Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-09-26


was called to order here to-day by Senator
Murphy, Chairman of the State Commit
tee. He named David B. Hill as tempOra-
~ Chairman.
Mayor GilrOy, of New York, and Hon.
Daniel N. Lockwood, Of Erie, escorted
Senator Hill to the front Of the platform
and then occurred a remarkable scene.
The vast body Of delegates stood on chairs
waving handkerchiefs aud yelling them
selves hoarse as from different corners Of the
auditorium came demands Of 'three cheers
for Hill" Pandemonium reigned for at
least five minutes. Senator Hill stood
pale and motionless, one hand resting on
the table until the applause had subsidized,
and then at 30 began % speak, partially
extempore and partially from notes: he
said:
The unterrifed Democracy Of the EN-
pire State assemble here to-day, undis-
mayed at the premature boasts and assumed
confidence Of our adverSaries.
We are not unaccustomed 70 their annual
and mess-covered game of political bluf,
although renewed this year with extraOr-
dinary vehemence and un0lushing etront-
cry.
If vain boasts alone could bring victory
their battle is indeed won before IL is actu-
ally commenced; but we beg TO remind
them that there has not been campaign in
this State during the past twelve years
when they did not assume in August and
September that they had carried IT,, when
in truth and in fact during that whole
period with a single exception victory has
perched upon our banners on the hrst
of nrT1i0 iu
win our victories on election days, and not
by exhuberant bragadOciO in convention
halls
Our opponents by the vigorous beating
Of politician tOm-tOms and the insistance
upon petty and misleading local issues,
seek to divert the public attention from the
unenviab Ole record which they made during
their recent four years control OF the
Federal government. The people, however,
have not forgotten The fact tnat
it was 8 Republican administra-
ton which in that ill-fated year
OF 1870 saddled the country with unwlse
and vicious legislation which has since
crippled its prosperity, endangered its
finances, and augmented its public bur
dens. The people remember that the Sher-
man silver bullion purchase law was the
product Of Republican StateSmanship-
against the enactment Of which every Dem-
ocrat IN Congress voted.
IL should oe borne in mind that the fnan-
cial panic Of 1898 was puOlicau-Re-
publican in It's inception, continuance and
disastrous effects-a situation largely in
Erleed by the results then existing aud i'm
Bcnd - of thatRepu0lican legislation.
PhI people recOllect that 10 was under
national Democratic administration that
the Sherman law was repealed.
We also declared in favor Of the repeal
Of that last relic of pOst-0ellum partisan
legislation known as the Federal elections
law. which invaded State rights, menaced
the liberties Of the citizen. multiplied Fed
erh officials, involved the expenditure Of
millions Of money, continued sectional ami
mOSities and were an i'll conceived, unneC-
essary and impOtenL for the prevention OF
fraudulent practices and the promotion of
pure elections IS they were vexatiOuS
andIoffensive in their enforcement.
The enactment OF the Mckinley tariff
law was the eliminating atrOciJY of Re
publican recklesSness in legislatiOn; 3
measure so extreme, so unseldSh, so un-
reasonable, that / hazard nOthingin assert
ing that conservative and tair-mlnded Re
publicans everywhere regretted the party
eXigencies which seemed TO demand its
passage.
We promised the people that il intrusted
with power this vicious, un-American and
Questionable law should be repealed, and
we rejoice to-day in the fulfillment of that
pledge. But l call the attention Of the
country 10 the fact. not generally under
stood, that no matter which political
party won in 1892, there would have been
q tarin revision, necessarily aud inevitably
sO-because the Mckinley law had proved
utterly inadeQuat Q 70 meet the necessities
Of the government During the last wear
Of President Harrison's administration,
the treasury was constantly embarrassed,
as every hnancier well knows: 70 use q
phrase Of the Street it was ''sbinniug along
from day to day, becaUJe of the utter fall
ure Of the McHinleYSaw 70 produce the
estimated revenues. Never did political
party assume the responsibilities of gov
ernment under greater embarrassments
than did the Demqcratc party in March,
1898. under sucn ubfsvOraOle and adverse
circumstances, with slender
majority in thA Senate. with an
unwieldy majority in the House, with
timiolty 70 contendl with on one hand and
ra0lcaLsm on the other; with a country
impatient Tor prompt action, with some-
what divided councils among ourselves, it
IS not 20 be wondered az that the measure
OF revision which iwas finally passed by
the Democratic maid Nrity and which is now
submitted 70 the lud Nment Of the country,
does not in all resp bets meet the public
expectations.
Without retractinR single word which
] uttered ia the Senate\an criticism Of the
measure while engaged Rthe effort 70 per
feet IL and render IL mOrN acceptable. now
10 has been passed and Bermitted bv the
President to become a 6vv. IL must be CON.
sidered as a whole. .tregsfed largely as 3 Marty
measure and contracted with the MeEiplev
law, whose place U assumes on the statute
books. Unlnnuenced by my personal dis
appointments of any pride of opinion 1
nav De pecnalttelt 70 speak Of the measure
as u IN oJni fg exteuuate, nor set down
augnt IN uailck.n or its strictly tariff
features u may fruthfUlly be urged that il
IS vast IMPROVEMENT over the Mckinley
law, ana VIII cifarly demonstrate its su-
periorlty as tlme rolls on and the business
IN THIS country stall adjust themselveSet0
its revisiOnS.'
It is safe, moderate and reasonable Tits
better than the Mckinley tariff be4uSe il
Will not create deficiency in the II fenUes I
Of the government neither will IL FoVide
for an enormous and dangerous fplus. |
, The reductions Were not deemed udasOn. /
able, extreme or uniustihable ~ are /
so fair and moderate that no manufl0rer
ia the country has any excuse wlever !,
Tor reducing the wages Of bis eniyeS 5
4 li manufacturers assume 10 do lthey =
nust furnish st g other reaso3 pre- -
puse than The p, ,aat moderate nR2riF
Nv.