The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-10-28

and how much did we import and
what was the difference between the
the two amounts
Mr.. Harrison tells you in his letter
of acceptance that we sent abroad
mainly of agricultural products more
in value than we imported by over two
hundred millions of dollars last year, the
last fiscal year, which you know ends
with the thirtieth of June, What were
those articles of exportp Cotton from
the south, petroleum from Pennsylvania
wheat and corn and the flour Of wheat
from the West, and pork from Ohio. All
these are agricultural, with one excep-
ton; and every one of them belongs to
the unprotected industries of the United
States there is not one Of them that
has all atom Of protection from the
McKinley bill, OF has any pretense OF
it. These two hundred millions of
dollars in our favor in our trade with
Europe have entered into trade-circu-
lation and commerce between city and
country, have kept the wheels of man
ufacture in motion and if they have
for while made times, apparently
easy and prosperous, what has Harri.
sons administration to do with il?
Did his administration produce short
crops in Europe and cause our corn
and four to be sent there? Did lIar-
rison'S administration cause the prair-
les of the West to yield their burden
of golden grain for shipment? OF
course it had nothing to do with it.
Take another view. During the same
time there were hundred and fifty
millions paid for pensions, and that
money was scattered into every com
munity in the North and the West;
none of it to the South, the South
happened to be on the wrong side TO
get pensions. The hundred and fifty
millions were distributed to the North
and the West out of the public treas
ury. That money went into every
nelghborhood and from the individu-
ais that received it entered into gener-
al circulation, quckening the pulses of
trade throughout the North and the
West, and there has been less distress
and suffering because of the distribu-
ton OF this vast amount of money
among rs of the North and the West.
OF this sum We contributed by taxation
but two thirds, the remaining one
third Or $50, 900, 900, being contributed
by the South and afterwards distribu-
ted to us Is not that fifty millions
pretty handsome sum of money, hav-
ing a tendency to make times little
easier here than they would otherwise
be! The present condition of things
in the money market and in business
circles has nothing whatever to do with
Harrison's administration it is owing
to other causes, which would have ex-
listed, possibly if his administration
had never been. 1t is Blaine's argu-
ment that Irishmen should vote
against the Democratic party in this
country because there are free traders
in London who sympathize with our
party on the subject of the tariff.
That is the argument. Mr.. Blaine
torgets that Gladstone and his liberal
party in London are the friends of
home rule, and that Gladstone is about
fighting desperate battle in parlia-
ment in order to get home-rule for Ir-
iShmen, and that this Gladstone and
his followers are the free-traders in
England, whereas, on the contrary, it
Is the tory party that is opposed to
absolute free trade in their country, it
is the tory party that is in favor of
what they call fair trade, which is re-
ally something like Blaine's reciproci-
ty; it is not exactly like it /; is not so
badly jointed, has not so many weak
places; they are in favor of govern.
ment interference to some extent;
and, therefore, according to Blaine's
logic, all the Irlshmen ought to vote
for protection in this country and
ought to vote for the tory party in
Great Britaln-or, in other words,
against Ireland and home lule.
When l finished this speech Of Mr..
Blaine, with those two points as the
whole of it, l concluded that the
Republicans in this campaign were ex-
ceedingly weak, were standing upon
ground SO weak that they thoug ht that
1t would not bear to be stated even by
the ablest leader among them.
PENSIONS
This is subject too long for Inc to
speak upon fully. The pension-system
as 1t now exists is not matter for
present argument. The pension laws,
as you know them or as you have
heard of them, are upon the statute
book, and they will remain upon the
statute-b book uutil they shall expire
from natural limitation, because the
subjects of their bounty no longer
exist. The pension-system Is like
screw; which has one direction; it will