New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-09-02
yr ppoTEsT OF MANUFACTURERS.

THE PROTEST OF MANUFACTURERS.
The Democrats want National prosperity
The Administration cannot escape keen desire
for the restoration of business health. IL mas
promised the people prosperity, and has assured
them that the depression of industry when mas
prevailed for some years has been due 10 ne
publican misconduct or unwisdom. IL KNOWS
that the hopes of deluded people helped to turn
the scale in the last Presidential campaign, and
gave the Democratic party its success. 1t must
answer those hopes or it will be held response
bic. 1t must somehow secure the public pros
perity. the revival of industry and trade or 1t
will be beaten. And it viii be beaten because
it will deserve beating, If it continues to in
crease industrial depression, as it has done thus
far by ignorant or partisan meddling with the
business interests of the country. The Admin
istration could not be blamed If it merely failed
to perform impossbilities. But it will be
blamed, and not by ignorant people only, If in
stead of merely failing to do what no Admins
tration could do, it NEEDLES and disturbs and
causes increased depression.
The promised prosperity does not come
True, there is talk of it on paper. and all the
Democratic journals have tried to persuade ua,
week after week for some months past, that
everything was about to @boom again. Yet
the actual business does not increase more than
the population of the country, and does not
compare favorably even with that OF last year.
The exchanges last week at all the clearing
houses in the country were smaller by eight
per cent than those OF the corresponding week
last year. Outside of Newly DIRK, there has of
late been small increase, scarcely greater than
the growth OF population would require, which
has been partly due TO the more active specula-
ton in products Meanwhile, the prices OF
many leading commodities remain extraordi-
narily low, and producers are disheartened, and
great number of manufacturing establish
ments remain closed. Does the Administration
wish to know the cause2 Some of the causes
may be found in its own acts, and in the con-
duct of the party it represents. The fears and
the threats of change of the tariff have been
one important cause. The disturbance OF
foreign trade by new and bunging postal ar
rangements and by changes of diplomatic
agents, has been an important cause. The
disturbance of domestic trade by new Treasury
regulations, which are rarely friendly to home
industries, has been considerable. Far more
potent than anything that has yet been done is
the fear that more will be done in the same
direction.
The Administration may judge of the effect
of tariff agitation by the action of the conven-
ton of manufacturers of Rhode Island. Being
asked by the Secretary of the Treasury to re-
port in regard to desired changes of the tariff,
they declare in speeches and resolutions tn at
the current threats of change of the tariff are
serjcus cause of commercial DEPRESSION
They point to the fact that the circulars sent
out imply that the Administration seeks some
change, and contemplates recommending to
Congress general overhauliug of the tariff.
The tone and the expressions of these circulars
imply that the Administration is disposed to
recommend changes in the direction of old
fashioned Democratic theories. The manufact-
urers resolve that this sort of thing does harm.
They are unquestionably right, for all such
agitation does harm it deters buyers, because
1t gives the hope that a change of duties may
presently bring lower prices, and it disheartens
and disccuragcs producers for the same reason
Yet the Administration itself is agitating now,
and Congress will agitate still more next win
ter. The Democratic majority will unqucstion-
| ably be controlled in caucus by the same body
of free traders which favored Mr.. Morrison's
laundering and mischievous bill last year
Whether the Administration recommends any
| thing or nothing, it is certain that the party
majority will agitate. The fear of action by
| Congress, the fear of changes which cannot be
| anticipated, and for which therefore neither
manufacturers nor traders can make calcula-
tions, will inevitably disturb business until
| those fears have been completely removed.