Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-12-25
MR ALDERSON
Talks About the Coal Tarif-He Thinks
Coal should Rave Its share of b Gov
eminent Bounty.

NASnlN1lON DCSCubCA ~NSH
gresham John d. Anderson. Of the
Third district, before leaving for home
yesterday consented to give the REG
IsTER correspondent 1t some length his
views on the coal feature OF the
Wilson bill. MI. Anderson, whose dis
trict contains two-thirds Of the coal
producing industry Of the State, talked
clearly and frankly, aud his remarks
will be Of general interest
MY position on the coal feature OF
the Wilson bill" said the Congressman,
lis the same as announced by me last
year, and is the Identical position oceu-
pied by every Democrat who has come
TO either branch Of Congress from West
Virginia, up 10 this time, 1. e., that so
long as we must collect q portion OF our
revenues by means OF a tariff, the pro-
ducers oLcoal are entitled 70 their fair
share Of the beneits resulting from the
levying Of a tariff for purposes Of
revenue.
Every tariff bill which has passed a
Democratic Congress or q Democratic
branch OF any Congress, contained a
provision placing a duty upon the I'M
portation OF bituminous coal. The last
time the Democratic party placed It.
self on record upon this question was
when q Democratic committee reported
and a Democratic House Of Representa-
tives passed the measure known as the
Mills bill, and that bill retained q duty
on bituminous coal.
"If a tariff on coal was right then, 1t
Is right now, from a tariff for revenue
only Democratic standpoint. There
have been no changes OF conditions u
justify a change OF policy upon this
subject; indeed, there sre . stronger
reasons now why there should be a tar
i'll on coal than existed when the Mills
Bill was passed. The expenditures OF
the government, from various causes
but resulting principally from the 10
crease In the pension and other appro-
priations made necessary by Republi-
can legislation, are much greater than
when the Mills Bill was passed"
But" asked your correspondent,
sis not this a protection prlnciple?'
mot at all. / am no believer In the
Republican doctrine Of protection, but
stand sQuarely upon the Democratic
platform Of a tariff for revenue only, so
adjusted as neither to favor nor TO tax
any one class Of the community at the
expense OF the others. I'm opposed to
all class legislation and to s~ectionalism
OF all kinds.
ave collected $500, 600, in round num-
bers, for the year ending August 81,
1898, from the tariff on coal. The VIII
son bill will fall short $50, 000, 600 or
more Of producing sufficient revenues,
and we will need that SS00,000. The
Wilson bill simply embodies the
views Of a majority Of the Com
mittes on Ways and Means, and Is
Just as open TO amendment as any other
bill reported from any other committee,
and when it has been amended In a
Democratic House or by a Democratic
caucus, and comes TO q iinol vote, IL Will
then be a Democratic measure and l
will support it. There are more than
200 Democrats in the House. and this
particular bill will be considered, per-
fected aud matured with the assistance
Of all Democrats in both branches OF
Congress, including the Democratic
members OF the WaySand Means Com
mittee, who have already indicated
many changes which they think should
be made in their bill IS originally
drafted"
What is your opinion Of the Wilson
Bill, as a whole ?"
81 think the Wilson Bill, as reported
from the committee, Is a far, very far,
better measure than the Mckinley tar
IF law; but the question will not be
presented 10 me In that way until /
come to vote for the bill on It's final pas
sage.
~ believe our people, from a Demo
cratic standpoint, are entitled to their
fair share OF the benefits resulting from
the levying Of q tariff for eveDu only,
and stall endeavor TO have coal restored
TO the dutiable list. The Democratic
party Is committed TO tariff reform, but
has also promised to treat every section
and every interest fairly. The pres
ent tariff on coal IS less than % per
cent. Is IL fair to take away from US
this 25 per cent. and leave the rate OF
duty upon what we buy and consume
at IS 70 45 per cent, as Is done by the
Wilson Bill? l think not. We must
reform the tariff, and will do So, but !
do not think. my constituents should be
required to surrender all the benefits
while other sections have preserved
for them a greater degree Of benefits
than we now possess"
But, Mr.. Anderson. asked your cor
respondent, sis the tariff on coal a
benefit 10 the producer P'
81 think so, and this seems 10 be the
consensus OF opinion In my district. IL
will not do TO say that the tariff on coal
does not benefit us TO some extent al
least. These benefits may be exaggera-
ted, but every ton Of coal which goes 10
the seaboard sells for a higher price
naturally because Of the tariff. ! will
not consume time to discuss that ques-
ton. The fact that the New England
manufacturers are for free coal and the
New England Republicans In Congress
have voted for free coal, is a complete
answer TO the inquiry as to whether
free coal would iDjure US, and benefit
them. The New England msnufac'
turers are for self always, and know
their own business. Their idea OF
protection is that they should be fur.
nlshed free of duty what they call raw
MATERIAL and should be given proiec.
ton on the joint products OF the raw
materials. Certain we are that a tariff
on coal does not injure any person In
West Virginia, and does not increase
the price 10 any consumer In our own
State or elsewhere, except on the sea
coast; certain we are that the great
BODY Of cur people are directly or In
directly Interested in our mining indus.
tries which have developed into such
wonderful proportions, and |. for one,
do not desire TO see this great Industry