The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1886-06-03

Hard Times.
Is the Democratic party responsible
for the hard times now prevailing? If
so, howH The party has been in pow
er to a certain extent for more than a
year. The hard times do not consist
in any scarcity OF food for man or
beast nor in any lack of clothing, or
farming implements, or tools, or stock
OF any kind. In fact there is a super
abundance OF all the necessaries of
life. At the same time, there is q gen.
eral complaint of scarcity Of money,
and of want of market for the pro-
ducts of labor. Labor itself is in ex-
cess OF the demand for it, hence there
are many idlers seeking employ
ment, and thousands OF dollars worth
OF stock and grain in the country, for
which there is no adequate market
II the surplus products of labor OF the
country could find a fair market at
once, activity, life and energy would
in all departments of industry, labor
would find employment, the hungry
would find bread, and the face OF the
country would shine with prosperity.
The want of a proper exchange of the
products of labor leads to stagnation
OF business, and that breeds state Of
unrest, dissatisfaction and want Of
confidence. Who is responsible for
this state OF things? Why is there no
adequate market for the products OF
the country? Because we are cut off
from the market of the world by a
protective tariff. But protectionists
tell us there is no tariff on exports,
and that we are free to take our grain,
stock, meat and manufactured articles
to the open markets of the world.
True, there is no law forbidding us to
do 80. But don't everybody know
that tariff that shuts others out, shuts
US in? Do you ask how? Simply by
advancing the cost OF producing to
the extent OF the protection. In 9th
er words, the average tariff is about
AZ per cent. That is, it costs us Al
per cent more to produce everything
we have to sell than it ought, and more
than it does where trade is free, 9th
er things being equal. Therefore, oul
products weighed down with AZ PEI
cent tariff must compete in the mar
kets OF the world with similar pro
ducts, without this tariff burden
And it is only by reason of our supe
rior natural advantages that we ar,
enabled to go abroad with our pro
ducts at all. Now is it any wonde
that we are groaning beneath TIN
load OF our excessive production
With the richest country in the world
and possessed Of more natural adyant
ages than any other country the pre-
ducts OF our soil are so heavy that W
can't use them and our manufactui
ing establishments under protection
are stimulated to overproduction.
Altogether, this is the explanation
OF the low price Of grain, bacon, &c
and OF the want OF money.
The tariff that shuts others out, OF
crates in an other way to shut us in
To take our products to other cour
tries, implies to exchange them fo
the products of those countries. S
while we can go out with our carg
free, we are reminded that on our r,
turn, with what we get in exchane
we must pay such a tariff that W
can't afford to make the exchang
Is the Democratic party responsible
for this state Of things? 1t did NJ
create the protective tariff and it h,
no power aow TO change it becaul
the Senate is Republican. But Il
House is Democratic and will be he
responsible by an outraged people
it fails to pass some measure modif
ing the tariff abomination accordir
to its platform pledges, The gre
plea Of the protectioniats is that tar
keeps up the price OF labor and Civ
employment to the laboring class
Does it do itS If so, why so maj
strikesS Why so many idle tram
going over the country The tar
does not create wages, niether do