The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1884-02-14
The Causes of Business DEPRESSION

We recently spoke of the present business de-
preston as due to the triumph of the free trade
faction in organizing the Democratic House.
The Prog. Age and other free trade organs,
with unnecessary warmth, pronounced this
view of the question absurd. Why, said they,
there is Republican Senate and a Republican
President in the way of Democratic tariff legis-
lation. 1t is true that there is Republican ma
lority i'll the Senate, and that we have Repub-
lican Presdent-and good thing it is for the
country-but this does not alter the fact that
the present tariff agitation has iniuriously af-
fected business and manufacturing enterprises;
and the Morrison tariff bill, reported last week.
has simply made Il bad matter worse.
A like effect was produced in 1876, when the
Democrats had control of the House and at
tempted to pass what was known as the Morri-
son tariff bill, which was prepared by order ct
the Free Trade League for the then chairman
of the Ways and Means Committee, and who
occupies the same position to-day. The Senate
was Republican then and there was a Republi-
can President in the White House, and although
the bill was defeated by Republican etlor ;,
while it was in preparation there was Just such
an uneasy feeling in business circles as now eX-
lists and nearly every branch of trade and III
dustry was affected. Leading business men III
the principal cities We're practically unanimous
in testifying at that time that there could be no
revival of business until Congress adjourned or
the tariff question was settled one way or the
| other. We have at hand later testimony of the
/ same tenor from :. )pmOrratir SoIrpp Rpnrp-
sentative Hopkins (Dem.) of PENNSYLVANIA.
whose district includes the manufacturing city
of Pittsburg, has prepared bill providing for
the enforcement of the eight hour law. and in
the course of an interview in Washington the
other day he said to a reporter:
The laborers of this country are to-day in Il
worse condition than tn have been for Years.
4 Ten years ago they We're in prosperous condi-
ton; they We're building themselves homes and
educating their children: but TODAY many are
out of employment and others are earning
scarcely enough 10 support their families and
have to take their children from school.
! What is the cause of this:
| This condition is brought about By the uncer-
tainty III the minds Of the proprietorS of the
| various mills, foundries, factories. mines, etc,
concerning the probable tariff legislation. 1t is.
1 in short, brought about by the agitation of the
tariff question. Manufacturers will not buy
/ material upon which Il heavy duty is paid when
/ there is IA probability before his manufactured
! products are sold that material will be freed
| from duty, and he will be forced to sell his good,
| below cost to compete with the free goods in
| the market A positive system, whether free
1 trade or protection, is better for the business
! interests of the country. That the tariff should
| not be disturbed is what the labor interests de-
! nand. The Two questions ar so closely con-
nected that the one must be Influenced and GOV
erned by the other, and it is the tariff that must
! be governed by the labor interests. The labor
interests must be thoroughly investigated, and
/ the tariff adjusted to meet the requirements of
/ the case. This is the only way to reach a salts
factory solution of the problem. 1t is through
/ the tariff alone that the aboring mans condition
may be improved, but the question must not be
eternally agtdted. The question must not be
! taken up until ii can be etfccually disposed of
Prolonged and uncertain agitation is injurious
Mr.. Hopkins is Il man of ability, has repre-
scented his district in Congress for many wears
and member of the Labor Committee pre-
pared the bill above referred to in compliance
with the petitions of the various labor orgauizu.
/ tons Of the country. 1t is safe to infer, there
| fore, that he is quite we'll qualified to form
an opinion on this question as the Bourbon cd-
! tors, who are eager to contradict everything
they see in Republican paper thai in ninety
nine cases out of hundred they simply expose
their own ignorance, is they have done in Thu,
/ case.