Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-04-24
Free Traders Change Their Base.
Iron and Steel Bulletin.

If it were not for the grave is
sues involved the cratic course of
Free Trade argument would be
very amusing. 1t shifts its ground
from year to year. Driven by the
logic OF indisputable facts from
carefully selected standpoints it is
ever being forced to create a new
bugbear with which to frighten the
plain common people into opposing
the Protective policy. For several
years the 'bogy' brought forward
By the Free Traders to do effect
i've service in their cause has been
the surplus in the United States
Treasury. This surplus, it was
argued, was wrung from the PEG
pie by excessive tariff duties aud
its retention in the Treasur from
year to year was gripping business
and exhausting the energy of the
nation. But along comes Secre-
tary Manning with n plain state
ment of the exact condition of the
funds of the Treasury as he finds
them upon his accession to office,
aud without any reflection upon
the methods of his predecessors he
simply changes their method OF
bookkeeping and shows that there
is no surplus revenuel Now how
does this affect the Free Traders,
who find their biggest 'bOgy' des-
troyed ? Here is the result as
shown in special dispatch from
Washington to the New York Trib.
une under date OF the 9TH inst.
For several days after the wip.
ing out with Secretary Manning's
magic sponge of that enormous sur
plus which furnished the theme
for 80 many discourses by Mr..
Hendricks and other Democratic
orators during the Presidential
campaign the Free Traders in
Washington were speeches. with
amazement. That $500, 100000,
surplus which had figured for years
in every Free Trade speech in Con-
gress, and in every Revenue Re-
form editorial as the chief stock
argument in favor OF the crippling
or destruction of American manu-
features and the debasement of
American industry, had vanished
in day through a simple easily
comprehended change in the torn
OF stating the public assets and
liabilities by Democratic Secre-
tary of the Treasury, and without
any actual increase Of diminutiOn
| of the cash in the Treasury. The
Free Traders were in sad dilemma,
but some of them begin to show
signs of partial recovery
After frequent and earnest con-
situations and severe mental ex-
ercises they have agreed upon a
new plan of assault which is out
lined in the Washington Post to-
day. 1t appears that the 'neces.
sity' for reduction of the tariff
is none the less urgent than if the
surplus were ten times its present
| sum- and that the highest Pro.
tective duty does not always pro.
duce the most revenue The op.
ponents of tariff REFORM, conse.
ouently, will find but little to con-
sole them in the fact that the sur
plus in the Treasury is no longer
excessive for even if the surplus
| were much smaller than it is the
need for revision would be still
equally Imperative because the
primary object Of the present tariff
is to benefit certain favored in
terests and industries at the OK.
pense of the people,
From this it is clear that Secre-
tary Manning's manner Of book
keeping has produced at least one
good result: il has forced the Free
| Traders openly to ayow their real
purpose-to cripple and destroy
| American manufacturing industries
or to force American wages and
| the condition of American working.
men down to the European level
and, in either case, to allow British,
French, aud German manufacture
ers to fix and regulate the price
of every manufactured article used
or consumed by the people of the
United States