New-York tribune., 1889-11-05
BUsrYEss MEN AND GOVERNMENT

MANY business men Of New " ork when an
election draws near are prone to look at things
through the eyes Of foreign importers or e'se
to be Indifferent. Some think they can aHofu
to leave others to take care of the Government
Others feel that the business of this great ill-
porting city must in some way suffer from 'ho
policy of a party which seeks to encourage nome
industry by discriminating duties on imports.
The importing business is concentrated, ana
tbev see it. The domestic trade and manufact
ure are scattered and few realize their mag
nitude.
But it is not the fact that the importing Dusi-
ness of this city has been either absoiu'eiy Ut
relatively diminished by the Republican pohc9'
Imports of merchandise at this port have moro
than doubled under that policy, notwthstand-
ing the remarkable fall in prices OF produc's'
In 1850 the last wear of Democratic revenue
tariff the value of merchandise imported
through this port was 81 80 for each innaoitahe
of the country. During the fiscal year recehol!
closed assuming that the mean population OF
the county was ga, 800, 600, the value OF I'M
ports at this port was 81 81 for each 1nhabitant
of the country. About one-third OF the entire
imports came through New York twenty nine
through this port now. BY making the whole
people more prosperous and better pald lor
their labor and therefore better able to con-
sumo foreign products, the Republican pohcy
has added in twenty-nine years little more
relatively to the aggregate value of articles
imported than it has cut down that value by
restraining the imports of particular classes
But the importing business is relatively in
significant. The prosperity Of New York really
depends upon the internal trade and domestic
production of the country. While this cannot
be accurately measured, yet the part of it with
which New-York has TO do may be approx
imately inferred from the single fact that the
payments made through the associated banks OF
this city in the year 1860 amounted to seven
thousand six hundred and eleven millions, but
during the year just closed they amounted to
thirty-four thousand six hundred and eighty
six millions. When this is contrasted with less
than four hundred and seventy-two millions,
the total value Of merchandise imported here,
the relative importance of domestic trade may
be in some measure realized. Nine years ago the
manufacturing products Of this city alone eX-
cecded in value the aggregate of imports here
last year. and yet in the years 1880-'89 the
products of manufacture have probably dou-
bled In 1860 the manufacturing production
of this one city was in value one hundred and
fifty-nine millions, and in 1880 it was four
hundred and seventy three millions, increasing
far more rapidly than the imports. But even
this comparison fails to bring out the larger
fact that New-Yorll handled a considerable part
of the entire manufacturing product Of the
L -, .fyht hun Hrn1
and eighty-five millions in 1860, and five thou
sand three hundred and seventy millions in
1880, and this city therefore depends greatly
upon the general prosperity of the Nation.
1t is not necessary to cite further facts to
convince business men that the growth of the
country and its improvement in general pros
perity have been greater during the operation
of the Republican policy than in any other
period of thirty years in this country, or in any
period of thirty years in any other country
As our progress here has been the wonder OF
the world it would be to foreigners amazing
and incomprehensibfe if this country should
surrender the policy under which this unex-
ampled progress has been attained.
Elections cannot safely be left to the ignO-
| rant and impoverished, who have no stake in
| tne WeIIdIe Oh tne country. Ii Une HeICHdHlS
| householders, manufacturers and capitalists OF
this city do not show by their acts that they
realize hc-v greatly political changes affect Na
| tional and civic prosperity, how can they expect
wise action from men who have everything tC
| learn or nothing to lose? Men trained in busi
| ness methods know that the hand Of the master
to support and encourage well-doing or to cor
rect mistakes and stop abuses, must be felt in
business every day in the year, and on eYery
! fitting occasion, if the business is to succeed
| 1t is even more so with Government. II the
| people show Indifference, lack of steady pur-
pose, or a frivolous, Highty and tickle disposi
| ton, good government cannot be expected
| Men chosen, however capable, will not have the
courage or the incentive to do their duty
Selhshness will run riot, corruption will spread
sound policies will be gradually forsaken, be
cause the people neglect their own true in
terests. The chief business of the business
men of this city is to make their weight fell
on the right side in every struggle between op
posing National policies.