Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-08-01

| GdrllSle To-Day dOuTeSSeu tno OtnhLe
on Mr.. Hale's resolution as TO the rela-
tive merits OF protection" and
tariff for revenue only" and In re-
sponse TO the speeches Of Messrs, Hale
and Aldrich.
He said that II had been the unani-
nous opinion OF the economists and
statisticians that for many years In all
the great industrial countries Of the
world, the prices OF commodities were
decreasing and the wages OF the work
ing people were increasing.
The tendency toward an advance In
the price OF wages was, In his judgment,
the necessary result OF improved meth
ods Of production, transportation and
| exchange.
He had never been able 70 appreciate
the proposition that people could be
made happy and prosperous by taxation
whether TO defray eXtravasaDt expendi-
| lures on the part OF the Government or
! TO increase the prices which people pay
for what they ate, drank and wore.
Any one who contemplated that high
| prices Of commodities were beneficial 10
the community at large was at war with
! the spirit OF the age, At war with the
genius OF discovery and invention, which
! had within the last 6fty years. as never
in any other equal period OF history,
| ameiorated the condition OF mankind
| bringing all
THE NECEssARIEs OF LIFE
and many OF it's luxuries within tho
reach Of every man who was willing 20
work
II high prices were conducive % the
general welfare, then steam and cleo
tricty ought TO be dispensed with stage
coaches and dirt roajs again adopted;
aud the most primitive methods OF pro-
ductlon and distribution resorted 10.
That would produce high prices
Every shackle on commerce, every
restriction OF honest trade, every inter
ference with the free exchange Of pro-
ducts in the markets OF the world, In
creased prices and deprived the people
| of the benefits which they had 4 right
to enjoy, and which they otherwise
would enjoy, resulting f-cm improved
commercial and industrial methods.
In passing allusion 20 the Mckinley
act, Mr.. Carlisle said that In November,
1890 IT'S author aud supporters had
been swept from the House OF Repro
sentatives by a majority Of more than
$50, 600 votes. Never in the history OF
the country had there been such storm
OF popular indignation against a single
act OF legislation as that which over
whelmed the advocates OF that measure
in 1890.
And now, as a result OF that storm,
| the Senator from Rhode Island and tho
other friends OF the propectlve system
were confessing that higher prices were
not beneficial 20 the people, and that the
original, ayowed purpose OF the McKin-
| ley act was wrong.
In other words. they were contendtng
that that act had been success because
| IL had failed 10 accomplish what is was
intended 10 accomplish. II higher
prices were Injurious 70 the community
| at large, aud II
Low PRICES WE'RE BENEFICIAL,
then everything which interfered with
and arrested tho natural tendency to-
ward decline 10 the prices Of commO-
| dities and rise In the wages OF labor,
ANYTHING that rended 10 make II harder
and more expensive for the masses OF
the people 70 live (whether II we're war,
pestilence, famine or a Mckinley act),
was a public calamity 10 be deplored by
every man who loved his country.
His purpose was, be said, 70 show
that the tariff act OF 1890 had interfsr-
red with the natural tendency W de-
| cline In the prices OF CON mmodiNes and
to the rise In the rates Of wages, and
that IL had made IT harder and more
| t. . I, NJ
Of the United States 10 live. All that
he had said up 10 that point was, hs
sald, merely preliminary 70 the discus
sion Of that subject.
That subject was 30 large, and its
| discussion involved the discussion OF 20
many facts and statistics, that he
scarcely knew how TO approach II, or
how 10 conduct IL. He was very much
embarrassed by the fact that the 6ena-
tor from Rhode IslAhd was not In bis
seat.
That Senator has laid down four prop
ositlOns.
The lrst was that the prices Of CON-
modities and the cost OF living had de-
creased during the period covered by the
Investigation, which meant taccording
| 20 that Senator's conclusion) saving
10 the people OF the United states Of
s325, ,OOO, 900 per annum.
The second was that the ratio of va
ges had increased during the period
covered By the investigation.
The third was that the cost ef living
in England bad increased / o-lS per
cent. during that period.
And the fourth was that that decline
in the prices Of commodities and that
increase in the rate Of wages IN the
United States were the result OF the
Republican policy OF protection.
Referring 20 Mr.. Aldrich's statement
that the committee had found that the
cost Of living bad increased In England
during the period covered By the inyes-
ti9atlOn 9-l0 per cent, Mr. Carlisle
stated that the committee had made no
investigation whatever concerning The
cost OF living in EDgland, and had made
no report on the subject
The committee has caused the retail
prices OF certain list OF articles 70 DO
taken 10 England on the hgst OF June,
lsss. and on the first Of September.
1891: but IL mas caused no investigation
70 be made a. 70 khe proportions In
which those az entered into tne
consumption keopie.
4 As 70 M h's statement that
nriees ~ fund 70 nave declined
4 A>.~I nuhuo ne NJ.