The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-10-16
wilson's Betray aI OF His State

Wilson's Betrayal of His State.
Governor W. A. MacCorkle is some
thing Of Democrat himself. While
the Wilson bill was under considera-
ton by the ways and means committee.
the governor headed a delegation OF
Democrats who went to Washington to
protest against FREQ coal. Here is in
part what ne said to the committee:
ST do nsk that this committee Will not lay It's
hands upon the industry which VIII parnlyzo
my beautiful state aud rOndcr sterile her iair
valleys II you take tho tariff OF coal;
which Il les IN proportion than the average
duties, believe IL will hnrt you, put putting
nSitle The refinement Of theories and contFoyet:
sizes the great proposition remains that you win
Kurt every man, woman and child engaged In
the coal industry. Therefore. say, take your
hands OF the tariff on coal. aud leave 1t as II IL"
Notwithstanding this protest, and
similar protests that went up from
every coal region in the country, from
Democrats and Republicans, the bill
passed the house with coal on the free
list, aud finally passed both houses
with the rs cent duty reduced to 40
cents. And now Mr.. Wilson gives no.
tice that before tariff reform is COM
plete coal must be placed on the free
list.
Governor MacCorkle, Ex-Governor
Fleming, ex.United States Senator
Davis and others, who protested against
free coal are not tho only Democrats
who have given utterance to the seati-
ment that the present Democratic
policy toward this great industry is
tuinous. Fortunately we have the
records showing that MIR. Wilson HIM
self was. previous to the time he became
the father OF tariff measure, in favor
OF protecting coal
On May o, 1884, in speech in Con-
gress on the Morrison bill, which may
DO found in the Appendix to Vol. 10.
part 6 OF the Congressional Record, Mt.
Wilson expressed himself as follows:
TO take any one great interest and transfer 1t
ali tue test, while dGprlving It Of any share III
the common protection. Whatever reduction Is
made should bc made so gradually as not 10
wreck, TO disturb or to alarm any Of oiir great
industries. and this return toward peace ihfiH
ought 10 be made by even progress aud III a
SONIC OF Justice 10 all. This Dili would permit
rcCInr0cal free coal with Canada, think, lilIlo
npt 10 he carried out, and free coal from Eng
land. Coal Is now free SO far as the foreign and
cOaStwlSd irndu Is concerned, having otherwise Il
duty OF 75 cents ton, which Is less than - per
cent adVnnrem under tArih whose general Nv
erdGo Is over ~ per cent; should we proceed 70
the consideration Of this bill by sections. shall
present 10 the committee such facts and igtiTGS
aS will bear fully oil this question, aud have
every confidence indeed, l may ndd, ! have
every assurance That can now be Eiven-that this
irrciuIarIy and Determination Will be corrected
md the Interests OF M own state share only III
the general fortune OF all"
We THUS SEQ that Mr.. Wilson was
more concerned for the interests Of his
own state in 1854 than he was in 1894
As late as 1855 he also opposed FREQ coal
in tho Mills bill, aud in 1886, in joint
discussion with Gen. W. II. II. Flick,
no declared that he was rs much in
favor OF protected coal and lumber and
wool as tho general was. Mr.. Wilson
was candidate for reelection then. and
he knew that he could not be elected II
he declared in favor of putting these
articles on tho free list. In every CAIN
paign in this state he has been asked
the question, and has on tho stump
publicly pledged himself TO fight every
effort for free coal and lumber.
Only year ago, in November, 1903,
the Fairmont Index, the leading Demo.
cratic papor, of the Second district,
published in the heart OF the Upper
Monongahela coal field, thus reminded
AIr. Wilson Of these pledges:
"Times may have changed. The tnrII on coal
may now he n protective tariff and should be r9'
peHied but We hive seen hvo hundred miners
marching our streets shouting for william Il.
Wilson, because he claimed TIM: tho coal w1s n
revenue thrill and for that rGGAOn was retained
IN the Mills bill and that he would sec that 1t
was not disturbed, not one Of whom would have
Wilson had they known he would favor the
placing Of coal on the free list
But these miners wore deceived in
Mr.. Wilson. Thoy have discovered that
his promise was only to catch their
votes. EIc has proven false to every
pledge, and it is n significant fact that
this year thorO arc no professions oil
miners shouting for William L. viii
son." rs in the years the Index rcfCrred
to.
Mr.. Wilson, like his party, was elect
ed to Office through false promises. His
record, like tho record of his party, Inns
been QUO OF broken pledges and tho be-
trnyaf Of his pnopic. To-day Mr.. WI
son is billed to speak to the same minorl