New-York tribune., 1884-12-09
had been living about the consequences to be

apprehended II would give us great satisiac-
ton il season of real and general prosperity
would prove that all gloomy antic'pations were
mistaken and groundlcss. But there are tho"s-
ands of working men and women who know TO-
day that THE TRIBUNE spoke but tho nhkeu
truth, though prior to the election thcy mauo
light of its warnings
The truth is that the industries OF this country
have been developed for nearly twenty ,""'
years in reliance upon policy OF pro.ec'''"
that the party which has now prcVa''cu ""'
constantly opposed that policy thnt ~ 'eas.
four-ffths of its members sincerely pe''c'c '"''
-, ovorthrow of whnt they call the monopoly
tariff ill.benciii them greatly ana thcy 'he'c-
foro expect that change IA result vi '"o',
success that the leaders ana organs o' ."'
marty nrc already cnmoring Tor changes o' "u'y
ih;s vintcr, and that no one can know whether
,h,ugcs mr., IN bn mndc. Dr how violent or
s,y,cniny ohnnpcs. until the now Congress and
IA, nav Administration have been working
,,,,,,hcr far somc time next winter. For ut
least n ycnr there must be- uncertainty. FOR ~
cast ycnr cnpllal will surely shrink from en-
trruiscs which change ol lafiil may i'h"'r
di,nstrons. Uncertainty will inevitably render
manufacturers unwilling 10 run mt any present
loss, IT, by stopping now, they can hiSoah"
their resources for any change when an over
tbrow of the protective system may bring upon
Them. Hence buyers will hold oft. and manu-
facturcrs will curtail operations; many men
will lose employment, and many more VIII "o-
cent lower wages rather than stop work en-
tircly; and thus the consuming power OF inc
people must for time be scnsbly diminished
Tbi. must affect nearly every branch oi indus
try. in some degree Lasting Improvement
cannot be expected until the uncertainty Is re-
moved.
If is true that there is no chance of any change
or du,;es This winter to which President Arthur
il MT willing 10 assent. But his message, aud
cspccially his Endorsement OF the report OF Mt
McCulloch. recently selected by him Tor Sccrc-
tary of the Treasury, startle many people pV
seeming to show that President Arthur has not
oItopcther the same idea of the tariff question the
Republican party has. That he would assent to
any serious or sweeping change of dntles, after
the position taken by the Republican party III
the campaign, il does not appear reasonable To
believe. Yet there are manufacturers who do
not feel willing to take the risk. Thus. instead
of certainty that no change could be made
nntI next WHICH,, Wc H'Nt ho", u" WV '''''"" -
many men. an apprehension that some measure
of really scrions consequences may DE enacted
before the present short session ends. 1iE
TRIBUNE does not believe that this apprehension
is well founded. But 1t ne scrtheless exists. and
opcratcs, with the unavoidable uncertainty as
TO the future to increase the distrust OF capital
and the prostration of industry.
1t is not the part of a faithful journal to hold
out false hopes. But there are excellent
grounds for the hope that the Democrats will
not be- able, either this winter or next, to
agree so far upon any change of tariff that 1T can
become a law. If it is such measure as Prcsi-
dent Arthur would sign. the majority of the
Demociatc C members are likely To reject it as
inadequate. hoping for a greater change next
winter. When next winter comes. the Demo
cratic majority will be smaller, and the state OF
industry will probably warn many members
that they cannot afford 70 face the people the
next fall after voting for lower duties. IL
is piiiable that the industries of this great
country should have no better basis than CON
iidcncc IN Democratic cowardicc and in
rapacity But unless care ia taken this winter
to elect earnest and faithful protcctionists to
the Senate in every Republican State, nothing
but Democratic incapacity and cowaldicc will
stand between American industries and the
hostile influences which have elected a Demo-
cratic President