The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-02-24
WHAT FREE COAL DID.

WHAT FREE COAL DID.
1t is instructive to consider tho
meaning of last Tuesdays vote in the
four counties whioh compriss nine
tsnths OF the available anthracite coal
in the United States IL was industri-
ously contsnded by Democratic orators
and organs that whatever might b.
true with reference to other industries
in other sections, the industry OF min
ing and of the transportion OF the pro
ducts of mining was in no wise Jeop-
srdsd in Lackawanna, Luzerne. SchuyI'
kill and Carbon counties by the free
coal clause Of the Democratic tariff.
inasmueh as Canadian bitumtnous was
not s competitive factor in markets
reached by our anthracite. OpposeI
to this sophistry was the repeated dec
laraiion Of leading anthracite pro
ducers. accompanied BY figures in proof,
that with the duty off, Canadian coal,
under the developing touch OF the
great Whitney syndicate, could bs laid
down st our ssaboard ports not only
below tho competition OF our western
Pennsylvania aud southern bitumnou'
shippers, but also below that Of dsal-
ers in the industrial sizss Of anthracite,
which sizes comprise thirty par cent.
Of the entire anthracite output
These arguments werI presented
with considerable distinctusss on both
sides. Upon this local issue restsd to
a large degree the whole question of
protection vs. free trad9; since the de-
nial Of the former 10 our principal
home industry would necsSsarily in.
validate any scheme Of tariffs that
claimed protection az toature. Lat
us then see how the voters Of these four
coal producing counties, with this
question most prominently before
them, rendered their decision Ia the
brief period slapsiug since last Novem'
Der Democratic plurality Of % in
Carbon county was converted into a
Republican plurality OF 249; in our
own county Of Lackawanna, q Repub-
licsn plurality of 359 has expanded into
one of ). OPS; in Llz .rne the plurality
os 10 received by Mr. Jackson has
grown to one Of 3,l1j; and finally. in
Schuylkill, tho home of Representa-
tive Reilly, who supported the Wilson
bill, free coal clause and all, Demo
cratic plurality of III three months
ago has been transformed into Re-
publican one of / ,409 In other words.
the three months threat Of free coal
Uy the Democratic revenue retormsrs
has resulted in net gain to the Re-
publican party, in these four countiss
alone, of g.752 votes. 1t has anchored
safely into the Republican column two
coal-producing counties heretofore re-
garded az certainly Democratic. that is
to say. Carbon and S;huylkill. And it
has made Luzsrue and Lackawanns
barren soil for Democratic missionary
work for whole generation to come.
This computation Of Republican gains
is. made upon the basis Of the vote cast
last fall when Pennsylvania gave what
was then the largest Republican plu-
rality ever recorded in the common
wealth II we take az our baIis Of
com parisou, ths yots two years ago. by
which Representatives Hines. Reilly
and Mutchler we're elected to the con-
gress in which they eAcn betrayed tue
interests Of their constituents in voting
for free coal on final passage. we shall
discover a popular reversal nearly
twice as StrikiEg. The two former
would Aud themselves. on the strength
Of Last Tuesdays vote, defeated entire
ly. not to say ignominiouJly, while the
latter would emerge successful but
much the worse for wear Indeed
from any purely parti san point Of view,
Republicans have muca for which to
be thankful to the Democrats because
Of their singular psrVersity in champi-
oning free coal. A few more such
blunders as this, and the northern
states would join hands with industrial
West Virginia, Virginia and Alabama
in cordial reputation Of a policy 80
needless in its Champi onsbiD aud so
ruinous In its effects