Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-02-20

closely to Republican policies than West
Virginia. You have extensive river
commerce, both on the Ohio and the
Kanawha, and this is never 50 prosper
GUS and active as when our great steel
and iron interests, your mines, your
mills, your factories are busily en-
ployed (Cries Of That's right)
your railroads, reaching now more
than 1000 miles, with their employees
are all better off when every field of in
dustry is employed. Every railroad
employe from track man to manager
appreciates this as he never appreciated
il before. Then, have you considered
that perhaps no other equal territory,
no other 20, 900 square miles Of the soil
of the United States, mighty as her re-
sources are, could contain 50 many in
terests whose development, growth and
progress are dependent upon the main
tenance Of the great Republican doc
triLe Of protection? Great applause. }
Your development is new. Your rich
resources are scarcely touched. You
have the best of coal in inexhaustible
quantities, an area three ffths as large
as that of your entire state, producing
last year more than eleven million tons.
yield exceeded by only three other
states Of the Union. Your product of
coke exceeds 1,250,000 tons, equal in
quality to the output of any other state,
except possibly Pennsylvania. Then,
in timber your interests are Of remark
able Importance with an annual product
of over $50, 000, 900 feet, your sawmills
giving employment to thousands of men
and boys, with an annual payroll Of
thousands of dollars, not including your
logging operations The product of your
stave mills, the output of your great tie
industries, which certainly added as
much more in wages when running in
full and successful operation prior to
1898. Your oil product has approx
mated ten million barrels per annum
This industry is but in ITS infancy and
the possibilities of your oil fields are al
most incredible. But your wealth does
not end in railroad and river trade, iron,
steel, glass, COAL coke, timber, oil, pot
terry or other manufactures or mineral
products, for West Virginia is a great
state in her agricultural resources. Gap.
plause.)
Industries Have suffered.
About one-half of the state is not in
use for farming and grazing, but agri-
culture is the chief interest in the ma
jolity Of your counties, while wool
growing and stock raising have assumed
large proportions. How much the sew
eral industrials have suffered in the last
three years you know better than can
tell you, How much the wool growers
have lost those who have sheep and
raise wool know accurately They know
what the experience of the last three
years have cost them to the very cent.
All these interests are directly affected;
all are benefited or injured by our in
dustrial legislation. You know and the
people know that every one Of them were
advanced by Republican policies and
that all of them have been more or less
injured by Democratic legislation.
(Great applause and cries Of You are
right'). With such almost inexhausti-
bic wealth III your midst; with such
possibilities of development and growth;
with SO excellent foundation for in
creased business and greater general
prosperity, bid you not spare men of
the opportunity to arouse them to their
true interests, to the Immense import
ance to the issues of the present cam
paign, as they affect their welfare in
every business calling or occupation that
can be named. Your interests as peo-
pie no longer run on sectional ties.
(Cheers). Thank God the last lingering
arrangements between the north and
south are forever effaced (Great APP
plause). And the appeal for the restora-
ton of the American system of protec-
ton and the continuance of sound
system of finance is indefinitely more
important TO West Virginia than any
other political questions that engage
their attention. (Applause). Sectional
questions are not discussed. Patriotism
is paramount and the peoples welfare
and the country's honor are the supreme
and overmastering issues commanding
the attention of both north and south.
(Great applause). Under the bene-
ficient operations of Republican indus
trial policies, your state has in a brief
period practically doubled it's population
and quadrupled its wealth, and if you
continue to advance in the next 90 years
as you advanced from 1870 to 1890 you
can only hope to do it under a system
which encourages home industry and
gives steady employment to willing
hands at renumerative wages. Tire
mendous cheering and cries of 'Hurrah
for Mckinley,
The Stream of Progress.
"Your development and prosperity
under a wise system of tariff will give
you better towns, better farms, better
farm houses. better schools, better
homes and happier people, applause
and cries of That's right') Take the
powders out of the stream of progress;
do not shut the door of opportunity
in the face of our future and that of
your children. On the contrary, open
wide your gates, invite new people and
new capital to come in, but remember
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