Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-12-02
THE ANNUAL MESSAGE.
President Harrison's Commu-
nication 10 Congress.
OPPOSED TO TARIFF REVISION.

OPPOSED TO TARIFF REVISION.
Extracts Prom the Message ON the w@rI
OF CoERre@. the Blains Reoiprocls
Scheme and the Force BnI-'.such
Law must ne Absolutely Non -Partisan,
seunds Well, Bat is WIN he Worse tina,
Meaningless 90 ans Reed House.
This message is in the nature of
spec ihl plea In defence Of the party ans
we q note those parts which are most I'M.
portant beer use they relate 10 the Nc
hinley bill. the influences of which ara psa
thoroughly felt yet and 10 the Force Bill
which has not yet passed the senate
The other matters treated in the mesaaps
are OF no consequence Whatever. The
President Is not a philosopher or a states
man His message does not recon mend
future legislation 80 much az i,
apologies for the Legislation already
made which has caused the defeat of hi
party at the polls
Under the mead Of Work OF Con-
gress' the President speaks as follove.
J congratulate tlAe congress and the country
upon the passage a. the first session OK the Fifty
nfst congress Of an unusual number az laws of
very nlSh Importance. That the results OF this
reg slation viii BE- the quickenng and enlarge.
hent OF oar manufacturing industries larger and
better markets for our hreadstuifs and provisions
Ooth AZ home and abroad. more constant EN-.
HoyInent and better wages for oar working peo-
piei hnu an increased supply OF a safe currency
Tor the transaction OF business / 40 MOI donhf
some OF these measures were enacted at so late a
period that the beneficial effects upon commerce.
Nhlch were ~ the contemplation Of congress have
as yet bft partially manifested thenseisea
, Inc general trade and industrial conditions
Lhioughout The country during the year have
SHOWN q marked improvement For many years
prior 20 1873 the merchandise balances of foreign
Trade had teen largely In our favor but during
tlat year and the year following they turned
against MS. II is very gratifying to know that the
last fiscal year again shows a balance In our favor
OF over S6S000,00O. The bank cearine1s which
furnish a good test OF the volume Of business
transacted. for the first ten months Of the year
ls9 show. as compared with the same months OF
l6e9 an increase for the whole country OF about
~ Per cent while the increase outside of the city
oi New YORK was over IL per cent
The increase Of ciearings and volume OF busi
ness and decrease Of business failures are men.
toned. Then comes.
The value Of our exports Of domestic p,erchan.
dlse during the last year was over sli5 Oo
greater than the preceding year. and was only
eSceeled once 70 our history. About $4,000, 600
production OF pig iron-always a good gauge Of
Eenefa prospef1ty--is shown by a recent censias
bulletin = have been l53 per cent greater IN 1880
than M ltso, and the production 81 steel 2g0 psr
cent greater. Mining In coal has had no lmita-
ton except that resulting from deficient trans
pof1alon; The general testimony Is that labor
i everywhere fully employed. and the reports
for the Last year show a smaller number AZ en
ployes affected by strikes and lockouts than IN
any year since 1884 The depression in the prices
Of agricultural products has been greatly relieved
and buoyant and hopeful tone Yves beeinninr to
be felt by all our people
These promising Influences have been n some
favorable monetary events which hnva yesentl,
taken place in England. IL Is gratifying to know
that these did not grow In any degree out of the
financial relations of London with our fsaonle ~
out Of any discredM attached 70 our ees5ltjties
held in that markell The return Of our bonds nnd
stocks was cansed by a money stringency in Hne-
cuflles themselves. We could not. however
wholly essape the ~ effects Of foreign nlonetarx
aKitalion accompanied by such extraordinary IN.
eidents as characterized this II IS not believed
however, that these evil incidents, which have
for the time unfavorably affected values iu this
country, can long withstand the strong safe and
wholesome influences which are operating 10 give
70 our people profitable returns In all branches Of
legitimate trade and industry. The apprehension
that our tariff may again and at once he Subjected
70 important general changes would undoubtedly
Anu depressing influence Of the most ser10r,
character.
