The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1893-10-04
The GOrernor and the Tariff.

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Now that Governor MacCerkle
has made his defense-has explained
his position before. an audience in.
this State, and has had his speech
reported by his own stenographer;
has read and approved the report of
his speech as it appeared in the
Gazette yesterday morning before
it was given to the compositors, and
has given us an interview which
bears, his own approval, and it may
be said that his position is well
known and that there need be no
mistake in regard to it. Now let
us see if the Governor is consistent.
He says he is in favor of a tariff for
revenue only, and not a tariff for
protection. If this is his position it
is difficult to understand why he
should appear before the Ways and
Means Committee, at the request If
a railroad corporation, and plead
for tariff for revenue only. Was
there any necessity for il? Is there
any danger that Congress will fail
to provide sufficient revenue to
defray the expenses of the govern
ment. 1t is very clear that Gov
ernor MacCorkle had no such fear,
and that the people of West Yir-
giDia entertain no such fear. The
naked truth about the matter is that
he was before the Ways and Means
Committee to advocate a protective
tariff for coal. His presence there
can be explained in no other way.
In his speech at Huntington, Gov.
MacCorkle dwelt at length upon the
history of the tariff to show that the
Democratic party had formerly laid
a tariff on coal and eminent Demo
Gratis from this State had supported
such tariff. This is absolutely no
defense for Governor MacCorkle.
The whole question of what the
Democratic party did half century
ago, or any time previous to the
adoption of the Democratic platform
of 1892 is wholly irrevelant and
should not have entered into his
argument. Tho conditions of the
country have changed and the SEN
timcnt of the Democratic party has
changed with them. 1t might have
been desirable in former years to
lend some aid to the infant indus
tries of the United States by the
imposition of a protective tariff, but
the time has passed. 1t has been
demonstrated that no class of per-
sons receive any benefit from pro-
tective tariff except wealthy capital
lists, and as soon as this was found
to be true, the Democratic party in
1892, demanded the removal of all
tariff imports except for revenue.
That was the platform upon which
Governor MacCorkle was elected
and it is the only chart by which
Democrats should be guided. 1t
would be altogether useless for
political conventions to meet and
promulgate platforms if they are to
be disregarded and respect be had
only to platforms adopted a bali
century ago, under entirely differ
emit conditions. Governor Mac
Corkle has grievously erred. 1t is
useless for him to protest that he is
a Democrat while he disregards the
Democratic platform.
Governor MacCorkle makes a
mistake in supposing, as he docs,
that the opposition to his position
on the question of the coal tariff is
made on personal grounds. Such a
claim on his part is simply absurd.
1t is improbable that nearly every
Democrat in the State should have
personal grievance toward Gov
ernor MacCorkle-that the uniyer-
sal condemnation of his course
should arise from personal animos-
ity. 1t is also absurd to intimate,
as he does, that the combined intel
ligence of the people of the State.
is not equal to his own in regard to
this matter. He does the Demo.
Gratis of this State-the intelligent,
thinking Democrats gross inius
tice when he intimates that they
are not informed on the subject Of
the tariff, that they have not judged
rightly the true Democratic posi-
ton, that their opposition to his
course is inspired by personal ami
mostly, or that their criticism
comes from any other than a patri-
otto resentment and loyalty to Dem
ocratic principles, or that they have
failed to rightly comprehend the
subject. Governor MacCorkle is
especially at fault when he assumes
that the editor of the Gazette or
any one connected with it has writ
ten line in regard to this matter
through personal luminosity to him
The Gazette has been a friend to
Governor MacCorkle. 1t has sup
ported his administration, defended
him time and again, against un-
warranted attacks from other men
in the party and has commended
him whenever opportunity present.
ed itself 1t has done this to such
an extent that it has been referred
to as his personal organ. But the
Gazette is not the organ of Gov
ernor MacCorkle or any one else.