Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-12-20

ton abroad; il needs at home. Our I'M
portations Of peppermint oil are not
more than 1000 pounds annually, or
about one-twentieth Of our exports.
Another poor Infant Industry" that
is begging not 10 have the government
pap bottle taken away is the Copper
Trust This great monopoly has been
exporting copper for many years; its
exports now range in value from Ss,0OO,-
GOO to S12, 600, goo annually, while our
imports, mostly in ores, average about
$780, 600. The copper mining companies
OF this country were organized for years
for the purpose OF extorting more from
Americans, under shelter Of the tariff
than they were. willing to accept from
foreigners for their product, and &C
tually had the effrontery to ask the
courts to sustain their illegal combina-
ton as against a recalcitrant member.
Our mines supply just about one-half OF
the worlds entire output Of copper, and
we have a surplus for export equal to
nearly one-seventh OF the entire product
Of all the mines OF the world. Finally,
the copper mining industry has been
one Of the most profitable in the cOun-
try, one Lake Superior company having
declared dividends to the amount of
S3s, 900, 600 annually, at an annual rate
averaging not far from so per cent. on
the par value Of its capital stock.
Another bawling infant that protests
it will die II removed from the govern
ment teat is the Sole Leather Trust It's
organized under the laws Of New Jer-
sey with a capital of $4,000, 600, and
it is doing an enormous export business
in open competition against the world.
Still another poor little infant iudus-
try that declares it will freeze to death
in a cold, cruel world, unless its hands
are kept warm in the pockets of the
American consumer, is the Standard
or Trust. And yet, after breadstufs,
cotton and provisions, petroleum is the
most important of all our exports, the
value OF the shipments approximating
$40, 1000, 900 a year. We sell petroleum
all over the world. The industry is now
protected by an omnibus provision put
ting a 10 per cent. duty on unenumer-
ated articles Of certain classes. And
yet the Mckinley organs tell US that
this industry will be submerged by an
inundation Of pauper oil from Russia if
this duty is abolished. American Pc
troleum has already driven Russia out
OF a majority Of the markets of the
world, and Russian oil producers are now
pleading for a compromise on the basis
of an international combination to regu-
late prices the world over.
Next comes that helpless infant, the
Carpet Trust. 1t must contisue to be
coddled aud fed by Uncle Sans boun-
t., wrung from the pockets Of the peo-
pie, or it will die-and the Carpet Trust
is now exporting enormous quantities
OF carpets TO England, aud charging the
free traders over there far less than it
charges Americans.
These are few instances Of the num-
erous aud palpable frauds on American
Industry, on American labor and on
American consumers that are the out
growth Of our present tariff system.
They are illegal combinations, but the
law has been unable to reach them.
They throttle domestic industry and de-
velopment by getting a strangle-grip on
the home market and the home con-
sumner Under cover aud by aid Of the
high tariff they have grown so rich
and powerful that it has become
a herculean task to throw of their
grip, task to which SINBAD's was a
trife. They crush out independent eff
fort, restrict production according to
their own aweet will, charge the Amer
lean consumer the highest tariff prices
and sell in foreign markets all the way
from FIVE TO fifty per cent. less in open
competition with all the world, in many
instances paying foreign tariff duties,
to boot.
The trainers OF the Wilson bill do
not claim to have made a tariff law per-
feet in all its details, nor one that COW
ers all the needs Of the country. That
would be impossible. Amendments and
changes in the schedules will undoubt-
edly be necessary, and the committee
has preferred to have these offered and
discussed 10 open session. The gen
eral policy Of the measure, however,
will not be changed. 1t will give
relief to millions and to legiti-
mate American industry, and will
redeem the pledges OF the Democratic
party TO the people as far as it is pos
sible at once ana under present condi-
tons to do so.
Congress owes it to the country to
pass the measure as soon as possible,
that business may not be kept waiting