Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-04-05
Severe Condemnation.

New Yorl: Times
The Chamber of Commerce IS not pouy
Of politicians or of partisans. Its MEMBER
sbIps includes. Democrats Republicans
and Independents, and among these are
many convinced and ardent protectionists.
As business men, the members OF the
r,hanber are concerned in all forms OF
trade and Industry. foreign and domestic.
They are importers and exporters manu-
facturers. iobbers, commission merchahts'
shippers. railway and ship owners. BANK
ers II would obviously be impossible tor
sncb body to treat a revenue bill pending
IN Congress- from the point of view OF any
ono Marty or any one business interest
without exciting the most lively division oil
sentiment.
yet the Chamber of Commerce, with
onlv two or three dissenting votes, con-
dennis the Dingley bill as it passed the
House of Representatives as excessive
and. likely 10 excite reaction harmful to
business and to the best interests of the
Country" The Chamber further declared
that the bin should be carefully revised
in the direction of a reduction of the
rates of duty proposed, TO the end that
system Of tariff taxation may be adopted
that shall be reasonably permanent, ana
sbeu insure TO the business interests OF the
country certain measure Of immunity
from early change" In support OF TINS
resolution the strongest action was used
bv Republicans like Mr.. Charles Stewart
Smith the former President Of the Cham
Der.
Two points are noteworthy in the action
of the Chamber of Commerce and in the
debate that accompanied it. one Is that
the strongest feeling Of disapproval-it
would not be too strong to call it abhor-
rence-was concentrated on the wool and
wooden duties This plainly is the worst
part of the bill. not because the principle
on which it is constructed is any more alb
surd or cruel than that applied TO some
other trades. but because the interests
affected are so extensive and thesVice OF
the bill is sure to ramify over so large
part of all the business of the country
The wool and wooden schedule manages
in one swvep to demoraliZe and revolution
ize. first, the manufacture Of carpets ana
wooden fabrics: second. a large part OF the
trade. wholesale and retail, in carpets,
clothing and dry goods, and, finally, 1t
threatens to double the cost of an i'm
portant part of the consumption of every
family and thus to derange all the trades
that depend on domestic custom. And
in doing all this mischief it cannot pos
sibly benefit even the wool growers. for
whose advantage it is pretended to be
framed.
The second point is that the sober bust
ness men of the Chamber Of Commerce see
plainly that this extreme measure is bound
to induce reaction. Now reaction means
not merely the overthrow of the Repuhi-
can party in the House or In the whole
national government, but the substitution
of the Democratic party. As that party
is now organized, led. and constituted.
with the views and purposes on finance
which make its official programme, its re-
turn to power would be national dis
aster This is why the business men Of
the country are now demanding with stern
emphasis and almost in despair that the
tariff bill Shall be thoroughly and radical
~ revised. 1t is a question OF revision or
disaster