The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-09-13
Tne rhreat OF Free Trade.


The Register asks the INTELLIGENCE:
s.How about that Democratic threat of
free trade? La it still responsible%
Yes, for its share. You published in
your Washington dispatches, in the
same paper with this question, part OF
Joseph Wharton's testimony on Mon
day before the ways and means com.
mittee, in which Mr.. Wharton said in
respect of the present situation: ut is
not the silver question alone which has
brought this about, but the fear on the
part of manufacturers of adverse tariff.
legislation" No fairer statement of the
case can be made, but 1t is in perfect
accord with common sense.
II may DO that in the end free trade
will prove the greatest boon ever con.
ferred on this country. It may bethas
manufacturers will then make more
money than ever before. Perhaps the
wage.earner in the pottery willreceive
more pay than he gets now and when
he goes to the queensware store will
buy the product of his skill for much
less than he can now. The wool.grower
may get more for his wool and pay less
for his coat because of the cheaper
wool that will be in it Great as these
proposed benefactions would be, the
proposal has had, and still has, an un-
settling effect on the business of the
country. Manufacturers are not going
ahead Of the diminished business in
sight. They fear to stock up for the tu-
ture. AS. Mr.. Wharton truthfully says,
s'they fear adverse tariff legislation"
How adverse that legislation may be
they can only infer from the attitude Of
the Democratic party. its tariff record
and It's latest tariff declaration. The
Chicago platform denounces protection
as a violation OF the constitution and
says it must 60. The chairman of the
Chicago convention is the chairman Of
the committee that will present the
measure to upset protection and the
protected. The nominee Of that con-
yention is the President of the United
States. Both houses Of Congress stand
on that platform.
There was before the Democratic
national convention tariff plank,
submitted by the majority Of the COM
mittee on platform. which recognized
that there is difference between the
cost Of labor here and labor abroad"
and announced further that it was mot
proposed to iniure any domestic in
dustries." This plank did not de-
nounco protection as unconstitutional.
II was not strong enough, and so the
wild free trade report Of tho minority
Of the committee became the voice Of
the convention, the former manager Of
the Register, now honored by his party
with the consulship at Belfast, going
the whole hog on the free trade issue.
1t has been charged by friends OF Mr..
Cleveland that the minority report
which swept the Democratic national
convention and became Democratic
doctrine was introduced with malicious
intent to embarrass Mr.. Cleveland.
However this may be, Mr.. Cleveland
I did endeayar to soften the sayaseneas
ofits assault on the industries of the
country. Still the declaration stands as
the keynote OF Democratic tariff action.
How can anybody foretell at this
time whether the Democratic party
will swallow its words in whole or in
part; or whether 1T is to display stub
born, reckless courage and bring the
war up to the manifesto? Tho threat
and the uncertainty are disturbing
seriously the business Of the country.
LARRY NEAL Is very handy with his