Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-10-10

nara 70 EDUCATE, BECAUSE IHbJ udu OCCu
trained by tradition and Inheritance in
the great principles of liberty TO which
Sir Albert Rollit so eloQuently referred
l say the American people were not
hard to educate when they could give
their attention, free from other distract
ing issues, TO the great question of their
own taxation. They were quick TO
learn that individual industries sup
ported by taxation never became self
supporting, but as age increased, be-
came more clamOrous for public assist
aGce. (Cheers).
FREE TRADE IN LABOR.
Our working people finally learned
| that while taxation upon competing
products might be to the benefit CT the
| employers, there was free trade in that
which they had 10 sell-their own labor
and that the compensation OF labor Ia
! the protected Industries was relatively
I smaller than in the general unprotected
industries of the land. And our farm
ers found, after long and costly expert
ence and patient endurance of taxation,
! that the surplus of our farm products,
of our wheat and cotton aud meat prod
ucts, that required and demanded for
eigu markets, was relatively and absoJ
| lutely growing larger than il ever mad
been before, and the people al large
/ learned that under the protection OF OR
| tariff system there had been growing
up, and there were growing up, in the
| United States monOpolieS that were be-
| coming a menace TO a free government,
/ and that were using the very wealth
| that they extracted from taxation 10
de0auch elections and TO corrupt legiS-
/ latioa.
Such have been the results OF the
! contest iu which we have been engaged
/ for Lhe last 10 years, more or less eX-
clusiyely, In the United States OF Amer
/ lea. Such was the growth, aud such,
/ believe, has been the overthrow OF the
protective system in that country; for,
| while 10 would be an eXGggeration OF
language TO say that the tariff bill
which became a law month ago Is in
itself the overthrow OF that system. 1t
marks the first and the most difficult
step IN tle revolution which will 20
forward from this time by its own i'm
pulse. ("Hear; hearty
And now l should not make my
statement complete if l did not 60 on
10 tell you something OF the aim and
objects which we have had in view In
seeking TO emancipate the industries OF
cur country, and while what l may say
may not oe as welcome TO you, as lead
Ing business men of the United King
dom, as what l have already said, do
not think l should show just spprecl-
alton OF your welcome tonight II l did
not speak TO you the truth and the
whole truth with the utmost tranKness.
In this great contest we have steadily
kept before the American people two
great objects-frst, to reduce and
speedily abolish all those taxes levied
upon them for the support and enrich
ment or private industries, and the es-
tablishmeut of the great principle that
the Government has no right 10 impose
any tax except for the support Of the
Government t"Hear! Hearn); and sec
ondly, the emancip patton Of American
Industries from those burdens which
have hitherto excluded them from the
markets of the world. If l were stand
ing before you tonight as an apologist
and defender Of the system Of prOtec-
ton, and especially of the system n
Chinese prUTeCrTUn,1 for my 0Wa counN-'
try, l should undoubtedly run counter
TO your OWE particular and Intelligent
views OF what is the wise and just policy
Of every nation; but recognize that ma
tious, like individuals, may sometimes
profit by those foIlies of other nations
which their own judgment and private
In n 90 led 90 con6amn.
But, sta nding here as one OF those
identified with the great movement for
tariff reform in the United States, on
not altogether sure that can call upon
you 10 rejoice over its accomplishment
except as you approve sound principles
more than you value selfish advantages.
Undoubtedly our voluntary retirement
from the high seas of the world re-
bounded to the benefit Of those who
were wise enough to take advantage OF
IT, and more than any other people to
the advantage OF the people OF the
United Kingdom.
OBJECT or TARIFF REFORM.
We tariff reIormers have been tear
ing down the fences which the Protec-
t.onists have put up 10 keep Great
Britain out OF America, but we have
done so 10 order 10 compete with you
and with other nations. Not only IN
our production OF cotton and wheat and
corn and meat have wa an increasing
surplus which must find for itself cOu-
sumers in other countries, but we have
to-day manufacturing plant in the
United States which, used 10 its full
capacity, can, In six mouths, supply the
home demand for all its products.
Hitherto, under the shelter OF the pro-
tectiye system, our manufacturers have
been able-have been tempted, l may
even say-to form combinatione in order
10 iimil their output, 70 maintain their
prices and 70 look for their profits IN
monopoly prices in the closed market,
rather than Ia fair prices in all the mar
ketS OF the world.
But we have seen with increasing in
terest and satisfaction In our trade re-
turns that we are beginning to send out
the products Of our manufactures, ana,
more instructive still, that we are send
ing out, first Of all, the products OF
those manufactures in which we are
having the highest for our labor. II,
with taxes on our raw materials under
the mutual spOiIGtiOn, which they SUI
fer thrCl "a ,la protective system, we
can slil invade foreign markets, what
may we not expect TO DO with free raw
materials aud Win freedom from such
spOIstiOn2
We have lea rned the vital truth that
high wages 10 labor aad cheap produc-
tion are not only compatible, but seem
10 20 hand in hand, aud we have no
fears that there vii. be any lessening Of
the compensation, any lowering Of the
standard OF life of our intelligent labor
by any extension they have been able TO
have Of our great manufacturing indus