South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-07-01
srEecH or CHAIRMAN WILSON.

! In his address on taking the Of
Zee of pcrmancnt chairman OF the
National Democratic Convention
at Chicago, Representative William
l.. Wilson, OF West Virginia,
sketchcd with admirable concise
ncss and yigor the nature of tho
contest upon which the party Of
tariff reform has entered. Ii ia a
battle for the preservation OF free
government. Free government,
said the speaker, is self government,
and there is no self government
where the people DO not control
their own elections and levy their
own taxes. For long time past
tho bcnc6ciaries o; the tariff, IN
consideration Of heavy contribu-
tons to republican campaign funds,
have been permitted by republican
Congresses to write the tariff laws
imposing upon the people heavy
burdens OF taxation. The victims
OF these unequal tax laws becoming
restive under their hardships, the
tariff lords now propose further
step Of tyranny. They proposo by
means Of force bills to prevent the
pooplo from elccting congressman
who will reform the tariff. This
means Substantially the destruction
OF free government. "For years."
said the chairman of tho conven-
ton, 1--WE have been struggling to
recover the lost right of taxing
ourselves, and now we are threat
ened with the loss of tho greater
right of governing ourselves. The
loss Of tho one follows in necessary
succession the loss Of the other.
When You confer upon the govern
ment tho power Of dealing out
wealth you unchain every evil that
can prey upon and eventually de-
stroy free institutions-excessive
taxation, class taxation, billion
dollar Congresses, a corrupt civil
service, debauched ballot box and
purchased elections. In every
campaign the privilege of taxing !
the people will be bartcred for con-
tributions to corrupt them at the :
polls, after every victory new
Mckinley bill to repay these con-
tributions, with usury, out Of taxes
wrung from tho people
Thus it is brought about that in
the effort to increaso and perpet-
uato unholy gains self government
is made farce, institutions are de-
bauched, the people are plundcrcd
and monopolists become numerous
and omuipotent. "It is about the
question of taxation," said tie
speaker, with great truth, fthat
all tho great battles of freedom
have been fought"
owe and the party we represent"
he continued, "arc to-day fer tariff
reform because it is the only gate
way to genuine democratic govern
ment. Tariff reform means to
purge away this system of tribute"
What protection means the people
know from sad experience. "They
see that meaning writ large" said
MFR. Wilson, Gin FRUSTRATED agri-
culture, in shacklod commerco,;n
stricken industries, in the compul-
sorry idlcness of labor. in law-made
wealth, in the discomfort Of tho
workingman and the-tlespair Of the
farmer. They know by past ex-
poriences that protection as sys
tenn OF taxation is but tho old, Graf
ty scheme by which the rich COM
pei the poor to pay tho expenses OF |
the government. They know by |
hard experience that protection Hs
system Of tribute ia but the old
and crafty scheme by which the
power Of the taxation Of the people
ia made the private property OF q
few Of tho people,"
I'm dealing with alleged "reci
procity'-rccontly much in favor
with protoctionists-Mr. Wilson
was most happy. "You may e1-
plorc the pages of burlesque liscra-
ture," ho said, "for anything more
suprcmcly ludicrous than the so
called reciprocity of the Mckinley
bill. It is not reciprocity at all. 1t
il retaliation, and, worst OF all, re-
taliation on our own people. IL
punishc9 American citizens for the
necessities or the follies Of other