The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-10-19

gress, by Washington's administration,
and by tho succeeding administrations
OF Jefferson, Madisan, John Quincy
Adams and Jackson"
The expcdicncy OF protective tariff
has been vindicated By the experience
Of the last thirty years-the most Won
derIul period OF financial success ever
unheard OF difficulties in the record OF
modern civilization.
Eight years ago, in a
mastery public paper, James g. Blaine
called attention 10 the revelations Of
the United States census as to the net
results OF the labor and savings Of the
American people under the system OF a
protective tariff. The true value Of all
the property in the United States, ex'
Guiding slaves, was set down in the
census OF 1860 at fourteen thousand
millions OF dollars-that being what was
to show for the toll OF $50 years. With
the success Of the Republican party that
year the Republican protective policy,
which has since prevailed, was intro
duccd. In the census Of 1880 the true
value OF tho property in the United
States was sot down at forty-four thous-
and millions of dollars-making an in
crease in these twenty years Of Repub-
lican protection oil thirty thousand
millions or over double the entire
growth in the previous $50 years.
Our opponents join issue with us di.
reclly and positively on tho effects oil
the present tariff They deny that
there has been any increase Of prosper
ityunder it, declare that wages have
been reduced and denounce our policy
saying with sneer it fosters no indus
try so much as that OF the
sheriff. It has been "a fortunate
circumstance for an impartial public
which desires above all to ascertain
the exact facts concerning such an as
sertion that in the regular course OF
their official dnty number OF Demo-
cratic officers have since been required
to report the statistics in their several
departments bearing upon this subject.
Such reports have been made success
sively by the commissioner oil labor
statistics, the bank. commissioner and
the board OF equalization of the state of
New York, by the chairman OF the saw
ing bank commission, and the chiet OF
the bureau of labor statistics OF Massa-
chusetts, by tho commissioner OF the
bureau OF statistics of New Jersey and
by others. All these reports tend to
show an increase during tho year 1891,
under the present tariff, in wages, in
the value OF products, in the deposits
in savings banks or in building and
loan associations, and in value OF real
and personal property az fixed for pur-
poses not Of speculation but OF taxa
linn
The reciprocity policy so far adopted
by the Republican party simply pro-
vidcs that where we now take of duties
and give foreign products free access TO
this market, we shall stipulate by cor
responding advantages 10 our products
in their markets. How an enlightened
American can object to this is incom-
prehensible; but the Democratic party
has formally denounced 1t us a sham.
= 1t is obvious that the new
trade opened, particularly with our
neighbors in Central and South
America, is wide and fast reaching de-
velopment. This trade lies at our
doors and is with peoples naturally in
clined to friendly commercial relations
with us through kindred interests and
political aspirations. Itinvolves largely
the exchange OF products peculiar TO
each country and needed by the other;
il opens new markets for our cereals,
and vast fields for the use OF our ma
chinery aud manufactures, and it must
naturally bring with at also an annual
increase OF miscellaneous business be-
tween us and them, outside the articles
directly affected by the treaties. >
On the subject of currency, the issue
between the Republican party and its
opponents is almost as sharply defined
MS on the tariff. Wedemand that every
dollar, paper, silver or gold, shall be
made and kept as good MS any other
dollar. Our opponents, while profess
ing the same desire, demand that the
national bank currency shall be broken
down by the repeal OF the 10 per cent
tax on the issues Of state banks. The
lamented Garfield proudly claimed in
1850 that our paper currency is now rs
national as the flag and everywhere
equal to coin. The party which devised
the system and made 1t u magnificent
success may be relied upon to meet that
emergency when it arises; and the one
party that assuredly could not be relied
upon in the matter is the party which
has now formally proposed, as its ROM
edy for the difficulty, return to the
semi. i.barbarous condition OF the hetero-
gencous state bank issues before the
war.
There is good reason TO hope for
some practical union ofetfort for COM
mon solution OF the silver problem with
an increased use OF silver through the
renewed international silverconference
which the wise policy OF the present ad-
ministration has secured from the Load
ing commercial nations OF the world.
But in any event, the country has
learned in all such questions TO trust
the financial skill and integrity OF
the Republican party and to distrust
its opponents.
We are sometimes told that the Dem.
ocrats do not mean what they say. II
SO, could the people wisely intrust
power to party which does not mean
TO keep its promises, and appeals for
popular support with an admitted lie
upon its lips? all other times We arc
told that their candidate neither be-
lieves their platform nor would dream
OF carrying 1t out, and that therefore
there is no danger. We put no such
aspersion upon their candidate. The
danger has never before been so great.
The Democratic party has often threat
ened the peace and prosperity OF tho
country, but within the memory OF this
generation it has never had the power
to carry out its purposes.
But the present political situation
makes 1t plain to every observer that u
Nnnnnrrnfic uirlnru in thu sinins which