Daily Republican., 1885-04-29
Tho Csuse of Hard Times

Though the administration has chan
red and Democrat sits in the chair OF
Lincoln, Grant, Hayes, Garfield and
Arthur, the tariff question is as big as
,ver. 1t Is true, nothing has yet been
lone by the present administration thus
far against the present tariff to cause
but 1t need do nothing to
cause fear and dire apprehensions Of
the future.
That has already been done by the
party that elected the present admins
tration, and the people are reaping the
fruit OF it, in suspended business and
hundreds of thousands Of idle workmen.
Even those who are employed find it
difficult to make the ends of life meet,
30 great has been the change. The
cause Of this dates back to two years
ago, when a change was made in the
tariff by Democratic pressure, and the
agitation Of that question ever since, the
Democratic party pushing in the direc-
ton OF free trade. 1t was this agita-
zion Of the question that alarmed the
people even before the election took |
place last November, and the manufac. |
turers even then commenced to curtail
their operations in view Of the crisis |
that was expected, and which has fol- |
lowed.
With the attitude OF the Democratic
party upon the tariff question, and that
par ty lacking only the possession of the
Senate to be in complete power Of the
nation, what more can be expected than
An utter distrust and . consequent stag
nation Of business
The tariff is question that rises
above party politics. The victorious
party, alarmed at the condition of trade
and business, shrinks from t., while the
defeated party proposes vigorously &c
keep this great issue before the people.
The time Is opportune for the labor in
terests Of the country to grasp the mag
nitude Of the question. Now is the
time for our million of unemploy ed
workmen to ponder over this great
question, and ask themselves whether
Democracy pays, when with its free
trade ideas 1t shuts up and paraly zes
the shops of the land.
1t is time for those gentlemen to
think who walk our streets idle and
looking into our shop windows see dis
played the goods produced by foreign
capital, foreign workshops and looms
and fcyss::.,c labor-goods that the work.
men OF this country ought TO be busy
making. This glazing injustice should
rankie and strike home deep into the
heart of labor.
But the injustice does not stop here
What is the proposed relief =? Th'
party now in power came there by tn,
implied promise of lower duties and ;
still far her increase Of foreign goods
working still farther injustice TO Amer
can workmen. We are told that tn
cause Of iron industry depression il
over production, and there are man!
who have no sympathy with the fire.
trade idea who believe this. But how
our iron manufactures were in fn'
blast, and workmen were getting doubl
and thrible what European labor wa
paid, our manufactures were unable t.
supply our home- market, and "
actually imported $3.50, 000, 600 worth c
manufactured iron and steel. Thi
ran over space of five years of GU
most active iron industry. In view {
these figures, culled from the reports {
competent .atistieians, how senseless
the cry Of over production.
But let US pursue this lire of though
little farther. II is not only the iro
industry that suffers. All industrie
suffer. During the last five years "
have imported in wool and woole
goods s248, 100000 worth of fabric
that should have been manufactured
this country.
If we refer to the cotton industry, v
find the figures multiplying up in IL
same direction, not less than SI47 coo
900 worth Of cotton goods having bee
imported into this country in f re year
III We refer TO our silk industry we wi
fad that in FIVE years SlT2, GOO, 900,
aoou, $50, 500,0 600 worth of silk annual!
had been imported. Ofchemicals the
have been S75,OOO,000 worth of in
ports; of earthenware, S33, o0O, 900
linen goods, Sll1, 900, 600 of glass, $50
100000, of jute, $54, 600, 600 and of sill
embroideries, Sl7,000,O0O, making i
five years twelve thousand million do
lars worth of imported goods. TIL
does no. look much like over.produ
tion in cur country of American man
featured goods.
There is 10 reason why we should n
produce these important articles
home With abundant coal and irs
ore we have no right to go to foreii
coun, tries annually fer one-sixth Of O
supply of iron and steel. Yet in L
face of all this there are people fooli
enough to talk OF American man
fac:ures being able TO compete wi til t
manufac.ures of the world. What dc
this mean 70 the workingmen of t
United States, surprising we cou
have made all these goods at home
leass ffty per cent. of this expenditu
was labor.
This being the case, then Americi
laborers have lost 5000, 600, 600 in wag
Such facts as these should startle lat
and convince it no. only that a furtt
reduction of the tariff would be unss
to the country, but it is unsafe TO tru
the Governnen. Of the country to
political party that Is in favor of
duction of the tariff. Let workingm
think and ponder over the figures pr
scented, and le. them ask themselves
they have been acting the part Of wi
men, by leaning their assistance to
political party that has done more tn
Others to bring about the state Of affa
that now exist