The general tariff act has only partially gone
into operation, some Of its important provisions
being limited 10 take effect az dates vel n the
future. The general provisions OF the Law have
been IN force less than sixty days. Its permanent
efects upon trade and prices stl largely stand in
conjecture. lt Is curious 70 note that the advance
IN the prices Of articles wholly unaffected by the
tariff act was by many hastily ascIibs,d to thaf
act Notice was not taken Of the fact that the
general tendency of the market was inward
from influences wholly apart from the recent
tardf legislation. The enlargement Of our cur
rency by the silver bin undoubtedly gave az ur
ward tendency 70 trade and had a marked effect
on prices; but this natural and desired effect OF
the silver legislation was BY many erfuneotslv AT
tributed 10 the tariff act
There rs neither wisdom nor Justice Ia the sng.
gestion that the subject tariff revision shall be
again opened before this Law has had a fair trial
II IS quite true that every tariff schedule Is sub
Ject 70 oofecaofis- no bill was ever framed. I
suppose that In all Of its rates and clasifcatiorss
had the full approval even OF a party calltara
Sncn legissatton ia always and necessarily the
product OF compromise as 70 details and che pres
and eneed think il viii justify the support of
those who believe that American LEGISLATION
should conserve and defend American trade and
the wages or American workmen-
The mtsinfornlation as to the terms az thn ar4
Mhich mas been 50 widely disseminated at home
and abroad will be corrected by experience and
the evil auguries as to its results confounded bv
the market reports, the savings banks inter
national trade balances and the general prosper
lLy OF our people. Already We begin 10 hear from
abroad and from our custom houses thai the mn
hibitory elect upon impoFtatious imputed u thn
act Is not justified. The imports at the port *
New York for the first three weeks Of November
were nearly per CENT. greater than for the sam.
period in 1850 and 20 per cent greater than n ths
same period Of 1881 And so far from being an
act % limit exports. confidently believe thaf in
I vi ", y We shall secure larger and more profit
able participation In foreign trade than we have
ever enjoyed, and that we shall recover propor-
iionate participation In the ocean carrying trade
of the world
The criticisms Of the bin that have come N ne
from foreign sources may well be rejected FOR Ne,
pugnancy. II these critics really believe that the
adoption BY US Of free trade policy or OF tarif
rates having reference solely to revenue. would
diminish the participation Of their own countries
n the commerce OF the world their advocacy and
proinollon BY speech and other forms Of organ.
1eu EFFORTS OF this movement among our people |
3 rare exhibition OF unselfishness in trade
and on che other hand, II they sincerely believe
nat the adoption of protective tariff policy BY
8 noticeably strange that they should lead the |
lutcry against the authors Of policy 30 helpful /
g thelr countrymen, and crown with their favor |
hose who would snatch from them Substantial |
hare Of trade with other lands already made |
luate 70 their necessities.
There is no disposition among any OF our peopie
Q promote prohbtory or retaliatory legislation I
Dur policies are adopted not 20 the hurt Of others
,ut 70 secure for ourselves those advantages that
airy grow ont OF our favored position as a ma i
ion- : oar form Of government with its incident /
4 universal suffrage, makes 1t imperative that we
nan save our working people from the agitGtions
nd dtstresses which scaiit work and wages that Il
ave no margin for comfort always beget But /
fter all this Is done 1t will be found that our
markets are open to friendly commercial ex-
hanges OF enormous value 70 the other great Il
,owers
From the time Of my induction into Office the /
ufy OF using every power and influence given by 1
aw 70 the executive department for the develop /
nent OF larger markets for our products espe- /
lally our farm products, has been kept constantly
D mind, and no effort has been or win be spared Il
0 promote that end. We are under no disad- i
ahtage IN any foreign market except that We i
ay our worizmen and worxwomen better wages /
han are paid elsewhere-better abstractediy. Il
etter relatively 20 the cost of the necessares of
fe. DO not doubt that very largely increased |