Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-17
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE-OUR
METHOD.
To the Editor OF the EAGLE:

10 the Editor OF tIe I.tsic.
The recent message of President Cleve-
land to Congress, and to the country
concerning the constantly accommodating
surplus in the national treasury has now
been before us long enough to have Its
argument fully if not fairly considered.
1t is unquestionably very important
document regarded as the an
nouncement of the deliberate policy OF
party by its recognized chief, or only as
the declaration of leader rising above
the masquerade of party managers-for
there is that about the act itself which
marks the leader. In many respects 1t
is very striking and unique: its matter
and method are both remarkable. and
there is plenty of evidence on all hands
| that it came as a genuine surprise.
Leaving the affairs Of the different de-
partments of the government to be treated
their respective chiefs, the president adj
dresses himself to one fact alone, which
| he considers-in common with many
others not only in his party-which all
| experience demonstrates to be OF the
most Immediate and imperative lmpor-
lance In doing this he is necessarily
compelled to consider the other fact, out
of which the surplus grows-the tariff
and this, as we all know, and as the
event abundantly proves. is a very SEN
| sitive subject indeed. His method is not
! that of the mere politicians OF either
| party. who have been straddling this
! question for years with. the glittering
generalities of political platforms where
| by both said much the same thing IN a
little different language, but both alike.
intending to palter with the public in a
double sense that keeps the word OF
promise to the ear and breaks it to the
hope.
Mr.. Cleveland may not be prudent as
a politician, but in the courage with
which he grapples with this coos-
stls. buttressed as it is by every monop-
oily whose roots run under ground into
the peoples treasury, he certainly shows
to much better advantage. In some situa-
tons the boldest policy is the best.
| am not sure this is not one OF them:
indeed | rather think it is. Certainly
the president has forced the fight i'll a
way which evidently puts his opponents
at a disadvantage. When the issue is
fairly Joined it will be found that he has
made a master move. ali the rattle Of
small arms to the contrary nOtwlthstand-
ing.
The situation is this: The Republican
party. among other heroic measures to
fill the treasury in time of war devised
the present high protective, and there
fore stimulative, tariff. In this case. at
least. the end justified the means. The
necessity of largely reducing the enor-
nous debt left by the war also justified
its continuance 1t need not be denied
that there has. been mitigation OF
any evils Justly to be complained of in
the equality of benefits of the tariff, in
that the wide margin of profits it per-
mitted stimulated the development of
industries. which otherwise would not
have been established, at least so soon,
or on so large scale. Further. to clear
the question at once of as much rubbish
as possible. all that is claimed in the
way OF pubic benefit from
the tariff may be conceded
and what then? The war is over-past-
the debt is largely reduced-our country
is well developed, and our manufactur-
ers and protected industries fully estab-
Iished: so fully indeed that if they
continue to run on full time the market
becomes overstocked and values break
down of their own weight. Why: Be-
cause in building a barrier of protection
to keep the world of competition out we
necessarily fence ourselves in. In Other
words. while protection does lmdoubt.
edlv give monopoly of our home mar
kets to our own manufacturers and other
protected industries it with equal GER
taintv gives the markets of the world to
somebody else.
Hence. however necessary this policy
may have been to establish our indus
tries. it is now just as necessary to re-
move the barrier in some degree in order
To give them sea room. Incidental tx
this state of things-overplus of pro
duction and surplus of revenue-i:
another fact so pOrtentOus that it woulC
seem sufficient to make our doctrinaire:
of protection pause and consider whittier
their theories, continued in practice un
til they have outlived thei
raison d'etre are certainly tend
ing. With all our protection
our wonderful resources. our surplus ant
overplus, we have practically no mer
chant marine Our commerce ought t.
i, whiten all the seas. but instead our fias
covering merchant marine is nearly a
unknown as that of the Chinese empire
1t requires no argument to prove tina
there is something far-reaching and radi
cally wrong in our political economy t.
permit or render possible a state o
things so untiattering. not TO say shame
ful The ali-sutficient reasons is that w
have little or nothing to carry which w,
; can market outside of our own border
save and except the productions OF ayr!
: culture. which, while helping To pay TO
all other forms of protection. are them
| selves necessarily and i'll the nature O
: things. practically unprotected. Wha
need OF a carrier. therefore. Il we hay,
little OF nothing TO carry: We may l.
sure it will be hard to develOpand harde
0 to maintain a prosperous merchan
= marine under such untoward conditions
| In the absence of some adequate ont
\ let. If the high tariff be continued. ther
5 is no recourse Tor our manufacturers bl
| to form pools and trusts-some III
= rangement whereby the aggregate out
: put can be regulated and over-produc
ton prevented. Another incident MAJ
be mentioned here which hes grave sic
nilicance. While our protectiOnists ar
biindiy putting more strain Oh the
] hobby without regard to changed con
5 ditionS and crying loudly that 1t is al
t for love OF the laborer-wlo has vot,
5 the one who is really protected Is con
5 tinually shaving per centages of Q
: wages until the poor protected devi
e of workman is reduced to the rattle
9 homeless dilema of working for wage
: that will not sustain life. or striking Iol
. mcre and-starving. | submit that lii,
2 coal and railroad kings. for instance. o
a PENNSYLVANIA or elsewhere. are not ii
subjects for protection. And it is paten
enough 10 a disinterested observer tina
what very many of orr manufacture