Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-10-07
/ GRAND RECEPTION


1912, which was not law for prOtee-
ton, but for the purpose OF obtaining
means for the prosecution OF q war
were tariff laws enacted for purposes OF
simple revenues for the maintenance of
the government, with incidental pro-
lection, and with the recognition from
the government that il was not its prov
ince 10 levy 1t upon the neeeSsaries Of
life, but simple to let what commercial
benefits come which would naturally
low from It. After that came the bat
lie between the few aud the many, and
when that battle came, the Democratic
party planted itself sQuarely on
THE SIDE OF THE PEOPLE,
And IL stands there to-day in the inter-
ests OF the whole people and against the
classes. Applause. The object OF
the Democratic policy on the tariff has
been revenue, with incident protec-
tiOn, but that protection must be merely
Incidental. Then, / say, the fight be-
gan, and yet Republicans say the Dem
ocrats ought 10 DC In favor OF high
protective tariff because the fathers Of
the country were in favor OF 1t!
But the Republican party claims that
we condemn IL wroDgfullY. They claim
that this is the greatest country on the
earth that we have the best wages on
earth; that we have more progressive
industries, that our people are happier,
and that they live better They say
these things exist, and that we have
protective tariff. and that, therefore,
the protective tariff system is Untitled TO
The credit for this condition OF things.
lLauShter. Suppose l make the same
argument? Suppose / compare Eng
land win che other European countries
to-day? suppose / say that the laboring
classes ia England are as far ahead OF
tho laborng classes in Germany, and in
France, and further ahead OF those OF
Italy. than we are OF England? Suppose
say that Of all the nations OF the old
world the wages Of workmen in
EaEland alone are higher; that
England is free trade country,
aud that, therefore, free trade Is
ENTITLED TO ALL THE CREDIT
for the benefits which English wOrkmen
enjoy above the Italians. Applause
or suppose 7 take Italy itself. Ii is
protected country, and has protective
Tariff Shall I account for the misery
over there on the same principles as
those beneath the Republican argument.
Suppose / say il is the Italian working
man who comes over here in hOrdes 10
take work from the American laOOrer,
aud suppose / say the Italian labOrer is
degraded aud impoverished, and that IL
Is the result Of the protective tariff?
Laughter. Isn't that argument as
- ~ 1fno
They assume that our great re-
sources, our varied natural advaa-
tages, our fertile valleys and
plalns,our timbered hills, and our noun
tains scanned with coal and iron, all
sprang into being at the touch Of pro
lection. and that the Creator had moth
ing TO do with it. Laughter. They
assume that the industry of our Ameri-
can laborer, that the fertility OF Amer
.Ican invention, and that our skill and
ability are due to the beautiic and bene-
fetal workings of protection. Don't
you know what makes the difference
between the conditions in America and
those in Europe? 1t is first, because
.oy~ country is, even now, but Sparsely
..,.,sa,. spared with European
countries. As I have said
before during this campaign,
n You would put all the population OF
the United States into the limits OF the
State OF Texas. still you would not
have a population as dense as il is in
England to-day. You have not that
population on American soil, but sup
pose you had It. Do you suppose you
would be living under the conditions
which surround you to-day? No, my
fellow citizens, no! The blessings
which you enjoy are not due to prOtec-
tfon. They are due TO the bounty OF
the Creator, and yet 1t Is ascribed by
the Republicans to the protective tariff.
Laughter.
But. say they, interfere with this
protective system, and you will destroy
our industries, diminish the rate OF
wages, etc. In answer to that, l have
only TO say that James G. Blaine, when
he was writing his book of history, and
had forgotten for the moment about pol
tics, referring TO the tariff Of 1916, said
that such was the condition of labor and
property and agriculture aud manu-
facturing-that such was the diSJribu-
ton OF the blessings of the country
under that tariff of 1916, that no party
dared TO interfere with the system until
the exigencies Of the civil war compelled
Il. and then il was only on the promise
that as soon as the exigency passed the
tariff was TO be restored as IL had been
before.
While I cannot 20 into it moro thor
oughly, these are the general reasons
given "a the Republicans. Republican
protection
IS A FRAUD,
I'D I don't hesitate 20 say il. APP
/. plauSe. II is a fraud on the American
laborer and consumer alike, and can
demonstrate IL, as ] believe, by Repub-
lican authorities alone. What is Re-
publican protection? II is the McKin-
ley bill. That is Republican protection
as carried out in the practice Of their
party. But what says their platform
on the subject? 1t declares that there
should be tariff duties levied according
70 the difference in wages IN this cOun-
try and abroad. That is the declaration
of the platform. Their pride is the
Mckinley bill. How do they COM
pare? Ny fellow citizens, let US
test the Mckinley bill by the
declaration Of the platform, il you
please. The tariff duty on ton Of
steel rails is S13.44. Carroll ID. Wright,
the United States Commissioner OF La
Dor. has taken the pains to ascertain
the amount Of labor charges entering
into the manufacture or u ton Of steel
in the United States, and finds IL to De
eff 59-all the labor in the coal, the
coke. and everything else--S1l.59. The