Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-09-22
Speet0i fotts Rs0lste--

Syeet0I fotas RsOtsye-
GRAFTON, w. VA, September 21.-
Hon. J. c. Bell, of Indiana, Com mis-
eioner Of Pensions. spoke at the Opera
House tonight to one Of the most en-
thusiastic political meetings ever he'd
here. For two hours he held the crowd
almost spell bound. He paid q grand
tribute TO bon. w. l.. Wilson, the men
ton Of whose name brought forth
great cheers. The Republican party
got one of the worst shakings up that
it ever had In Taylor county.
Mr.. Bell began bis speech by saying
that the tariff was still the great issue
before the people Of our country-not In
the same sense, however, for then 1t
was largely discussion of the theory
OF protection and Of free trade, or OF a
low revenue and high protective tariff.
These questions were thoroughly dis
cusse before the great jury OF the
1890 and 1893. In the first case they
decided in favor OF the Democratic POSI-
tion by a majority OF over eight hundred
thousand, and in the second case they
supplemented this decision by an over
whelming majority of over 100000.
By these two verdicts the Democratic
party was com missioned and enjoined
TO reform the tariff In the direction Of
freer trade and larger revenue as op-
posed TO the doctrine Of more restrict
ed trade and diminished revenues, and
larger protection to certain individuals
and classes, as exempihed In the Nc
Kinley bill, which was signed by Presi-
dent Harrison on the 1st day of October,
1890. The people having, therefore,
decided in favor of freer trade and less
protection, and the Democratic party
having hearkened to this voice Of the
people by the passage OF the Wilson
tariff bill, the legitimate discussion OF
this great question has, as l conceive,
largely shifted from theoretical to oIe
of an historical and experimental
character, The speaker then went
on TO say that II the passage
of this bill produced prosperity, ETC.,
the Democratic party deserved the
good will and support Of majority OF
the American people, and now the SEN
sible thing for the Democrats to 90 Is
to stand firm together until the Wilson
law and the repeal Of the Sherman law
have been fully tried. 1t is no time to
desert the ship and take to
the water while the storm is
raging, and he who stands firmly
to his party and his principles
at this time will have abundant reason,
In the near future, to congratulate him
self on his devotion to his political faith
In its hour of trial, when the sunlight
of a greater prosperity and a greater
glory, prepared by Democratic Con-
gress and Democratic President, shall
break in full fruition upon the country.
A protective tariff cannot produce
wealth, but can only change its natural
and Legitimate distribution and cause 1t
TO fow in channels it would not other
wise take. 1t is not necessary
for me to snow that our people
can only consume about one half of our
home products, and the other half must
be sold 10 other countries. 1t is not
necessary for me to show that England
cannot and will not buy our surplus
products, wheat, corn, beef, ETC., unless
we will buy her goods. 1t Is not neces-
sary for me to explode the delusons OF
national trade, or TO show that no
nations trade with each other as ma
tions, but that only the individuals
OF the respective nations trade
with each other, and conse-
Quently whatever is naturally benefit
TO them as individuals must necessarily
be mutually beneficial to the people as a
nation, as aswhole. 1t is not necessary
for me to enter into any extended eco
nomic discussion touching the real diff
ference between free trade and Drotec-
ton. which is simply that the free ira
der believes and teaches that IL is
better 10 buy thing than to make 1t
yourself, if you can thus obtain 1t for
less labor than it would require to make
il; while the protectionist believes and
teaches that IL is better TO make thing
yourself rather than TO buy it from an
other, even though to make il would
require more labor and more
time than it would take to
make some other thing and
trade that thing for the object
desired. 1t IS not necessary for me to
enter into any extended discussion or
to make palmer the self-evident pro-
position that every man is free trader
in every act OF his life, no matter how
he may advocate the' contrary In the
press or on the stump or in the House
of Congress, and that in fact no man
makes thing he desires If he can ac-
quire the thing he wants by
making something else with less labor
than it would require to make the thing
desired, and that thing, be it either
money or property, purchase the object
he seeks
say that il is not necessary for me
to discuss these O uestions in detail at
this time. They were all set before the
American people in the cam
paigns OF 1890 and 1892, and
the virdict was, as before shown,
overwhelmingly in favor o. the position
then, and now. occupied b. the Demo-
cratic party.
Then the speaker went on I, give a
graphic history of the tariff qqstion
aud IT'S effects on trade and busin "a for
years past.
He showed that In 1916 th frst
measure whose basic principle wa bro
lection, was passed and thgt 1t WI vfoI-
lowed by great depression II traX 3 and
all kinds of business, as the lrot Etion-
lists now admit And thai = 10 the.
..-s a hfoX