Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-03-10

sway or Local Interest,". in the senate.
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FtNfdsiehi1 Record
10 appears 60 be the theory OF a few
Democratic Senators that their para
mount duty Is to promote local and per-
sonal Interests In legislation, no matter
how Injurious such legislation may be 70
The general welfare. Such a doctrine
might we'll ind favor With small p9liti-
clans incapable of extending their vision
over the whole Of this great country,
but it Is utterly unworthy Of statesmen.
When Edmund Burke opposed what his
Bristol constituents conceived TO be 10
their Interest be told them:
'Iour representative owes YOU not
his industry only, but his judgment,
AID be betrays instead OF serving YOU II
be sacrifices it % your opinion. You
choose a member, indeed; but when you
have chosen him he is not member Of
Bristol but member Of Parliament"
To quite a different theory of repre-
sentative duty the men who have band
cd together 10 the Senate 20 defeat or
mutllate the Wilson bin conceive that
they are not Senators of the United
States. Nor indeed are they Senators
Of Alabama. Maryland, Florida and
partial Interests within those States.
Thus one OF the Senatorial band OPP
poses the Wilson bill unless provision te
made in 30 for the makers of collars and
cuhs To Troy, New York. Another
fears that the mining OF coal ia West
Virginia will cease should the tax be re-
moved from that commodity. Still an
other Is concerned about the competition
threatened by pauper LABOR with the
production OF oranges and lemons in
Florida and he will not vote for the
Wilson bin unless 20 retains high duties
on oranges and lemOhs. The magnanl-
nous Democratic free trade statesman
OF Alabama insists upon maintaining
the tax on iron ore les. the manuiac-
turerS of Eastern Penusyivania and
other sections OF the eastern SeabOard
obtain in Spain and Cuba better and
cheaper Bessemer ores than Alabama
can produce. What ID the steel man u
facturers OF Eastern Pennsylvania
should perish for wdLs of abundant
supplies of raw material2 Why, the
production OF stee, 90 Alabama will
flourish an the more upon the ruin OF
great industry DO Pennsylvania. This
is the very essence OF the spirit OF pro-
lection 10 it's undisguiSed greed and
brutality.
10 is 60 be observed that the local aud
special Interests which these Demo
cratic statesmen have taken under their
peculiar care are not OF the first im-
portance 10 the States which they rep
resent. even though these interests
should be somewhat affected by the
Wilson BILL The teeming commerce
and multiiar.ous industries of New
York are Of vastly more concern than
the cuffs and collars OF Troy To the
consumers of Alabama and Maryland
more important interests are involved
ia the tariff than the iron ore of the one
and the coal of the other
But the experience of eleven years OF
free trade with Canada has shown how
idle is the fear of competition from
Nova Scotia coal. Yet for this absurd
fear the consumers OF the California
coast who draw theirs coal from British
Columbia and more distant Australasia
must pay tax of 90 cents on the ton.
Foreign competition with the iron ore OF
Alabama is ont OF the question except
in certain superior qualities. The pau
per SCOT and pauper sunshine OF no re-
gi0u on earth can produce oranges 20
compare with the luscious oranges of
Florida, and yet Tariff Reform is 20 be
putin Jeopardy by the Democratic
stateSsSen of Florida for the sake OF pro-
tqCung what nature has pat beyond
The most shameful feature Of the
spectacle 10 the Senate lies in the fact
that the Democrats banded against the
Wilson bill have been among the lOudest
advocates OF tariff reform. Their pres
ent attitude betrays the fraudulency OF
their professions. No one has detained
more vehementiy against tariff SpOlia-
tion than Senator Morgan. But 10 APP
pears that "robber baron" 10 Alabama
Is q very meritor.0us person greatly To
need OF protection against the rObber
barOns of Pennsylvania and MasSachu-
setts III the Faciug-Both-WaYs Demo
cratic statesmen who are for tariff re-
form 60 theory and for protection 10
practice were not utterly wanting Ia
sense OF humor they would perceive
how ridiculous is their position.