The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-09-08

Against the Reduction Of the Tarlff-A
Paid Free Trade Attorney Cornered-An
Amusing Incident.
WAsH1NaToS, D. O., Sept. 7.-H. g.
knight, Of East Hampton, Mass. and
N. @. Newell, Of Springfield, appeared
before the ways and means committee
this afternoon in behalf of the duty on
buttons. Mr.. Knight sketched the ex-
tent OF the button industry, which In
cluded about 200 establishments with
capital OF S3000,000. Mr.. knight ar
gued in favor OF the retention of the
present rate Of duty on the ground that
in this country competition was sharp,
profits small and prices were lower.
George W. Blabon, representing the
Blabon company, Of Philadelphia, man
ufacturers OF oil cloth and linoleums,
followed. The main reason he ex-
planned for the existence OF the present
duty was the high rate OF wages paid
here, which was so per cent higher
than abroad, and which comprised 80
per cent OF the cost. The entire tounda-
ton OF these articles was imported.
l"What you want then ID protection
against high duties on your raw ma
terials," said Mr.. Breckenridge.
"No, I DON'T" replied Mr.. Blabon,
emphatically. II don't want anything
Of the kind"
This rather nettled Mr.. Breckenridge.
A. ]. Potter, OF the Potter Company,
Philadelphia, next appeared, and John
F. Preston, Of Baltimore, rather sur
prised the committee by appearing in
antagonism.
"Who do you represent" asked Mr..
Dalzell, mot those on the other side OF
the watef?" - +
"No," replied Mr.. Preston, faring up,
II represent sixty-odd million OF people
who are being oppressed by high tariff
taxes and squeezed by the sixteen con-
Germs engaged in this industry"
"You represent not the sixty million,
but the odd men," interiected ex.
Speaker Reed sarcastically.
Mr.. Preston grew very much excited,
and after little adrott cross-question.
ing admitted that he was q lawyer not
engaged in the business, but that his
information was gained from J. Craw-
ford Lyons, Of Baltimore. !.
"You come here as lawyer, them?
asked Mr.. Burrows. II suppose your
services are not gratuitous%
"My expenses are paid" Laughter.
''Do you get q teeY
"Yes, q fee if successful" laugh
From this point on the dialogue was
more like that Of a farce comedy than a
serious hearing before the committee
that is to mould the tariff destinies OF
the country. :.
After the committee had amused itself
sufficiently tat Mr.. Preston's expense he
was allowed to escape.
Mr.. johnson, representing the firm Of
George p. Heard & Co., OF New York,
appeared on behalfof the manufacturers
OF paper, envelopes, note paper and cut
cards, to argue for classification Of
paper duties 80 as to increase the duty
on envelopes to 35 per cent, embossed
paper and black bordered paper 45 per
cent and black bordered cards to 40 per
cent. ,s
At the conclusion of Mr.. Johnson's
statement, ]. Crawford Lyons, Of Balti-
more, an importer Of wool and STRAW
mattings from China and Japan and Of
oil cloth and linoleums from England,
secured few minutes time. Mr..
Lyons is the importer for whom Mr..
Preston, who had been practically
laughed out OF court, had appeared.
Mr.. Lyons statement was much more
lucid than that OF his lawyer champion,
He asked reduction Of the duty to
10 per cent ad valorem. He said that
oil cloth was an article used in every
house in the land and 1t was time the
monopoly was broken.