Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-10-03
Dlnner II, london to Hon. ". L. WtIso"

lean guests we're present, among them sec
rotary Of Agriculture Morton, Hon. Isadore
Strauss Hon. Patrick Collins-O the United
States and Henry Kimber, Andrew d. Pro-
ward and other members Of parliament, ana
many other persons Of note.
The chairman read letters Of regret at the
absence of the directors Of the Edinburgh
and other chambers OF commerce, and IN
proposing toast to the President of the
United States, dwelt upon the excellent
Judgment shown in the selection OF minis
ters to represent the country at the court oil
St. james. Great good had deem done, he
said. by such judicious appointments as
those of Lincoln, Lowell, Phelps and Bay
ard The speech was heartily cheered.
Following this was toast to Mr.. Wilson
and the other Americans present, in propos'
ing which the speaker referred to his visit
to the United States, when he had wonder
Cd that with the advanced ideas of the
Americans they had so long tolerated
high tariff. The making of nations gener-
ally. he said, covered long periods Of years,
compared with which the period or seeking
tariff reform in the United States was ex-
tremely short. There was no reason, IN his
Judgment. why the United States and Great
Britain should not march abreast in the
cause of freedom, with which tariff reform
must be associated. When the advantages
of the system which Mr.. Wilson had had
large share in introducing were fully known,
England and America would unite to honor
him. Therefore he asked the guests present
to accord a special welcome to one OF the
authors of a tariff enabling freer trade IN
the United States, and so substituting Tor
the fluctuations which had been so disas-
trous TO commerce sounder business rela-
tons which had benefited both countries.
Mr.. Wilson was loudly cheered as he rose
to respond. He was heartily grateful, he
said for this manifestation of good will
Nothing less than full sense of the honor
implied by the invitation of the chamber
would have caused him to interrupt the rest
he had sought by taking the ocean voyage
and his too brief sojouru in this historic
country. He felt embarrassed as to how to
address such q gathering Of experienced
business men, and felt conscious that he
could not speak upon the subjects within
the field Of their special knowledge. lie
preferred TO speak solely as an American cit
izen upon matters withwhich he was familiar.
Hear. hear For ten years, he said, the
United States had been the arena Of one OF
the greatest political conflicts in the history
of Americans, aud he was confident that the
troubles which they had now passed through
had given a momentum to a new era in the
! life of the United States, and especially as
10 the position of the country toward the
rest of the world. )Cheersl For twenty
five wears the United States had been fol-
lowing the policy that China had adopted.
The principle of commercial seclusioa had
clipped the wings Of her enterprise and tet-
tered her own industries. Never before in
the history Of the world had protection had
40 fair an arena in which TO work out its
beneficial results, lift had any, and never
in the history of the world had it so con-
spicuously demonstrated its falsity and utter
impotence as an economic system, and Its
utter incompatibility with pure government.
The whole generation had been taught
that national and individual prosperity did
not depend upon free and stable govern
ment and the energy and enterprise of the
people. but upon acts Of Congress which
taxed all for the benefit of the few. Was ii
strange. then, he asked, that the intelligent
people of theU nited States should in time re-
iect such policy Every appeal to selfish
interests had been resorted to, TO bolster the
system up. The workmen of America were
constantly told, aud for time induced tc
believe that better wages and higher
standard ofliyiug depended solely upon the
taxation of foreign imports that any re-
duction of this taxation would plunge them
into the hopeless condition Of the so-caleC
pauper labor of Europe 1t was agains
such arguments that they had been com
pelled. slowly and laboriously, to maintain
fight The American people, however
were not hard to educate when they once
gave their attention to the great question
their own taxation, because they had beer
trained in the great principles Of liberty.
They quickly learned that industries sup
ported by taxation never became selfsuP
portiug. but rather became more olamoroU
f,r nublic assistance. The working peOpl,
especially. learned that while taxation upoI
competing products might benefit the EN-
Movers. vet there was free trade in wha
thew themselves had to SELL namely, thei
own labor. The people generally foln'
that under a protective tariff were growing
no trusts. mouopolies, &c which were men
acing free government, aud that the wealtl
extracted 10y taxation was being employee,
TO debaueh elections and corrupt Legislators
Mr.. Wilson said ne be,ieyed that b.
might claim that the protective system wa
. now oyerthrown. The operation of the new
. tariff bin, though it had not itself over
thrown protection, marked the first an'
most difficult step 10 the revolution whicI