The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1893-10-07
IarsH Revision,

Tariff Revision,
The Ways and Means committee OF
congress are laboring with the tariff |
question, and their pains are so ex-
cruciating that their groan5 are heard
in the remote corners of the earth. |
Representative men, regardless Of po-
litical faith, are requested TO go before
this committee and give reasons, if
they have any, why the tariff should
be taken off this article and left on
that, or why one industry should be
protected and preserved and the other
one thrown open to foreign competi-
tion and destroyed, and these witness
es for and against protection are
many, and their opinions make very
interesting reading. We all know
how West Virginia voted last fall
We all know how at that time Gov
ern0r McCoTkle, Of that state, rode up
and down the country shouting him
self hoarse about the robber tariff, and
that nothing but the democratic party
and free trade could or would ever
save the country. But Gov. McCorkle
had no idea that the democratic party
would even think Of ever touching the
tariff laws Of the country unless it
might be to make wool free ana per-
haps few other items dist!nctiyely
belonging to the northern states.
But he hears Grover tell his hench-
men in congress that they are every
one of them pledged to the repeal of
the Mckinley bill, ana that he wants
them to set about the work necessary
to be done before that vote can be
taken, and Governor McCoTllIe be
comes alarmed, ana he leaves every
thing ana hastens to Washington, and
appears before the commitaee ana
cries out III the agony Of his contempt
lille little soul, men and brethren,
why DO you want to do this:" The
trouble with the governor lies in the
fact that West Virginia has large coal
fields and they have been extensively
worked under the Mckinley law for
the first time since or before the food,
and he knows that to take the tariff
off coal would stop every pick in the
state and work ruin to thousands Of
people and millions Of capital, and 50
he cries out thus;
''Why DO you want to do this? We |
are prosperous; the consumer is not /
suffering If You take away protcc- |
ton you hurt our people. Every man, |
woman and child OF West Virginia is /
opposed to repeating the duty on coal I
or any other West Virginia product /
now protected by a duty from injur-
iOuS foreign competition"
This wall Of agony from the Virginia
statesman surprised those present, and /
the following dialogue ensueG:
MI Tarsney Dem) of Missouri,
asked the Governor if he was not ell
ected last fall on platform which de-
clared tariff for revenue only"
Il was" promptly answered the
Governor who added: "And this is a
revenue tariff Coal is imported and
a large revenue is derived from it
now"
"WeII, what part of the tariff would
you reduce:" asked the Missouri
why, | would reform the tariff on
New England manufactures if it is too
high, as YOU say it is, and | have heard
SO. We want a fair, moderate revis-
that VIII give our business
a fair show"
Mr.. Reed was led to observe: "You
and agree pretty Well | like much
of what you have said a good deal
better than Brother Tarnsey does
Now, about the tariff on New Eng
land manufactures. You believe in
live and let live, | suppose, and you do
not want those duties reduced unless
they are unreasonably and unneccs-
5arily high, | hope
NO, | do not, and | suppose the
New England people know better
than anybody else how high tariff is
necessary. l think | would be willing
to take their word on that subject"
why 10 you want this duty on
.oal2" asked NJ. Bryan CDem) Of Ne
jrasla.
Why, we want it, and need It, to
protect our people from foreign com
petition, = was the quick reply.
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