Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-11-20
A FEW QUESTIONS
WRsA Perhaps Capt. Dovener VIII Take
Pleasure in Answering.

WRzsA Perhaps Capt. Dovener VIII rake
Pleasure in Answering.
To the Editor of the Register.
Will Captain B. B. Dovener, Con-
gressman-elect, kindly answer as fol-
lows with reference to the tariff laws:
He saws. in the Sunday News, the
government must have money to meet
current expenses, and that the present
tariff law has failed to yield sufficient
revenue for that purpose. And then
says:
II can only say that I am in favor
of tariff legislation during the present
session for the purpose Of furnishing
relief to certain industries, including
manufacturers of tin plate. Our pot
teries need some additional protection,
and certainly our farmers should have
protection for their wool.
This is a good text. On it allow me
to make some remarks and ask some
pertinent questions:
Captain Dovener says the present
tariff laws don't furnish the needful
revenue, and yet he proposes to reduce
it in order to protect certain Industries,
and investments-to wit, those named
above-the tin plate business, the pot
teries and the wool growers.
Captain, if you protect them, by what
rule or on what line do you promise TO
increase the deficiency in the revenues
which you now claim is inadequate TO
the needs and wants Of the govern
ment? If you protect these industries
and businesses does it prevent the I'M
pOrtatiOn of these commodities, and, II
so, of course no revenues from them
will be collected. In that case, or
course, the deficiency in the revenues
will be increased.
When you stop imports you encourage
home production and home labor, but
must necessarily lose the revenue.
This being a fact, and there is no
doubt of the truthfulness Of the PROPOSE
ton, what is your remedy or where are
you going to obtain your revenue?
If the present tariff is failure as a
revenue producer, won't yours be a
worse one? l ask this question in all
candor. You say tin plate manufac-
turers need more protection. For what?
ask, and beg to say that less than
nine months ago pig iron was selling
freely at IS per ton and less, and steel
billets, from which the sheets are roll
ed that the tin plates is made out OF,
was worth from S14 to $15 per ton. The
pig iron is now worth SIT and the billets
worth S23. If they are advanced an
other dollar on the ton the price will
be too high for the tin plate makers,
and they must stop. This is why you
want more protection, is 1t?
The car building industry is good.
More cars are ordered now to be built
in a hurry than ever there was before
at any one time in the history Of the
country. Railroad repairs and work is
on a par with the car building. And
why? l ask. Because Of the enormous
crops in the hands of the farmer TO be
moved But how about the farmers
prices? They are lower than ever they
were known before. You don't propose
any protection or bounty for the wheat,
corn, oats, hemp, pork and other pro-
ducers. but you do for the tin plate
workers. If you can obtain another
dollar or one and a half dollars per box
for him-he is now receiving about
$1.65 per box on what he is working
it will enable the workers of pig iron
and steel billets to shove up the price
of their productions on the railroads
and other concerns without arousing the
indignation of the tin plate men. You
know you must all pull together and in
harmony to prevent a squeel. II the
tin plate men are squeezed they will
be heard from Ii they can be APP
peased by the passage Of pop gun
bill to reach them it will help the other
fellows and will save you fellows from
the effort of passing another Mckinley
bill. something you dread and fear. A
small shop will do for the pottery BUSH
ness But how about that wool BUSH
ness? Captain, don't you think you
had better go a little slow on that? The
passage of a bill to help the wool grow
ers won't cover the cries and lamenta-
tiOns of the farmers generally. The
raiser Of corn, wheat, oats, pork, beef
hemp and cotton won't be appeased
in that way, and the wearers of warm
woollens and the poor people who are
now sleeping under warm woollen
blankets for the first time in their lives
will not be satisfied to have the price
of their $40 wooden suits Of clothes
changed on them to $40, and blankets
and all other wColen ware in the same
proportion.
know. Captain, you people say the
she ep have been voting lately and
done your party much good in the late
elections. But bewarei There are other
interest on the farmers of this country
besides the wool growers. If you pro-
tect wool and fail to put other farming
interests in the list of protected indus
tries, or on the bounty list, you may
meet the hogs, cattle, horses, etc, at the
polls in 1895, TO Offset that sheep vote
you are now claiming as having done
you so much good at the late election.
A TARIFF REFORMER.
Moundsville, w. Va, Nov. IS.