Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1893-10-06
GOVERNOR MaccoRKLE's POSITION.


rect as published in the newspapers, the
following was elected:
absolutely not" was the answer,
and that is the complaint l have
against the newspapers: they have &C
Cepted the partisan dispatches ofthe AS
soCiated Press as my statement, and
have published Mr.. Reeds own state
ment as TO my position. Now, when
Democrats accept Mr.. Reeds statement
as to MY Democratic location, we had
better quit business. The papers have
not waited to see what really transplred,
but have taken his statement as to my
position. Nothing can be more unjust
to me and my party. To show you that
the newspapers have acted hastily in the
matter, and without proper information,
I will saw that l have nine absolutely
different statements as TO what | said
A Republican correspondent sent out
the statement i'll order to help his party,
and some Of the press of my State, with
ont investigation, took it up.
But, Governor, it is said that you de
manded that the tariff be kept on coal,
and is not that contrary TO Democratic
doCtrine"'
Yves, I asked that the tariff be re-
tanned on coal, and that has been the
Democratic doctrine for a hundred
years. Why, have been informed by
one of the editors that the tariff OH coal
was uu-Democratic. Right i'll the face
of the Democratic teaching and princl-
pie, am called hereto 10 Democratic
principle Iftariff on coal is heresy,
Democratic principles have changed III
4 very short time. Let us look at the
cold facts of our party history and not
RELY on loose statement. The first tariff
of 1850 imposed a duty on bituminous
coal Of so cents per ton. In 1890 II was
s. cents. From that until 1912 It was
never less than SI.4o per ton, and part
of that time it was $3.50 per ton. In
1912 it was $I.75 per ton. Now we
come to the great Palladium Of Democ-
racy-the very fountain head of our
party principles on the tariff-the tariff
of Robert J. Walker-the tariff of 1876,
a purely revenue tariff, to which every
Democrat refers as embodying the true
idea of Democracy; tariff OF which
Senator Allison-uo friend of Democra-
Cy-said, 1.-The tariff of 1876, although
confessedly and professedly tariff for
revenue, was, so far as regards all the
great interests Of the country, as perfect
tariff as any we ever had. The
Walker tariff placed coal on the list at
$40 a ton. Is my Democracy to be
criticized, when | am asking for coal a
little more than one half of the duty CIV
Ell by the Walker tariff, and this too IL
the face of the fact that the average OF
the present duty laws is very much
higher than under the Walker tariff ?
In other words, with an average tariff OF
about 20 per cent under the Walker tar
if act, coal was 81. 80 pertOn, whilst UNI
der our present tariff, with an average
dutiablc laws Of about so cents, coal IS
Is cents per ton with a rebate which
makes a real duty of about IS cents.
Now this is the great Walker tariff OF
40, under which we have fought our
battles for nearly fifty years. This tar
if continued about this SUM until 1861,
when it was reduced to sI.OO, 10 admit
foreign coal III time of war, and i'll 1873,
when other articles on the dutiable list
were only 10 per cent, coal was reduced
40 per cent, or down to IS cents per ton.
influence of New England.
"Well, Governor, what mas been the
late history Of the Democratic party on
this coal tariff"
Even more pronounced than before
the war. In 1873, when the Democrats
got control of the House, Fernando
Woods was made chairman Of the ways
and means and reported the Woods bill,
which placed a tariff on coal of IS
cents. This bill was defeated on &C
count Of the controversy as to the Inter
nal Revenue tax, very largely, but was
regarded as Democratic sentiment, In
the Forty eighth Congress, Mr.. Morri-
son was made chairman of the ways
and means committee, and reported a
bill placing coal on the free list. This,
as much as any other thing, sent it to
its fate, and in q Democratic House
this bill was defeated, and utterly re-
fused and discreditcd as the doctrine of
the Democratic party. The member
from my district voted against it, came
back home, made his campaign on his
vote and speech against free coal, and
was triumphantly elected. How about
the Mills bill? What change did it
make i'll coal? Not cent of change in
coal. 1t retained coal at IS cents, just
what l asked the ways and means COM
mittee to do the other day. This was
done, although change was made on
the other articles on the dutiablc list to
such an extent that the bill was called
a free trade bill. The Mills bill was
by the Democratic National
Convention and was the toCSin Of the
party we made our campaign on It and
in every Democratic campaign II has
been lauded as Democratic doctrine,
and every Democratic orator carried 1t
with him as his handbook Of our fate.
The Mills bill had coal on the tariff list
at IS cents. If Is cents tariff on coal
doctrine today? To intensity this state
ment, will call to mind that when Mr..
Mills was speaking to the assembled
multitude in the city of Charleston,
miner stood up and asked him if his
bill was for free coal. He replied Wig
orously, and many will remember the
reply, that at didnot touch that article,
but left it upon the list as it had been
heretofore" Hundreds will reColleCt
this statement. Has a change taken
place in our principles in this short
time? Surely on the question of consis-
tency cannot understand why coal on
the tariff list in the Mills bill and free
coal in the present bill could be eX-
planned to the people. We believe it
could not. I challenge any Democrat to
point to me one line of Democratic his
tory asking for free coal. l am on
solid foundation of Democratic prece-
dent and usage, and those who cry for
free coal do not know the history Of
their party. am for reform and abso-
lutely upon the Chicago platform, and
do not propose to be called hereto to
Democratic principles of hundred
years. Why, quarter of a century
ago, when General Grant was 4 candi-
date for the Presidency, outside of the
great war issue, one of our issues
against him was that he was for free
coal, and this issue was made against
him because of some loose statements
made by him for free raw material. In
every campaign since our party leaders
have made vigorous war on the free
coal views of the Republican leaders.
L, the Hoyns opj \Ebaa1a- -, ,,,-o;r,