Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-02-17
Clearing Up Some Misapprehensions.

heard of before ~
The Ne~s, then, Is admittedly too far be-
hind the times to discuss the tariff.
Never heard of those steel rails before
when McKaig has been denounced from one
end of the region to the other for voting to
put them on the free list
The owner of manufactured product
stands up in Congress and not only admits
that his product has no foreign competition,
but prOnoS that IL can hare none, and demands
moreover, that it be put on the free list. and
the Nems, the wide awake organ of an intense
ly wide-awake party, never heard oft
While the Ne1cs was asleep, however, the
talk was going, and the JOURNAL, writing to
the people rather than the Ne'rs, informed
them, lin justice to him." (Mckaig) that he
should not be condemned for making an
article free that cannot be made dutiable.
That is all about that.
1t wont do for the JOURNAL to attempt to
dispose of the assertion of the Ne~S that the
Wilson bill protects nothing and will bring
no revenue to the government by character
izing it as too reckless for serious consider
alton" Senator German says it will cause a
deficiency of 5000 600 IN the national rev.
motors when we charge that it will protect
nothing, and we rely upon the act of the
same people in resorting to the desperate
remedy of imposing an income tax as proof
that they have no confidence in their own
bill as a means of producing revenue.
The JOURNAL is not really engaged III de-
Tending the Wilson bill. The free coal clause
makes it almost indefensible. But to say
that it protects nothing and will bring no
revenue to the government" is, we repeat,
too reckless for serious consideration. And
the Ne~s proves it by quoting Senator
Germans estimate of a prospective deficiency
of sG0,000,000. If we mistake, not over
S400,000,000 are required to run the govern
ment year. OF this over 800, 600 comes
from internal revenue, leaving $40 900, 900
which the Ne~S, taking the Senator word,
must admit is some, not "n0 revenue" and
being some revenue, must 'protect' some
thing i'll some meaSure-in considerable meas
ure if it be true that the average ad "u7orcm
fall is only from AZ to 40 per cent
And when it is remembered that all we ask
on coal is 20 per cent. to protect us, there must
be some protection in 40 per cent. for every
body else
After expressing establishment ''at the
evident purpose Of the JOURNAL to pervert its
language and miSconStrue its assertions the
Ne~S again depicts the abnormal condition"
of things at the close of the civil war, and
concludes with tins observation
The tariff had nothing to do with the tinan-
Cial arrangement of that time.
Wonder why, then, the readjusters of
things back to the normal tdemocratic)
stairs before the war, attempted to reduce the
tariff on coal 60 per cent?
If 1.-The tariff had nothing to do with" that
part of 1.-THE financial arrangement involved
in sl.25 per ton on COAL why was an effort
made to reduce it to 30 cents?
But the Ne~s disposes Of unanswerable
questions too easily. So Just here we will
conclude to go on with something else:
Now as to the position of the two parties on
the subject of a tariff on coal, the JOURNAL
must admit that the republicans never put
that article on the free list that they always
accorded it all the protection its friends
asked.
The Journal positively cannot admit that
for two reasons
l, Coal was on the free list of the original
Allison bill, which was substitute for the
Mills bill, the latter retaining coal on the
dutiable list at 10 cents per ton.
., The JOURNAL learned in Washington
that coal was Oh the free list of the original
draft of the Mckinley bill.
And that point is settled.
What the JOURNAL means by tom John
sons steel rails as distinguished from other
steel rails we cannot understand. 1t may be,
as the JOURNAL states, that Tom Johnson's
steel rails have no foreign competition, but
other steel rails have, and they are protected
under the Mckinley law by tariff of twelve
dollars per ton. Mckaig voted to abolish
this protection, and place rails on the free
list, and the JOURNAL is endeavorlng to ex-
cuse the act.
And since all the facts have come out even
Mr.. Carnegie has not only "endeavored' but
has excused all who voted with McKaig
In conclusion, we assure the JOURNAL that
there was no disposition on our part to be
personal, and regret that it should have so
understood us.
With unusual pleasure the JOURNAL repro
duces this gentlemanly disclaimer, and for
its own part has to say that it is in the tariff
discussion with but two purposes
l. To subserye the cause of justice, and
9, To show that the tariff is not an issue
whose favors and preiudices should be in
yoked to carry our municipal and county
elections and thus give complexion and en-
dorsement to local extravaganza.
Sneak Well Of Your Comnetitorc