St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-10-29
:, WILSON MALIGNED.
The Pioneer Press Unjnstly At
tacks the Tariff Leader,

To the Editor of the Globe.
An editorial in recent Pioneer Press
most unjustly and bitterly assails man
whom his acknowledgements, true Dem
ocrats, greatly respect and admre-a
man whom those who are personally
acquainted with him know to be one of
the gentlest. most courageous, pure>
minded and honest among men-tfe
Chevalier Bayard of Democracy-th
Hon. William l.. Wilson. of Virginia.
lows:
Attention has been called to a paragrap h
IN the tariff law. as Mr. Wilson approved it
in the house, which is generally overlooked,
and which increases the duty on cut nails
from 1s.6 per cent on an ad valoreu basis. as
it stood under the Mckinley act. TO % per
cent. This is an amazing performance in q
bill aiming to reduce duties. and making its
heaviest cuts in the metal schedule The
explanation is, that the manufacture Of cut
nails IS one OF the principal industries of the
city Of Wheeling, and that Wheeling is the
principal center in Mr., Wilson's own district.
Thus wherever you touch one of these Dem
ocratic ''reformers-" you find that his views
OF tariff are. indeed, for revenue only"
But the revenue must accrue to him. They
boot at German and Brice tor helping the
sugar trust. But how are these worse than
Murphy. who must have collars and cuffs
II.
apostle and paragon Of reform. who breaches
pure doctrine and is as rapacious a grabber
as any of them when it comes to a matter
affecting his own district? Many humbugs
have found the Democratic party a con-
genial home. but air. Wilson deserves to
stand pretty close to the head of the list.
Now, what are the real facts regard
ing those allegations against Mr.. Will
son? l find wide "World Almanac"
for 1892 and same for 1899 that the duty
on cut nails was not 1876 per cent by the
Mckinley tariff. as stated by the Pioneer
Press. but one cent per pound, viz, 81
per keg. The Wilson act reduced the
rate to 25 per cent ad valorem, or say
from 81 under the Mckinley act to $50
40 cents under the Wilson act. Further,
the city of Wheeling is not "the princi-
trict." 1t is not in MIR. Wilson's dis
trict at all, but is in the district repre-
scented by Hon. John o. Pendleton in
the PRESENT. -third)congress, and the
Democratic candidate there for the
next election IS Hon. John A. Howard.
Further. Mr.. Wilson is not "as rapa-
cious grabber as any of them when 1t
comes 10 matter affecting his own dis
trict." because he has. with the noble
spirit of self-abnegation which charac-
terizeS him almost as much as his in
teilectual ability, imperiled his own re.
election by labOring in Congress for the
aboliShing of the duty on coal; and
cOal-mining is a principal industry in
his own district.
The alleged facts of that editorial re-
mind me of the story told of Button, the
celebrated naturalist. Some French
photographers who were preparing
dictionary had agreed upon the follow
ing definition for the word "crab," viz:
"A very small red fish. which walks
backwards" Button was applied to by
them for information as to whether that
definition was in all respects correct.
He replied: 1.-The crab is not very
small; it Is generally not red it is not
fish; it does not walk backwards. With
misconceptions, messieurs. the defini-
ton is in all respects correct"
VThe Pioneer Press cannot find any
holes in the ar.nor of William l.. Will
sons honesty, and
just;
And lie but naked. though locked up in steel
Ito wit tariff stearL
Whose conscience with injustice is cor
rupted.'
Yours respectfully.
HARRY CALDWELL.
ST. Paul. MIMI, Oct. 20.
p. s. Apiopos to the subject of the
duly OH natls aud other American man
ntactures, Louis Windnueller mentions
in the May, '94, Forum u recent sale of
10000 kegs Of American nails for export
to Australia 10y way or England. So it
seems that our manufacturers can afford
to meet foreign competition, even with
the handicap OF tariff-taXed machinery.
But the Republican platforms call for
"the American market for the AMeri-
E.