The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-01-02

calling attention 70 Outstanding facts.
They are 50 plain and convincing that
q wayfaring man, even though he be a
PARTISAN opponent, may see.
1.-THE purpose Of this second letter
thus addresser TO you Is the same as
the purpose OF cur first letter. The
purpose OF that letter was an appeal
to You 70 heed the call TO Washington
Of the business world to give us relief
We have been asked what we expect:
ed to accomplish in the writing OF
that first letter? Our answer. made
now in the light Of experience and
free from partsanship and the passion
Of an approaching election, is clear
and unmistakable..
1.-THE purpose of the relief we ask.
ed In that letter was to avoid that
which We therein stated would come
to pass. VIZ: that women should sit
helpless in cold. dismal little rooms
and their children face starvation.
we stand upon this appeal and
feel that in the presence OF nation
with humanitarian instincts We stand
upon solid ground.
Let all who will sneer at the sug.
gestion that the business men of this
country do feel for the woe and sui.
fering of their employees. Neverthe-
less, the broad. clear fact stands out
that in our former letter the Bust.
ness Mems Association Of Montgom.
cry county based their appeal on hu-
manitarian grounds. We called for
help to avoid that which has now
happened and We call for It from
Washington because 1t was only from
Washington that this help could come.
Only at Washington and only under
your direction can the tariff which
now paralyzes the industries OF this
country be so amended as to give
them that protection that will left this
depression. Read our former letter.
please. and refresh your mind as to
what our appeal was.
at is upon that appeal that we still
stand.
War Not Good Excuse.
at will not meet the situation to
answer US by saying that the war has
interrered with importations and,
therefore. we do not suffer from for.
eIgn competition. In the first place,
importations have not ceased. Tha.
fallacy might as well be exploded here
as to be reserved for further discus.
sion. Destructive importations have
not ceased. In the second place, the
war has placed some business at our
disposal and to this extent helped US,
but despite this fact so great has been
the blow against our industries by
the present tariff law that even with
the help OF such war orders as have
reached us our industries as whole
lie crippled or idle.
"We place this question squarely
before you. Why do you not make
your theories successfully work or
give us those that will? The business
world is asking Just that question.
and we now bring It to you direct.
You must accept the responsibility for
the conditions which we now face.
Had your theories, which have been
enacted into laws by docile Congress
brought forth peace and plenty in the
land you would have accepted the
universal praise gladly as q part OF
your reward, and the business men
you ungrudging praise.
"Since, then, these theories have
brought depression upon tho indus
tries Of our land and idleness for vast
hosts Of the working class, upon
whom shall We place the responsibility
for that result? 1t must come to you.
1t rightly belongs there. From that
responsibility you cannot escape and
somebody ought TO be brave and pa
triotic enough TO squarely say SO.
at may be that this letter will no
more move our President than did our
former letter. We trust 1t will. II.
however, his ears are closed to our
appeal; Il tho wasted energies OF our
Industrial leaders, the idle hands OF
a vast multitude OF willing workers
and even the cry OF hunger are of no
avail, then we at least may be held
blameless. We have asked for bread.
II a stone is the peoples portion the
bitterness will surely be intensified
when they reflect that they might
have had bread. But We viii hope
that the second appeal will not be in
vain, for we have now laid before
you concrete evidence that the cry
Of hunger is in the land. With that
cry ringing in the ears Of our Presi-
dent and the Congress about him, we
dare believe that that for which we
prayed in our former letter shall not
be denied US now.
at ought to go on record that the
business men OF this country have
met the new laws enacted in the
spirit of honorable citizenship. They
have met them with determined
purpose to wrest success and prosper.
ity under their dominance. II their
faith In some cases was weak their
work at least was sincere and deter
mined. That. they have failed is not
their fault. Success was not posi-
BILE. The new theories have. under
practical pressure collapsed. The
,.lEl :. . a.Ns .a,,,try Nos, 10.