The record-union., 1892-10-19

Nearly $4,000, 100000 excess imports in
ten years. She sustains this enormous
drain by her shipping interests, which
exceed those of all other countries COM
bined, and by her immense investments
in other countries in their bonds and in
their industries.
We pay England $l50,000,000 annually
to do our shipping. We pay her $780,
coo, 900 interest on our bonds she holds.
These are her accumulations of many
centuries, during which she has levied
tribute of all nations, and all peoples,
and spread her trade by fire and by
sword into every continent.
But to-day some OF the wisest states
men of Great Britain are advocating a re-
turn to the protective policy. hey say
that the country cannot stand the enor-
nous drain now going on by payments
of immense sums for imports in excess
of exports. They realize that they are
burning the candle at both ends.
Contrast the trade balance of the United
States. Since 1915 and up to 1862 there
were but two years QS47 and 1853, when
our exports exceeded our imports.
From 1876 to 1892 our exports
have exceeded imports 81, ,S22, ,954 OPP,
or over Sll3,O00,0O0 annually. For eight
cen years there have been but three years
when we failed to sell more than we
bought.
Free trade might have done better than
this, but we have no ground for believ-
ing so. We ought to be content with
protection, that works out such results.
NATIONAL DEBT.
Let me show you how our debt COM
pares with other countries:
PER CAPITA DEBT,
In 1880 in United States the per cap
In It 1850 in ali other countries cs'''''95
In 1890 in United States the per cap
ia natlonal deDt.........--....... ....... IA "a
In 1890 in all other cOuntries............ SO IS
At the close of the war the debt was S2. :
773,000,0OO we have uaid of this debt 81 =
795, 100000; our debt is now less than one
billion-S97S 200, 600. We have decreased
our debt by an average of 800, 100000 an
nually.
In 1850, value of taxable
property :, ,OOO, 100000
In 1890, value of taxable
property %, 100000
Increase. ................... $500, 900, 900
This is a reduction of debt and increase
of wealth unparalleled in modern times
STRIKES.
Our Democratic friends have a great
deal to say about the strikes that have
occurred in this country, and they at
tribute them to the. tariff legislation.
There never has been a time, and never
viduals or bodies OF men will not
protest in some effective way or
seek relief through organized move
ment against employers. But no
man, by any satisfactory course Of rea-
soning, can trace these strikes to the
tariff laws of the country. 1t ought to be
conclusive on this subject that in free
trade England strikes are frequent and as
determined as in this country.
In 1889 there occurred in isnplau1 2 I64
strikes, as shown by the British Board of
Trade. In 1890 it reported 1,02S strikes.
involving 392, ,SS1 persons in 73S of these,
In the Durham District 100000 coal
miners went out, and stayed out from
March lst to June 1st, and finally ac-
cepted a reduction of ten per cent
In our own country the nature of the
strikes shows that the tariff has nothing
to do with them.
In Idaho the strikes were among
miners. NO one would claim that the
tariff had anything to do with these
strikes.
In Tennessee the strikers were against
convict labor.
Nobody would say that these revolts
of labor grew out of Tariff legislation.
In Buffalo the strikes We're among rail-
road employees.
Railroads are not protected industries,
and no reasonable man would say these
strikes had any relation to tariff laws.
The revolt of white Iaborers against
Chinese is another form in which the
whole United States struck, and passed a
law OF absolute exclusion. This is the
most stupendous strike in all history
Now, this protest against Chinese labor
had just as much relation to the tariff
laws as the other strikes about which
politicians are talking SO much.