Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-10-29

to 81 cents per bushel, and can be again
made believe that the same admins
tration is not responsible for its present
low price is the kind Of a numskul1
Elkins took him to be- And evidently
there were few present, for his refer
cree to that matter elected applause,
led by the aforesaid postmaster editor.
He further said the Dingley bill pro-
tected the laborers against the pauper
labor of Europe. Yet, in almost the
same breath, favored the annexation of
islands populated with millions of the
| most ignorant and vicious people on
the face of the globe, the average OF
whom cannot count beyond ten.
He also asserted that. by the wise
and far-seeing policy of the Republic
can party, the wealth OF the nation had
been increased over six hundred mill
ions of dollars, as shown by balance
of trade in our favor. Some of his
hearers must have had the creduilty
to believe this. for he was again ap-
plauded. 1t was again evident that his
plaudlts came from class who had
been blinded by partisanship, or were
too ignorant to see that, If Mckinley
was entitled to credit for the large de-
| mand for wheat abroad, he must of ne
cessity be responsible for the famine in
India and the short crop in Europe
which caused the demand.
He had the brazen effrontery to say
that the bonds issued by Cleveland were
for meeting the expenses of the gov
eminent, when it is matter of record,
as shown by Cleveland. that not ore
dollar of the bond issue was used for
that purpose there being a surplus for
that purpose in the treasury. He again
dWelt upon the statement that our large
expectation of grain was ne to wise
and far-seeing policy of the Republican
party, but failed to tell what that far
seeing and wise policy was, that made
a foreigner buy grain which he did not
need. From this logic it ought to be
clear to any man that the Dingley bill,
which had for its purpose the exclusion
of foreign products, would so increase
their love for it's promoters that they
would feel so grateful that they would
fall over themselves in trying to buy
grain of the United States, because the
United States would not buy anything
from them if it could help it. So much
for sly Stephens sophistry on that line.
He boasted that cotton mills were
clearing twenty per cent. per annum,
but failed to tell us that cotton is now
sold at five cents per pound, which is
cheaper than ever before known. This
information could not help being highly
pleasing to the tillers and owners of
cotton plantations.
He said clothing was cheaper than
ever before" Cotton being now cheap
err than ever before in the history of
cur country, ard cotton mills clearing
twenty per cent. per annum, and cloth
ing selling for less than heretofore,
must be highly satisfactory to the labor
ers, the producers Of cotton and cloth
ing.
cleveland could not keep up the gold
reserve; it fell to forty-four millions"
Does not Elkins and every other man
in the land know that raid upon the
treasury, like those made in the days
Of Cleveland, would necessitate the issu-
ing of bonds, just as it did then, to
maintain a gold standard policy? And
does not Elkins know that shortly after
McKinley's election there was con-
spiracy on foot among the New York
bankers to make a similar raid and
compel another issue of bonds (see Pub
lie Opinion; and that it was checked
by threat that it would force McKin-
ley to declare that payment could be
honestly and lawfully made in either
metal, gold or silver? Democrats, ne
said, were unacquainted with a surplus!
1t is an indisputable fact that had it
not been for the bond issue of Cleveland
he treasury, under McKinley's admin
istration, would have been bankrupt
and $65, 900, 00O beside. And in fact
the very surplus Of which he now
boasts (S563, O00, 000) consists of the
$3.50, eco, eco left by Cleveland and the
$500 COO, 900 bond issue, made as pre-
text for war purposes, and not satisfied
with this colossal sum, the administra
ton levied an internal revenue tax Of
one million dollars per day, which is
unjustly exacted from the people to
cover up the deficiency of f42, 100000
Of the Dingley bill in the first year of
its existence. He also claimed that we
were sending tin plate to England, but
did not explain why the consumers here
should be compelled to pay more for tin
for the purpose of keeping out foreign
tin, when we could undersell them at
their own homes. He read from the
Lewis county assessment furnished by
the postmaster editor, who failed TO
explain why the Board of Public Works
last year reduced the value Of West
Virginia roilrosc,s III Lewis county s21,-
eco, or, a few years ago, the assessment
of property in Solomon Yoke's "a Dem
ocraD district, increased year by year,
while the assessment Of property in
Harvey Halls "a Republican and a
cousin of the postmaster EDITOR de-
creased year by year, under Demo-
cratic administration. Was it scheme
then to make votes at future day by
depreciating the price Of property which
later on was to be showed up under
Republican administration? This may
have been a part of the "far-seeing pol
icy" referred to by the cunning Sena-
tor. who, when talking OF a surplus.
failed to tell that West Virginia was
handed over to them with a surplus,
and that G. Wesley Atkinson used up
the annual contingent fund Of twelve
thousand dollars in less than six
months.
He took squarely opposite grounds
from James G. Blaine on a tariff on
Canadian coal. But failed to sustain
himself by showing wherein it would
be UNJUST. Blaine showed how it would
benefit us because he demonstrated that
we exported more coal to Canada than
they shipped to America.
He said wood land had advanced
from So to $40 per acre. but failed to
mention that all the largest saw and