The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-18
How Business is Affected.


has something to say worth hearing
AT this time. because of his position
every word uttered by him is sure t.
be read with interest by the people
in every part of the country. Hence
it is fortunate that he possesses in
rare degree the power of putting into
few words the essence of strong ar
gument. In one or two previous
addresses Mr.. Blaine has touched
very briefly upon the tariff question
and upon the Importance of the com
| ing election to the business Interests
of the country, but at Hamilton hi
spoke on the subject more fully thar
before. The influence of his words
will be felt, not only far beyond tht
audience to which they were adj
dressed, but beyond the boiaGrs y
the.State of Ohio.
The common argument with Dem
ocrats in this campaign is that the
policy of the Republican party must
be unsound, and should be conGemn-
ed, because at this time there seri-
Gus depression of industry. 70 this
phase of the argument Mr.. Blaine
gave attention. 1t will be s4en that
he treated it very forcibIy. The DEM
ocratic plea is essentially faBe. False
as to fact, because by far tie greater
part of the industry of the country is
now, and constantly has been, en-
ployed at fair wages. false as to
inference, because such depression as
exists is not due to defeds of the Re.
publican policy, but to the attacks
upon that policy by the Democratic
party, and 10 causes affecting the in.
dustries Of the whole civilized world,
the influence of which. in this coun-
try, has heen happily checked by the
protective system.
The cause of such depression as ex-
lists, so far as it is peculiar to this
country, is clearly the Democratic
effort to break down the protective
system, to change the basis upon
which all industries now rest, and to
bring about lower cost of produc-
tior and consequently lower rate OF
wages. Proof Of this is seen in the
fact that great prosperity prevailed
throughout the country down to the
election of 1882, in which Demo.
cratic majority of representatives was
chosen. In that year business had
been more Prosperous than ever be.
fore. Profits in some branches, it is
true. had not been as large as in the
year of eXtravagant advance, 1S79.' 80
but the general volume of busines.
was larger, and on the whole more
successful. Production by agriculture
yielded the largest crops ever known
to this country. Production by manu-
features yielded greater quantities o
products than ever before, without
the eXtravagant advance in prices
which in 1880 had brought reaction
Labor in all parts of the country was
fully employed, Al d secured in thai
year considerable advance in wages
Such was the condition of things, or
the whole more satisfactory than haG
ever been attained in the country
when the Democrats prevailed in the
Congressional elections. Instantly the
cry went up that the protective sys'
tenn was now to be overthroWn, and
the protective features to be taken
out of the tariff. OF all the Demo.
cratic journals in the country there
were not one-tenth that did not join
in this outcry. Business was imme.
diately affected by it, as the files Of
any newspaper will show. Trade
began to shrink, manufacturing es.
Establishments began to decline con.
tracts reaching far into the future
capital grew timid and shrank from
new enterprises. And this fear was
fully justified by what followed. The
Democrats did proceed, as we all
know, to devote their attention al.
most exclusively to the tariff, with
desperate endeavor to cut the protec-
tive features out of it.
1t is time that the business inter.
ests of the country should take note
Of these things. Already the work
ing people are generally aroused
Their attention to public affairs, in
this case, seems to have been quicker
and more keen than that of the con-
servative business men in some cities,
The workmen, ever on the watch
lest their wages should be cut down,
have learned that changes in the gen.
eral prosperity, particularly if caused
by folly at Washington, bring disas-
ter to them more surely than to any
other class. 1t is true, the present
depression is by nassHeans as great at
some Democrats represent it. Nine