The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-21
THE INTELLTGENCER.
WHEELING, AUGUST 81, 1897.


The Wilson law increased foreign pros
perity at our eNpense-st. Louis Globe
Democrat. -
our Increased expectations OF manufac-
tured goods. Do you argue that the more
American goods exported the better II Is
for foreign ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
During the campaign of last year the
Register, and most other Bryan organs,
refused to discuss the. tariff question;
there was no word OF defense Of the VII
son law. When Republican papers mem
toned tariff they were accused Of trying
to divert attention from the silver issue.
which the Popocratic press insisted was
the only issue before the people. The
very names of Wilson and Cleveland
were offensive to the Bryan editors.
Recent developments have, however,
not only demonstrated the utter absurdi-
" OF the silverite arguments, but have
left the advocates of the cheap money
issue without peg to stand upon. There
Is a campaign on in some Of the states
this year, and, deprived OF their silver
arguments, which are being laughed at
by the people OF the whole country. in
view of the circumstances which have
exposed their fallacy, they are now turn
ing 10 the old time, and long since dead
free trade cry, in the hopes that the peo-
pies attention may be diverted from the
ridiculous position In which the Bryan
ties find themselves. The stock phrases
and false claims regarding the Wilson
bill, which were abandoned last year, are
accordingly being resurrected from the
grave where they were consigned by the
voters of the United States in 1894 and
again in 1856.
The above paragraph from our neigh
Dor, the Register, is a sample Of the
shrewdly worled arguments that are be-
ing INDUCED in. 1t does not require an
extraordinary amount OF intelligence on
the part of any person to see the evasion
that is implied in the questions pro-
pounded. The st. Louis Globe Democrat
Is right, and. in answering it with the
questions quoted, the Register ignores
the point made by its western contem-
porary.
The point Is that the Wilson bill open
ed the gates to the importation OF foreign
products of a kind that had heretofore
been produced in this country By the
single item of free wool. the American
wool grower was impoverished to the ex-
tent of millions of dollars and his aocks
depleted; foreign pottery ware, wooden
goods. and other articles Of foreign man
ufacture were imported in increased
qualities, and our mills and factories
were closed all over the country Or, in
order TO continue in competition with the
cheaper foreign products. their employees
were obliged to accept low wages.
During the entire time that the Will
son law was in force hard times prevail.
ed IN this country. There was no pros
parity at any time OF It's enforcement,
and the Register will not say that there
was any condition which even approach
ed PROSPERITY. Prices were 70 low that
there was scarcely an Industrial estab-
lishment In the country running at n
profit The bill which It's authors had
promised was going to be such a blessing
TO the country, relieve the people from
taxation" and give employment at good
wages to the labor Of the country, proved
a curse, and under its "beneHcent' work.
ings were idle men and idle mills.
In the past year or 80 our manufactur-
ers or iron and steel have succeeded in
entering the English and other markets.
because the low standard of wages es-
tabllshed under the low tarlG enabled
them to compete with the similarly low
standard across the water In some in
stances, and in other instances. because
OF the superiority OF the products These
markets did not, however, compensate
for the loss sustained to labor. and to
manufacturing and commercial intorests
at home, where depression existed on
every side
Exports did increase especially In arr
ricultural products, rs they are stlll In
creasing, and II may he said that under
the Dngley law our manufacturers are
still finding new markets abroad, but
under the Wilson law our Imports nlgo
increased with the result above noted.
The Register and other free trade