Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-08-28

IConttnlted from First Pcqe. ]

Continued from First PCge.l
Of our tariff laws, and as a consequence
OF such legislation reduction OF taxa
ton. OF, shall it become the policy of
our government 20 maintain, perDau-
emily, high protection? The position
OF the two leading political parties upon
that question cannot be misunderstood.
The Republican party, as illustrated by
its recent enactment Of the Mckinley
law, stands for high prOtect,ye-in
other words, prohi5itory tariff. The
Democratic tariff, as emphasized by It's
utterances aud acts, is the advocate OF
tariff reform. The issue is squaroy
presented. Upon the one side are the
advocates of o high protective or prOhI-
bitCry policy policy that enrlches the
few 8t the expense OF many. On the
other the advocates OF such reduction
OF Tariff duties as win give % our
the cost of the ueceSslries OF life. The
argument advanced by the early ady0-
Gates of O. protective system was the
necessity of protecting our 'iut.nt In
dustries." Yet Mr. Clay, the author OF
the famous tariff bin with which his
name is iaseparab.y associated, de-
clarld such protection 20 be only TEN
porcry, aud that SO soon as such indus
tries were able 90 stand alone, tariff
duties should be reduced. The COM
promise tariff law Of 1898, OF which Mr.
Clay was the author, provided that at
the end OF ten years there should begin
q rapid reduction OF duties until the
average rate should not exceed %
per cent. In view of the fact that pro-
lection 20 the Infant industries has
more than trebled since the passage of
the 6il Of which Mr.. Clay was the
author, Clay would himself, IL living, be
now denounced IS a free trader by the
proteCtiOuistS. Instead of being less
eued, protection has, year OY year,
undr Republican rule, increased. In
proportion as these industries have
grown stronger and more powerful,
they have demanded yet greater pr0tec-
ton.
TIE WALEEB TAEIFF.
The low tariff law Of 1S46, Of which
Robert j. Walker, the Democratic
Secretary OF the Treasury was the
author, provided in substance, first,
that no more money should be collected
than Is necessary for the wants OF the
Government, economically administered;
second, that no duty be imposed upon
any articles above the lowest rate that
will yield the greatest amount of
revenue; third, that the maximum tax
should be imposed upon luxur.es; fourth,
that the lowest tax should b6 upon the
neceSsar.es of lie; fifth, that the duties
.h. b.. f4.rr..-,R q.
equally throughout the Union, dis
eliminating neither for nor against any
class or section. 1t must not be for
gotten that So great were the benefits
90 the people from the tariff legislation,
I have lust mentioned that, In 1877,
representatives OK all parties con-
curing, the tariff was again
reduced unit. the average rate of
duties was nineteen per cent. The de-
cade aud q half extending from the pas
sage of the low tariff law of 1876 20 the
beginning of our civil war has been
truly called the golden period Of our
history. The cost Of the necessaries Of
life bad reached the minimum, and at
no time In our history was IL easier for
the wage-earner TO support his family.
The farmer, the mechanic, the day Ia
b0rer alike realized the benefit of low
taxation. A benefit why? simply for
the reason that il lessened the cost Of
food, Of clothing, Of every article that
cORduced 60 his comfort. Our maui
factories did not anguish. The fires
did not go out in our furnaces. The
wheels and spindles were not idle In our
great hives of industry. The demand
for labor was not lesSened, nor was its
value deprecated.
THE MORRILL TARIFF Law.
As have shown, the average tariff
tax at the beginning Of the civil var in