The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-10-19
Politics and Trade.

Only a fortnight ago the Republic
can papers were jubilant because
Providence had arrayed itself upon
their side" against the Democratic
party. The bountiful harvest was to
give the country a business boom, of
which the Mckinley tariff was to reap
the credit, and SO the Republican
party was to sail into power triumph
antly again in 1892.
Alas for the G.. o. p, the business
boom has not come-we are truly
sorry for a thousand reasons that it
has not. but the fact cannot be doubt
ed it has not come, and does not APP
pear to be coming. And now the Re-
publican organs III not saying much
about the effect of the crops On next
years politics, but they are very busy
explaining just why trade is so slow.
The Philadelphia Press of this
morning devotes a column of it's more
or less valuable space to a labored ex-
PLANTATION Of the situation. We cam
not say that we find any clear eason
set forth for the stagnant condition of
trade; but we do find some exceed
ingiy damaging admissions, which
convey strongly to our mind the
inference that the Mckinley bill is
getting in its fell work very fast in
killing the foreign markets for Amer
lean produce.
First of all, the Press tells us that,
though the indications point to a
trade equal in. volume to last year, it
promises to be low in value. ''produc-
ing no increase in exchanges or
profits" Next we are told that ''the
quietude and inactivity of trade over
balanced the advantages derived from
the grain movement" This is given,
in particular, as a reason for the
absence of any increase in railway
profits. But the next admission is the
most notable of all. Says the Press
The same balance is apparent In exp orts for
September. where an advance of $24. 262. 673 in
breadstuffs is counterbalanced by a reduction in
cotton, provisions, and pet roleum of SIP, 9Sl, s47,
leaving a net advance in our leading exports of
Sll, $50, S26 for last September over the like ex-
ports in the same month in 1890. Imports were
in that month 81, 246, 900 larger than exports.
The reverse is likely to be true this year. I'm
ports at New York were for five weeks ending
October 8 SA,274 900 less than in like weeks last
year. and tor the country imports were about
50, 200, 600 less.
First, then, we find that, but for the
famine conditions prevailing in Europe
and the unusual plenty here, the ex-
port trade of this year would be disas-
trous to the tune of twelve millions of
dollars. Is this McKinleyism or is it
not? Secondly, we find that the i'm
ports We're, in five weeks, over eight
millions of dollars less than last
year at New York alone. Is that
McKinleyism or is it not2 Lately
we have been told that free sugar
and some other nonsense were to
make the volume of imports bigger
than ever, under the Mckinley law.
Why has it not turned out that way?
The Press facts, however, afford a
third deduction. The collapse of the
import and export trade alike has
caused a bad setback to the
transportation of the country.
The grain carrying roads, it is true,
have made profits which slightly
swell the average for August over
that Of August, 1890, which was, by
the way, the worst railway mouth in
years; but all the non-grain-carrying
roads have had a very bad dull season,
and many Of them have Melted seri-
ously reduced profits.
The Press still relies on the effect Of