The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1894-11-03
A GOOD MEETING.
Morgantown Democrats Listen
to Speeches by
DR.. E. M. TURNER AND HON }. ED. HALL.
They Turn the Protection Fallaey In
side 0ut-UnansWerable Argument
for Tariff Reform-ETerybody
Pleased With the Addresses,

speaking began the hail was wei
I filed with believers in the doctrine
of tariff reform. A noticeable thing
about Democratic meetings here is
that Republicans will not GO. No.
body complains of this, but it would
seem that they hide when the truth
regarding government imposts is to
be talked about and explained 1t
was a Democratic meeting, therefore,
in every sense Of the term, and il
would have done the work of open
ing blinded Republican eyes lad
they been present.
j. NJ. Wood was chairman of the
meeting and introduced as the first
speaker our fellow townsman, DR.. f.
NJ. Turner, who spoke for over an
hour and gave clear and logical
argument on the fallacies of the
protective tariff theory, explaining
by way of parenthesis that it is all
a theory. DIR. Turner said that till
this fall he had not made a political
speech for ten years, but it was mo-
ticeable that ten years silence on
political questions did not signify
that he was behind the times that
long in his knowledge of events. He
showed that he was posted and up
to date.
He said that if the coming cleo
tion in this district were a question
between Mr.. Wilson and Mr. DAYTON
simply that no speeches would be
necessary, probably, but there were
great principles involved and it was
for the principles which Mr. Wilson
represented that he would speak.
He said that ell revolutions except
one had been on questions of taxa
ton, and that was now the issue be
fore us. He asked if any man pres
ent, or any place else in the country
could tell how much taxes he pays
the government. No one knows this,
and it is to kill this unjust system
of indirect taxation that the De
mocracy Of the country is fighting
to day, in plain, well laid-out princi
Piles. DR. Turner'S exposition of the
absurd Republican claim the "for.
eigner pays the tax was one of the
best definitions of that national hoax
that has ever been heard here. He
began at the very beginning in that
matter and proved the absurdity Of
that claim to the satisfaction of ev-
erybody.
He referred to the suits for $l0''
which the Republicans go racing
around the country talking about,
and then asked what wages were
paid for making such suit? Where
is the protection there? Men who
make speeches on that proposition
contradict themselves every five
minutes. If the foreigner pays the
tax why should the Mckinley law
agree to give sugar manufacturers
Of this government a bounty of two
cents a pound? Mckinley stulti-
fies his own argument by making the
ridiculous claim, claim easily seen
to be absolutely false, that the for
eigner pays the tax. He said that
in 1867 tariff was put on wool. AT
that time Ohio had thousands and
thousands of sheep, but the tariff
got higher and higher till in 1890 the
number of sheep in that state was
small indeed, the direct result of the
specious doctrine of a protective tar
if and its application. Then he
said that more than half the wool of
this country is raised on the big
western ranches, and why does not
Ohio ask for protection from them ?
He told of the natural resources
of this country being greater than
of any other; that "the soil needs
but to be tickled to laugh with a
harvest" and these, things, with
strong organizations of workmen
were why wages were higher here
than elsewhere. "And they always
will be higher, tariff, or no tariff"
he added "But there is no protec-
lection for labor in McKinleyism. :"
He believes every man should be
free to keep what he has except such
amount as is necessary for the sup
pert of the government, economical
ly administered, which protects him
in the enjoyment of the remainder.
DR.. Turner speech printed in full
would be fine campaign document.
Devoid of Jombast, adhering consci-
tiously to reason and facts, it would
be an unanswerable argument for
tariff reform. Every line and para
graph has the ring of sincerity.
Everybody was pleased with it.
Hon. j. Ed Hall, of Barbour coun-
ty, followed DR.. Turner in few re-
marks His speech was brief, but
was sound doctrine of the kind his
audience wanted to hear. He refer
red to the time when he formerly
went to chapel in that same old hall,
when the late j. r. Moore was prin
cipal of Monongalia Academy. Mr..
Hall is a farmer, and it would have
been good for every farmer in this
county to have heard him tell how a
protective tariff works to their det-
riment. He explained in homely
illustration of how an exchange of
commodities is beneficial to both
parties to the transaction, when one
party has surplus of one article
and the other more of another kind
than he can use proftably. Then a
trade helps both. He said that as
long as there is no market for farm
products there is no incentive to
raise vast quantities of grain. He
said that Secretary Rusk's report
shows that "150,0OO,000 Europeans
don't eat wheat bread Now if we
had a market established among
them would we have any more so
cent wheat?' He told that the farm
ers had waited 30 years for protec-
ton to benefit them, and it had so fag
failed to do it, but the Republicans
will tell you that it is going to after
while. He said he would willing
ly renounce his present position if It
could be shown that a protective
tariff is in the least beneficial to the
farmer, or that it has any relation
whatever to labor. He takes Sher-
mans view that a revenue tariff is
all that is necessary in this country.
He said that we all remember Home
stead; we all remember that in 1890
there were 1900 wage reductions
Arthur called commission to low
er the tariff; we all remember that
the average duty was as per cent
then, and that Mckinley put it up
to 60 per cent.
Then he asked if it would not be
q naod ,,lap IN frU tho nrooopt q N,