New-York tribune., 1884-10-03
NOW BrsJyESS rs AFFECTED.

HOW BUSINESS is dfFECIED
When Mr.. Blaine speaks he always has some
th;,c to cav worth hearing. At this time, be-
causo of his position. every word uttered by
him is snre TO be read with interest by the
noonle in every part of the country. Hence 1t is
fortunate that he possesses III rare degree
the power of putting into few words the cs-
sence of a strong argument. In one or TWO pre-
vious addresses Mr.. Blaine has touched very
briefly upon the tariff question. and upon the I'M
portancc of the coming election to the business
interests of the country but at Hamilton lie
spoke on the subject more fully than before
The influence of his words will be felt, net
only far bevond the audience to which they
were addressed, but beyond the borders OF the
State of Ohio.
The common argument with Democrats in
this campaign is that the policy of the Rcpub-
Ican party must be unsornd, and should be
condemned, because at this time there Is
serious depression of industry. To this phase
of the argument Mr.. Blaine gave attention. IL
will be seen that he treated it very forcib'y.
The Democratic plea is essentially false. raise
as to fact because by far the greater part OF the
industry of the country is now and constantly
has been, employed at fair wages. False as to
inference, because such depression as exists is
not due to defects of the Republican policy, but
to the attacks upon that policy by the Demo
cratic party, and to causes affecting the INDUS
tries of the whole civilized world, the inllu
cnce of which, in this country, has been happily
checked by the prot tective system.
The cause of such depression as exists, 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 IN
| dustrics now rest, and to bring about lower
| cost of production and consequently lower
rate of wages. Proof Of this is seen III the TACT
/ that a great prosperity prevailed throughout the
| country down to the election of 1882 i'll which
| Democratic majority of representatives was
chosen. In that year business had been more
prosperous than ever before. Profits in some
branches, it is true. had not been as large as
in the year of extravagant advance, 1S79-'S 0,
but the general volume OF business 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 OF products
| than ever before, without the cXtravagant adj
vance in prices which i'll 1850 had brought re-
action. Labor in all parts OF the country was
! fully employed, and secured in that year Il
| considerable advance in wages. Such was the
condition of things, on the whole more satlstac-
| tory than had ever been attained in the conn
try when the Democrats prevailed III the
| Congressional elections. Instantly the cry went
M that the protective system WAS now TO BE-
| oyerthrOwn. and the protective features to be
taken out of the tariff. OF all the Democratic
journals in the country there were not one
tenth that did not join in this outcry Business
was Immediately affected by it, as the files OF
! any newspaper will show. Trade began to
shrink, manufacturing establishments began TO
decline contracts reaching far into the future,
capital grew timid and shrank from new enter
prisos. 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 talill,with desperate en-
dcayor to cut the protective features out of It.
It is time that the business interests of the
country should take note Of these things. Al
rea " the working people are generally aroused
Their attention to public Affairs, in this case,
seems to have been quicker and more keen
| than that Of the conservative business mcn i'm
some G. ties The wOrkncn, ever On the watch
| lest their wages should be- cut down, have
| learned that changes i'm The general prosperity,
nartirnlarlv if ciuseu by folk ai Washington.
Bring disaster to them morc surely than t. any
otlut class II IS true, the present depression
Is us ms mrahs as great as sOiie Democrats
tpu,pstui Il. NiHt-tpnihs 0f tho libji 0I the
e1Hhiit is tmbl8ttl tttn hjt. Waees air dn
,he HHUip 1He Eit vhrh lip lot iitirts ~
uflNMs aai iha htli Purchasing tHt-t ~
wna.s ass ennsiirfi iiHi pHeNeh dppipssiHn
pslsis ~ sh9N elpaiF Nbli mish' he espeeln'
II lhn pllf Nhieh a'saliei nH lndnsliirs 81
vnlaill hs winter should eune lnn inil ron-
troI al hp Gnrelnmenl. II hlsinrss men aI'
wise they will consider these things seriously
| buloio IT Is too late