The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-09-19
PROUD 70 MEET HIN
R. GHKESON,
.cIethIOF and FuFnISheF
1o7 Main g.

government under the constitution
has por ight or power to impose or
collect tariff duties except for the
purpose of revenue, and we demand
that the collection Of such taxes
shall bc limited to the necessities Of
government honestly and economi-
cally administered"
The idea of protection is thrown
aside as Of no Importance in spite OF
the fact that this country has been
made one Of the greatest manufactur-
Ing countries in the world, In which
the laboring man is the best paid Of
any country upon the face Of the
Globe. Free trade Of course Is
adroitly Stunned in the platform but
since the Democratic party has adopt
ed the policy of raising revenue by
an income tax and other methods, 1t
is plain to- be seen that free trade is
the ultimate goal Of the Democracy.
This Democratic falacy has been
time and again exploded to be again
temporarily inflated by the gaseous
fumes generated by Democratic VIC
tory, and time will again demonstrate
to the voters of the United States
that the Democratic tariff policy is
one based on error and promoted by
oily.
There is no better evidence OF this
han the effect of protective tariff
IN the tin plate industry. {,
The protective duty was placed
lpon tin plate by the Mckinley tariff
act approved October /, 1890. The
law increased the duty from one cent
to two and two-tenths cents per
pound.
When the Mckinley law went into
effect tin plate mills sprang up all
over the country and the amount OF
imported tin plate commenced to di-
minish and the American production
began to increase, the production in
creasing from $50 tons in 1890 to
500, 900 tons In 1912.
Repeated efforts had been made to
manufacture tin plate in the Uniteo
States before and all had failed. The
protective duty was absolutely ncces-
sary to establish the business. In
1904 the Wilson-G German bill was
passed reducing the duty on tin
plate to 1.2 cents per pound but such
skill had been developed by the Amer
lean manufacturer that the mills con-
tinued to struggle for business, naru
times followed and a general reduce
tioh of wages was the inevitable re-
fsult.
We know of no manufacturing
business paying higher wages to Ia
Dor than the tin plate industry of
this country. We learned during the
strike Of the Phillips tin mill work
ers at Clarksburg short time ago,
where no question of wage was In
yolved in the strike, that some Of the
rollers received as high as $500 per
day and thatc ommon laborers in the
mills were paid no less than $3.50
per day.
The West Virginian does not want
to be placed in the list Of calamity
howlers and would not in any man
ner seek to injure business but we
make the prediction based on past ex-
perience that under the Democratic
tariff policy which is soon to be test
ed in this country that wages will
drop and the most conspicuous exam
pie will be offered by the tin plate
workers.
These are the reasons We think 1t
unwise to elect Mr.. Nicely to congress
to represent the greatest manufac-
turing district in the state, where
the tin plate industry is now in the
l most Furnishing condition with or
ders booked by the mills insurtng ca
pacity production, and with thou
sands of men obtaining the highest
wages ever paid in this country for
similar work.
And what is said of the tin plate
industry applies with equal force to
practically every line of manufactur-
ing In the district.
The Republican party will nomi-
nate I'M all probability Julian G.
Hearne, of Wheeling, man brought
up in the Wheeling manufacturing
district and aman fully conVersant
with the problems of the manufac-
rurers and the needs of the laboring
man. A man who has stood squarcly
Gefore the people of the state during
his terms in the House Of Delegates
and IT. the Senate, of which body he
Is still one Of the ablest members,
aud voted in favor of practically
every progressive legislative act that
has been placed upon our statute
books during his time of public ser
vice.
Mr.. Hearne is fundamentally
sound OH the tariff question, Mr., Nee
lily is chronicaIIy and hopelessiy
wrong upon the issue. For this rea-
son we commend Mr.. Hearne to tho
voters of the First Congressional dis
tritt.