Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-06
The MESSAGE
(CoH'inns't from Frs, Poss.)

year' prior t. 1891 VS. sI.457 80. o19.
IL all b" oh-erved that on foreign
trade for ls'2 exceeded this annual ave.
age va!Ce by 500. 35s SOL an Increase of
zit' per cent The significance and value of
this Increase are shown by the fat that the ex-
cess IN he trade % 1882 over 1891 was wholly in
the value OF exports, for there was n de-
crease IN the value ofimports of sI7.5I37a
The value Of our exports during tne fiscal
year 1892 reached the highest figure in the his
tory OF the government. amounting to : O3O p
2lS,l4-. exceeding BY slf5 797 33s the export.
OF 1871 and exceeding the value Of the i'm norts
BY SAsZ.s15.6>6. comparison OF the value of
our exports for 1892 with the annual average
Tor the ten wears prior, to 1891 shows an excess
OF eos. 1851. or Of 81 IS per cent. The value
OF our imports OF merchandise for 1892 which
was Ss2s. 100. 1852. also exceeded the annual
avcrage value " the ten years prior TO 1891 BY
SiJ5.2lS.JiO. During the fiscal wear 1892 the
value OF imports free Of duty amounted 10
siSI s99.65S. the largest aggregate in the his
tory OF our commerce. The value Of the i'm
ports Of merchandise entered free of dntv in
1872 was 90 35 per cent of the total value Of i'm
Ports. as compared with 43 50 per cent in 1891
and S366 per cent in 1890
TIE CoAsTwIsE TRADE.
In our cOastwise trade most encouraging
development is in progress. there having been
IN the last four years an increase Of rs per cent
In internal commerce the statistics show that
sNCn ISflbTl OF prosperity has ever DesOTe
existed The freight carried in the coastwise
trade Of the Great Lakes in 1880 aggregated
2s-2so,y j9 tons On she Mississippi. Missouri
and Ohio rivers and Tributaries in the same
year the tratsc aggregated -. .046 tons. and
the total vessel tonnage passing through the
Detroit River during that year was 2l.6S4 900
tons. The vessel tonnage entered and cleared
in the foreign trade Of London during 1890
amounted to ll.4~O.167 tons. and OF
Liverpool l0.9il. 500 tons. total
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OF "A, 422. SOS tons only slightly in excess of the
vessel tonnage passing through the Detroit
River. And 1t should be sad that the season
for the Detroit River was but 22S days. while,
OF course in London and Liverpool the season
Was for the entire year. The vessel tonnage
passing through the ST Marys Canal for the ifs
cal year 1892 amounted to 3 S2S .S74 tons. and
the freight tonnage of The Detroit River l. esti-
mated for tina; year at 25.0O0. o9D tons. against
Is. 209. 90 tons in 1891. The aggregate traffic
on our railroads fer the year 1891 a1nount ted TO
7Oi.3sS, 6o9 tons of freight, compared with SOL.
3ii. 431 tons in 1880. increase OF 1905. l72
tons.
CENTRAL PROSPERITY.
Another indication Of the general prosperity
Of the country l. found in the fact that the
number q depo-itors in savings banks in
creased frorr 6g3.s70 in 1860 20 4.25S. s93 in
1890. an increase OF JlJ per cent. and the
amount Of deposits from sIi9.277. SCI in
1850 to sl.52i So 0G in 1880. an increase OF
92l per cent Ia 1891 the amour, OF deposits
IN savings banks was al 623. O79.749. 1t Is esti-
mated that ~ per cent Of these deposits repre-
sent the savings Of wage-earners. The bank
elearanee- for nine months ending September
80. 1891. amounted to al .Oi9. $50 s0s. For the
same months IN 1S92 they amounted TO S45. ls9-
0i.s47. an excess for the nine months of ga
LAG. 2ll. l39
There never has been time in our history
when work abundant when wages
were a. high. whether measured by the cur
rency ia which they are paid OF bv their power
10 supply the necessa-lcs and comforts OF life.
IL l. true that the market prices Of cotton and
wheat have been low Ii IL ono Of the un:avor-
able incidents of agriculture that the farmer
not produce upon orders. lie must SOW
and reap In ignorance OF the aggregate produc-
ton Of the year and L. peculiarly subject to the
depreciation which follows OyerprOduction.
BIt while the fact I have stated l. true as to
the crops mentioned, the general average of
prices has been such as 10 give to agriculture a
fair participation IN the general prosperity
The value Of our total farm products has in
creased from l.S6j. 64G. ~66 in 1850 TO 81 800
OO0. COO in lsg'. a. estimated BIZ staIisticiaus an
increase Of go per cent. The number of hogs
January l. 1891. was 30. G25. IO6 and their value
S2l0.l33. 81. January /. 1872 the number
was 81 S9s.0I and the value sal. AS. on
January ]. 1891. The number Of cattle So
e75.6i, and The value 554i. III sos: on January
]. l-92. the number 81 ,65l .239 and the value
$50 .4y. l55.
Il ary arr di-contented with their state here:
n any believe that wage prices. the returns
for honest toll. are inadequate, thsy should not
fail 10 r. member that there l. no other country
in ting world where the conditions that seem TO
them hard would not be accepted highly
Prosperous. The English agricalturist would
be glad 10 exchange the returns of his labor
for those Of the American farmer, aud the
Manchester wOrkmen their wages for those of
their fellows at Fail River.
TIE PROTECTIVE SYSTEM.
believe that the protective system, which
has now for something more than thirty years
continuously prevailed in our legislation. has
been mighty instrument for the development
Of our national wealth and a most powerful
agencv IN protecting he homes OF our working
men frJm the invasion OF want have felt
most snicitous interest TO preserve to our work
ing people rates Of wages that would not only
give ,iai.y bread bl- supply IL comfortable mar
gIn for those home attractions and family com
forts and cEjoyments without which life Is
neither hopefu. nor sweet. They are Ameri-
C1u cIiIZtus-a part Of the great people for
whom our Constitution and Government were
framed and instituted-and it cannot be "a per
version OF that Constitution to SO iegislate TO
preserve IN heir homes the comfort. indepen-
dsure LOYALTY. and sense OF interest IN the gov
eminent which are essential to good citizen
ship in peace. and which will bring this stall
wart throng. Ia 1851, to the defense of the
flag when \ l. assaIled-
nent IN favor OF protective tariff. The result
Of the recent election must be accepted as hav-
ing introduced a new policy. We must assume
that the present tariff. constructed upon the
lines Of protection. l. To be repealed. and that
there - TO be substituted :or IL "a tariff law con-
structed solely with reference to revenue: that
no drty is 10 be higher because the increase
will keep open American mill or keep up the
wages of American workman. but that in
every case such a rate Of duty l. to be imposed
a. will bring TO the Treasury of the United
States the largest retgrn- o: revenue. The con-
teutiOn has not been between schedules but be-
tween principles. AID II would be offensive to
sugges; that the prevailing party will not carry
into legislation the prIn iple- advocated by j,
and the pledges given % The people. The tariff
bills passed By the House Of Representatives at
the Last session were. a. ! suppOSe-eyen in the
opinion OF thsi- promoter Inadequate and
justified only BY the fact that the senate and
Hou-e % Representative are not IN accord and
that general revision could not therefore, be
undertaken
TARfFF REVISION.
! recommsn nd that the whole subject Of tariff
revision be left 10 ;he incoming Congress. 1t
l. matter o: regret that this work must be de-
lavc4 Tor ~ least three months. for the threat
% great tariff changes introduces 80 much un-
certainty that amount. not easily estimated.
OF business inactiou and OF diminished produc-
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