The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-10-14
a Ind,rlrY ~ ProLeelion.

II enc Register GOES not appreciate
the tributes to West Virginia coal. and
the comments from other papers, I'M
GLIDING foreign trade journals. on the
wonderful resources Of this state, and
the most remarkable development that
has occurred in the past ten years,
which the IntellIgencer has reproduced
and commented upon, we cannot help It.
Instead of joining the exploit of the In
dustrial progress in the state, which is
such source of general satisfaction to
the people, and which is bringing West
virginia to the front and attracting the
attention of the commercial world. our
nelshbor is consistent enough with its
policy Of resOrting to any and every
thing TO discredlt this progress, to gar
BILE the publications of the Intelhgencer,
and to harp upon the one cry that, IF
these conditions described are true, why
neutrality-suspicious. for what?"
The very logic Of the situation and OF
the history of the development Of the
industry answers the question. It has
occurred under the protective system.
The coal operators and the miners of
West Virginia do not need to have re-
called to their memories the opposition
on their part to free coal. and of the
account they settled with Mr.. Wilson.
The men interested in this industry and
the people indirectly interested are not
all Republicans. II the Register does
not recall the difference in conditions
under reduction Of the tariff, not only
on coal, but on lumber and on about
every other production Of the country,
and present and previous conditions.
statistics are easily obtainable.
Moreover, II the Register doesn't know
why protection was demanded on coal,
in eface Of effortsof syndicates owning
Nova Scotia fields which were COM
petlng with US In our eastern home mar
kets, we may refer 1t to some well
known Democratic coal operators and
their men who helped to defeat Mr.. VIII
son, and who went to washington City
and protected before the ways and
means committee against the reduction
OF the tarin. They were men of high
position az party leaders. Ex-senator
Henry G. Davis, whose speech in sup
port of Mr.. McGraw the Register pub
llshed in full the other day, was one Of
these leaders to whom we refer the Reg
lister. Or we can furnish the Register
with Mr.. Davis statement to the ways
and means committee during the forma-
tion of the Wilson bill, and his Quletus
on Mr. Bryan, of Nebraska, a member
of the committee, who undertook to ask
him some questions.
Mr.. Davis demonstrated that he knew
more OF the needs of our coal industry
chan Mr.. Bryan. who didn't live in coal
country. Mr.. Davis many years expert
ence in the work OF developing the coal
resources of this state stood him in good
stead. Mr.. Davis is engaged in the
campaign on the Democratic side, and
will gladly furnish the Register with
the information desired. Governor Mac
corkle, and very large number of
other Democrats, especially those promi-
nent in the coal industry, and not few
Democratic miners, might also enlighten
our contemporary.
Finally, It should not be necessary to
repeat that the point in the Intelligent
GERS articles did not necessarily involve
the tariff question. for 1t was wholly
based upon the fear expressed in the
European journals that the conditions
of trade and labor which exist there,
will result in American coal getting
some Of their markets away from them.
When this comes about, and. bear In
mind, 1t is not yet contamination, then
perhaps our tariffs can stand reduction.
That is the spirit of the Republican doc
trine. Foster and build up the indus
try, widen the field Of operations, and
when foreign markets are captured and
held, there may be no need of high pro-
lection.
Commercial and Industrial expansion
is one of the Republican policies, and II
the demagogues will show themselves
capable of enough public spirit to see
something besides mere partisanship in
the matter of the Industrial develop
ment, which is for the general welfare,
they VIII not find themselves in the POSI-
ton of a party opposed to any and
everything having this end in view.