New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-23
THE TESTS FOR THIS YEIR.

President Harrison rarely speaks WITHOUT
uttering some thought which fixes itself IN the
public mind The key Of the whole contest
this year, though yet unperceived by many
was pointed ont by him in a sentence OF his
remarks in reply to the notification OF his re-
nomination. Fortunately, he said. Republican
measures can already he judged by their fruits
in 1890 it was a conflict of predictions now
our adycrsarics must face trade statistics and
prices current" That is to be the hardest
part of the battle for them. What Rcpub-
leans have done will be judged by the facts.
What Democrats falsely predicted will also be
Judged by the facts.
1t can hardly be questioned by any we'll
informed person that the three last years have
been on the whole the most prosperous the
country has ever seen There have been other
periods of more active speculation. when moro
individuals have suddenly accumulated great
fortunes There may have been three sue
ccSsyc years of greater agricultural production,
for in one of these years the crops of wheat.
corn and oats were unusually short. Other
periods can be selected in which this or that
important industry has made greater relative
progress than within the last three years. but
no other period in which the progress Of all
taken together has been rs great. In these
three wears the groatc,t production Of iron ever
known in this or any other country has been
realized the greatest consumption in manu-
facturc Of wool Of cotton and of silk, the
greatest production Of boots and shoes, and in
many other branches of industry. which have
not as complete statistical records, the results
have also surpassed all previous achievements.
The two greatest cotton crops ever produced
have already been marketed within this period ;
the last and the coming wheat crop viii I'M
doubtcdly prove the two greatest ever grown ;
the greatest crop of oats and also the greatest
of corn have been raised within the same three
years and the number Of animals sent r. mar
kot has surpassed all previous records. The
foreign commerce Of the country, which mis-
taken opponents imagined the Republican pei
icy would rcprc>S. was greater on the whole
i'm the fiscal wear 1890 than i'm any prey iouS
year in the history of the country but the
record Of 1890 was far NurplS>cl IN 1891 and
the record OF 1901 ., Of all past years. will be
far surpassed by that of the fiscal year 1872.
which viii close within a fortnight. The cy-
ports IN eleven months have been greater than
In any preceding twelve months Will" the
aggregate Of imports If slightly exceeded in
the previous y,ar la, in each OF the last three
years been greater than in any preceding year
m The Nation, history
With all these splendid results there has also
come An eva II unprecedented choapnc>> for
consumers Of manufactured products Within
the last two ycar> both the wholesale and tho
retail prices Of nearly all products Of iron and
steel II wool and wor>tcds Of cotton ard silk
and the bopiS and shoe, worn by nearly all the
people have been lower tnan ever before. AS
President Han son SAYS. our adycrslrlc> now
must face prices current. and m" millions who
have been bu,ing thing, for ;hc last wear or
t,,o ar prepared 10 detect any dcc"pt N. They
were cheated h} false predictions and ial,r
,t,ric, two wears ago. hUl for that Very reason
have been watching the f2c'> more closely ever
since. The Nation has pro>pcrcd mar,cllou'l'.
and wise Republican administration and l"eiS-
lation have done their full share 10 promote
this prosperity Nature has indeed been homti-
ful Misfortune, abroad have increased the
demand for american products. Many causes
have contributed 10 the fortunate result. But
the campaign Of education which now begins
will show the pcop" how greatly wise laws
and faithful administration have promoted their
welfare. and helped the country 10 attain with
in Tho last few years a measure of prosperity
never before cquallcd.