The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1894-10-26
Bl AIN'E' S
Prophecy Verified
Disastrous Results of Free
Trade, as Predicted by
himseven years ago.


WASHINGTON, d. o., Oct. IS.
Mr.. Blaine was not only q bril-,
liant and forceful man, but he
had at times the gift of prophecy.
Seven years ago, just after the
delivery of Mr.. Cleveland's
famous tariff reform message.
and while Mr.. Mills, in his ca.
pacity as Chairman of the Com
mittee on Ways and Means was
formulating the tariff bill of 1888,
Mr. Blaine addressed a vast as
semblage in Boston, apropos of
what was then, as it is now, the
palpitating question of the hour.
In the course of his remarks, he
said
Il love my country and my
countrymen. lam an American
and rejoice every day of my life
that ! am. I enjoy the general
prosperity of my country and
know that the working men Of
this land are the best fed, and
best clothed Of any laborers ON
the face Of the earth. Many Of
them have homes of their own.
They are surrounded BY all the
comforts and many Of the luxu-
ries oflifs. Ishudder. however,
at the thought that the time
must come when all tins will be
changed, when the general pros.
perity OF the country will be des-
troyed When the great body Of
iworkingmen in this land who are
now prosperous, will hear their
wives and childrencry for bread.
That the day must come wnen
the great factories and manufac.
tories of this land will shut down,
and there will be the silence Of
the tomb, and the reason why it
must be SO is this The great
Southern wing Of .he Democratic
party are determined to estab.
lish the doctrine of free trade in
this land. They will be assisted
by their Northern allies. The
fight is now on. There is a great
body of visionary, but educated
men who are employed day by
day in writing free.trade essays
and arguments in favor Of that
doctrine, which find their way
into every Democratic newspaper
in the land. The great body of
our people have never expert
enced, themselves, the sufferings
which always result when the
protective principles are laid
aside. Poisoned and excited by
the wild statements of these
writer's, and the demagogue ap.
peals of Democratic speakers,
the result will be that, in the
near future, these forces which
are now working will be strong
enough to defeat at the polls the
party advocating the doctrine of
protection. 1t must inevitably
follow that uncertainty and
doubt will ensue. The business
men of the country, fearing the
destruction, will decline to en-
gage in business consequently,
mills will shut down and the
working men will be thrown out
of employment. The people
will then see, as we have never
seen before. that they can not be
prosperous and have work while
this principle is threatened. In
the midst of this suffering they
will learn that the only way that
they can be prosperous and hap
ply is to vote for the party that
will build up the industries by
which they have gained a liveli-
hood because they can see clear
" that when a mandatory is
shut down there is no demand
for the things which they have
10 sell, and that is their labor.
This was a prophecy Of the
genuine kind. None Of the tariff
reformers of thatday dreamed in
heir philosophy Of such crazy !