Huntsville gazette., 1892-07-09
CoNFiDENCE IN HARRISON.
The business World Repos-s Faith IN the
President.

PreE1dCnts
II is now generally conceded that the
re-omination of the president was
sYy " due to the influence of the busi-
es, interests of the country. Mr.. De-
pew has expressed this opinion. and as
the recognized Harrison leader in the
convention his Judgment may be ac-
certed as conclusive. A large majority
of the delegates were uninstructed, and
were influenced by private dispatches
which they received from the business
centers of the country. These dispatch
es favored the denomination Of the
president, and were most effective in
producing the result.
The same force which impelled dazed
and questioning delegates to cas- their
ballots at Minneapolis for Harrison will
inevitably influence voters at Urge in
November. There is a general agree
ment among business men that their in
terests will be promoted by the contin-
uance of a safe and successful republic
an administration. Prudent men dis
Germ clearly the disturbance which
would be produced in the business
world by the election of a democratic
president and the control of both houses
of congress by the party of tariff agi-
tation and free coinage A long period
of uncertainty would follow, during
which business men would not know
where they were standing or what
might be coming. Tariff revision,
whether it is attempted by republicans
or democrats, is dreaded by business
men, since it is always a protracted
process, the results of which can never
be accurately forecast. During the
transition period general business stag
mates and languishes, and every impor-
tant mercantile interest is relieved
when it is brought to an end.
The success of the democratic
party in November would in
volve the resumption of tariff
agitation and the unsettling of all the
prevailing conditions of trade. The
conservative opinion of the business
elements of the country is against the
premature reopening of the tariff
controversy in congress. Under a
republican administration and with
republican congress they have the as
surance that the tariff act will stand,
and that the orderly course of business
will not lie interrupted.
What practical men perceive is the
fact that the Mckinley act is operating
on the whole very differently from what
democratic opponents anticipated, and
more satisfactorily than its republican
advocates. vcntured to predict two
years ago. 1t has exerted stimulating
effect upon all productive interests, has
maintained high level of wages, and
so far from increasing prices for the
consumers has in many instances re-
duced them. With the reciprocity
clause it has enlarged the foreign de-
mand for American breadstuffs and
manufactures, and at the same time has
not increased the cost of imported food
products. Many classes of business
men, who were not convinced at the
outset that the Mckinley act was either
necessary or exredient, now admit that
their prejudices were not justified. On
every side in business circles there is a
strong preference shown for allowing
the act to remain in operation long
enough to be plactic lily tested. The
influence of all conservative business
men will be power u ly exerted during
the next five months to prevent the un-
settling effects of democratic victory
for so-called tariff reform. The repub-
lcan party viii profit heavily by this
influence. AS it was strong enough tc
secure the presidents denomination al
Minneapolis, it promises already to be
sufficient to secure his reelection