Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-11-18
COL. BEN WILSON.
his VIEWS As TO SOME OF THE CAUSES OF
DEMOCRATIC DEFEAT.
The Business Depression, the Presidents Danuncia-
lion Of the Senate Amendments, Free Wool,
Coal and Iron, Etc, All Combined.

uon OF me celale hWeHUmtutei EIoo "VS-i
Coal and Iron, Etc, All Combined.
Col. Bent. Wilson was asked yester-
day to give his views upon the result Of
late elections-the causes operating to
bring about these results, and consent
ing TO an interview, he was asked:
"Colonel, what in your opinion caused
the recent Democratic defeat?"
Il cannot euumerate all the causes
nor do know what they are. But II
the tariff bill had passed early in the
session, so that the people could have
realized its good effects before the cleo
ton, and il it had not been so bitterly
denounced by Democrats in and ont OF
Congress. before and after its passage
by the Senate, producing an apathetic
feeling among Democrats, and II 1t had
not been for the expressed determine
ton bv some Democrats to continue
tariff agitation, the party would prOba-
bly, have been successful at the polls"
Did anything else probably con-
tribute TO the result?'
Eyes. the business depression and
hard times had much 10 do with 1t.
And then il is said, you know. that the
President had branded the bill while 1t
was in the Senate with "perhdY and
dishnnor" This was at time when
he reasonably supposed that 1t wonld
be amended or that changes would Do
made by a conference committee, but
those changes never came, and the bill
thus branded became law without
the Presidents signature and went be-
fore the country. You know as vel. as
I do how Republican newspapers and
stumpers irritated the Democracy By
parading before them the Presidents
denunciation of the bill. Aud from the
high favor in which ne has been held
his opinion, thus expressed, discour-
aged and disguised large numbers Of
Democrats who abstained from voting"
WOOL
do you think that free wool cut any
figure 10 the campaign"
Certainly 10 did. The wool producers,
or majority of them, did not realize
and could not be induced 10 realize how
the putting foreign wool on the free list
would benefit them. This feeling may
he changed by the practical effect Of
existing law within the next TWO years,
and il certainly will be if free wool shall
accomplish as much good for the cOun-
try and be as acceptable TO the people
as free
BEEF HIDES
have been. This country does not pro-
duce a sufficient amount of either wool
or beef hides for home consumption,
not enough for wool clothing, blankets
and carpets, nor enough beef hides for
boots. shoes, harness leather, etc. In
any event we must import from Ter
eign countries both wool and hides or
the manufactured products thereof. Up
10 about 1878 our American factories
did not produce the leather goods that
our people consumed, and hence we i'm
Dorted from Germany, France and Eng
land large amounts. 1t was in that
year. 1873, as l remember, that Con-
gress, a Republican Congress, put for
eign beef hides on the free list thus en-
abliug American manufacturers to 90
into the markets of the world, aud eS-
uecialIy into Mexico, Central and South
America, and 10 purchase hides and lay
them down at home as cheaply as Euro
pean manufacturers procured them.
Then 10 was that competition, upon
equal terms, began between American
aud European manufacturers, and the
result has been most gratifying 10
Americans.
"The superior intelligence and superior
working capacity OF our people, and
;he superiority OF our machinery have
enabled our own factories to outstrip
our European rivals. Before we had
free hides In this country we purchased
largely, as l have said, of leather goods
from abroad-and especially was this so
of the best grades of ladies and gentle
mems shoes aud boots Since then our
own factories have supplied our own
people with as good grades Of these
articles as are produced 10 the world,
and 40 greatly reduced and satisfactory
prices. In addition 10 the supply Of our
home demand we are going out into the
markets of the world in competition with
European manufactures and selling
many millions Of dollars ANNUALLY Of
our leather goods. Nor is this all. Free
hides made new and enlarged factories
necessary. These absorbed millions of
dollars, pro6tably invested, and gave
employment 10 many thousands OF
workingmeu, women and children. 1t
also largely increased our home market
Cor the various articles Of food and
raiment and materially added to the
wealth OF the country. Now, the advO-
Gates OF free wool claim that il
Will add more wealth TO the country
and be as beneficial or more beneficial
10 the people than free hides have besn.
And If this shall not be so, why is it
that our Republican friends have not,
through the press and on the stump,
explained why 10 is not so. Both woe
and hides are produced By farmers and
grangers. Both are articles Of prime
necessity. It is just as important for
man TO have cheap clothes on his back
as cheap shoes on his feet. Why did
our Republican friends discriminate be-
tween the two?
COAL AND IRON ORE.
what effect did reducing the duty
on coal and iron ore have ia the recent
siection?'
81 know very little about iron ore.
But the reduction on coal had the un-
,,,iees l-aab'e aWapt If rurninu n larra