The daily gazette., 1882-11-22
pails Gasette
wIImlsoToS. wEDsEsnA4. nov. .
The Dsprssssa IRON Trade.

The depressed condition OF the iron trade
which has been plainly apparent for several
weeks, and which may become quite serious
n the course Of current events does not soon
change, is declared by certain Republican
Journals Of tho demagogue stripe to be one
OF the natural results Of the Democratic
victories a; the fall elections.
There are various cogent arguments that
conclusisely prove the utter failacy of such
statement, the chief Of which is that the
sariff Is mot such party issue as to make
its maintenance or abrogatiod dependent
upon the success of either party at the
polls. In proof Of this we have only to
refer to the fact that while many Democrats
and Republicans in the East unite In sup
port Of high protective tariff, in the. West
we find them combining for the enforce
ment OF free trade doctrines in their
most radical form. The leading
Republican journal of the country, the
New York Times, Is q bold advocate of free
trade, and is ably seconded in this direction
by the Chicago Tribune, the leading Repub
iican paper Of the Northwest. The Repub
lican papers of this city reveal the same
tariff absurdities, for one Of them advocates
high protection under the editorial direction
Of rabid New York free-trader, while
the other advocates the protection Of the
American workingman, and adopts prin
eiples in It's business that deprive q
mechanic of a show for work at any wages
and tend to load the labor market with Q
gang Of incompetent botches without the
remotest idea of the real extent of the trade
they profess TO learn.
Ifany further argument is needed in this
direction It will be found in the interview
with Mr.. James NJ. SwaBk, Secretary Of the
American Iron and Steel Association, taken
from the Philadelphia Record, which we
publish elsewhere in to-day's paper. Mr..
6wank shows conclusively that the depres-
sion is due entirely to natural causes and
would have prevailed had the fall elections
resulted in Republican instead Of a Demo-
cratic victory. His eminent position in tae
Iron trade gives authority to his views upon
this subject, and every candid, fair minded
rea Ter will be inclined to accept them as
the solid truth.
Politicians and demagogues might as well
bring their narrow minds 10 q realization of
the fact that the people of thia country are
competent to manage their own political
affairs, and very seldom make any mistakes
II this direction. They decided, by large
majority, to make a radical change
in the political complexion of the
lower House Of Congress, and
as their work cannot now be un-
done it would perhaps be at least decent tc
wait and see what the actual result Of this
change will be. A similar change resulted
in 1856, in sweeping reduction of th,
national expenditures that largely
tended to restore the confidence o
the people, revive business and dissi
pate the effects of the disastrous fuan
eial panic through which the country wa
then passing. We look for more of thi
good work from the Congress Just electet
by the people, and are confident 1T will b
followed by equally gratifying results, de
spite what heartless and brainless politica
cr a'Iers may say about the depression fror
which the iron trade is now suffering.