If they
have accumulated wealth by develop
ing our country or by proper methods
| have n ct hnl
when it comes to system of laws thai
create wealth l have great deal to
say. have been one of those Wh(
never knew how 10 submit
TO Oppressive Taxation.
Let we write the history of rebellion
against unjust taxation and l will reaC
to you the biography of a free govern
: ment. What was stamp tax to a MAJ
like Washington? We can pay a tax
but with little tax you can restrain
free government.
Mckinley asked for little tax on pie
iron and steel rails so as to producI
higher wages. If you go to the indus
trial factories where there is the high
est protective tax, you will find that ma
5 chinery and not men do the work. 1t i
the labor of the machinery under tn,
sweat of the piston and steam gaug
that is protected by the Mckinley bill
and not the man toiling under the swea
: of his brow. 1t is not corporations as in
dustrial organizations, but as politica
organizations that | oppose. Bonapart,
has said that agriculture is the need O
/, a country and commerce its conven
. fence. Mckinley said commerce will
ruin the country. We must have com
merce or we will have trusts aud cur
!. tailed production. He illustrated b.
| hof ic
> cultural state. If the people were take,
], to start shoe factory for the purpos
: of supplying all the people In tn
state with shoes the factor
/. wound only employ 1000 peopl
u and if factories were established in th
= state sufficient to supply the wants O
the state they would afford work for bu