Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-10-25
CRANE OLD PARTY.
A CHEAP WAY OF PAYING AN
ENORMO DEBT.
Chairman Wilson'S Services to lsri isl,
1ndustries--A Very Flexible Thing
Mental and Moral Pabulum Served IN
in Populist Papers.
Chairman Wilson Dining.

What sicllly and silly sentimental
Ism! Here are members of the Demo-
cratic congressional committee and
Senator Faulkner of West Virginia, in
dreadful state OF mind because the
free traders of London invited Repre-
sentative Wilson, chairman of the
Democratic committee of ways and
means, to grand banquet. The
courtesy appears to people on this
side cheap way of paying q big
debt, and yet in its fashion an honest
and manly way. Chairman Wilson
has served the British industries and
British commerce better than
any other man in this
country for the last thirty
years, except President Cleveland, and
the president did not happen to be
in London and within range of honors
or social courtesies. Mr.. Wilson was
there, and in some remarks recently
published graciously informed his
British friends that the fight for free
trade on this side has only just begun,
and that he and his party mean to do
great deal better than they yet have
done in the way of promoting British
instead of American industries. It
would have been shabby in the last
degree if such distinguished perform
ance and such gratifying promises had
not been thought worthy OF recogni-
ton
The trouble with the Democratic
congressional committee and with
Senator Faulkner is that they have
been trying to deceive somebody and
Chairman Wilson lets the cat
out of the bag. They have
been pretending in some parts of
the country and especially in
the mining regions of West Virginia,
that the Democratic congress and its
chairman of the committee on
ways and means have earned undying
gratitude by protecting American in
dustries, utterly in contempt of Demo
cratic pledges. Duties on iron ore
and coal remain, thouoh Chairman
Wilson and the Democratic house did
their best, or pretended to do their
best, to gev free trade in both. 1t is
true that the duties are only about
half those imposed by the Republican
tariff, and foreign competition is felt
already in the depression of wages,
and is sure to be felt in all the Allan
tic states, If not further inland, when
business revives enough to give mine
operators or mine workers chance
to get a decent living But the Demo
Gratis have found it convenient to saw
that these duties on coal and iron ore
were graciously retained by the efforts
of Democrats in the senate, and that
other partially protective duties on
glass, manufactures of iron and steel
and manufactures of cotton and wool
were in the same way retained.
1t is when the Democrats are en-
gagged in befooling voters to the best
of their ability, and pretending to be
protectionists in the mines and free
traders on the cotton plantations, that
Chairman Wilson recklessly consents
to be wined and dined by the British
free traders in honor of his great SER
vices. One must admit that it is try
ing for the committee, says the New
York Tribune, but would not have
been If the committee had not tried to
cheat anybody. Had the plain truth
been told in every part of the country
alike, had it been made known that
Chairman Wilson of West Virginia,
agreed to take off the duties from coal
and iron in the house, with the pri-
vate understanding that two Demo
cratic senators might get the credit OF
nutting them back, at least in part,
possibly the free traders might not
have been so enthusiastic over Mr..
Wilson, and the voters of West Vir-
ginia, if little Disguised, might not
have been so angry.
The Wilson tariff was for the bene-
fit of British industries and trade, new
ertheless, and if it did not go as far as
some greedy manufacturers on the
other side desired, it went far enough
to close forty per cent Of the iron pro,
ducing works in this country. For SO
much Britons are properly grateful
and they rejoice the more to be as,
sured that the struggle has only be-
gun, and that free traders in thi.
country have far grander victories for
Great Britain yet in store. The only
question is whether the voters viii
greet the victory in the past, and the
other victories promised for the fu,
ture, with an enthusiasm equal to that
which welcomed Mr.. Wilson at the
London banquet.
They Don't Count.
a = 4 L - IL