The record-union., 1892-12-07


years prior 10 1SY1 by SI35, ,2I5, $40. Dur
ing the hscal year 1882 the value # imports
nee OF duty amounted to S457 ,99s ,655, the
dargest aggregate in the history OF commerce.
Inc value OF imports of merchandise entered
fIee OF duty in 1852 was 55.35 per cent. Of
Ine W totai value OF imports, as compared with
in 1880.
CoASTwIsE TRADE.
IN our coaStwise trade a most encouraging
aeVeopment is in progress, there having been
III ne last four years an increase of 16 per
cent. in internal commerce The statistics
snow that no such period of prosE Gritty has
ever before existed. The freight carried in the
coastwise trade ofthe Great Lakes in l s 80 ag-
gre9ated 2S,290, $50 tons. On the Mississippi
Missouri and Ohio Rivers and tributaries in
the same year the traffic aggregated 29,404,-
400 TONS and the total vessel tonnage passing
throGgh the Detroit River during that year
was 21.6S4, 900 tons The vessel tonnage en-
tered and cleared in the foreign trade OF Lon
don during $50 amounted to 134sO767
tons, and of Liverpool 1O,941, 500 tons, a
total for these two great shipping ports OF 1, :,
442, ,56S tons, only slightly in excess of the
vessel tonnage passing through the Detroit
River, and 1t should be said that the season
for the Detroit River was only 22S days,
while of course in London and Liverpool the
season was for the entire year. The vessel
tonnage passing through the st. Mary's Canal
for the fiscal year 1892 amounted to $685.
S74 tons, and the freight tonnage of the De
troit River is estimated for that year at 25,-
100000 tons, against 23,2O9,619 tons in
1891.
The aggregate traffic on our railroads for the
year 1891 amounted to 7O4, ,39S, ,609 tons of
freight, compared with 691 ,344 ,437 tons in
1890, an increase of 13, ,054, ,172 tons.
INDICATIONS OF PROSPERITY.
Another indication of the general pros
perlty OF the country is found in the tact that
the number OF depositors in savings banks in
creased from 693,S7O in 1860 10 32S. .393
amount of deposits from $164, 1875 in
1860 TO 81, ,524, ,844, SOB IN 1890, an increase
OF 90 per cent. In 1891 the amount of de-
posits in savings banks was 81 ,62S, ,079, ,749.
1t is estimated that 80 per cent. OF these de-
posits represent the savings OF wage earners.
The bank clearance has for nine months
ending September 80, 1891, amounted to
S41 ,O19, $50, sos. For the same months in
1892 they amounted to $45, ,1S9, ,6O1, ,947, an
excess tor the nine months Of 81, lao, ,211 ,139.
There never has been a time in our history
when work was so abundant or when wages
were as high, whether measured by the cur
rency in which they are paid or by their power
to supply the necessaries and comforts of life.
1t Is true that the market prices of cotton
and wheat have been low.
FARM PRODUCTS.
1t is one of the unfavorable incidents of
agriculture that the farmer cannot produce
upon orders. He must sow and reap in
ignorance of the aggregate production OF the
year, and is peculiarly subject to the DISPOSE
ton which follows Over-productiOn. But
while the fact / have stated is true as to the
crops l have mentioned, the general average
OF prices has been such as TO give to agri-
culture a fair participation in the general
prosperity. The value of our total farm
| products has increased from $1,363 SAC, ,SO6
| in 1860 to S4,500,0O0 in 1891, as es-
timated by statisticians, an increase of $50
| per cent.
The number of hogs January l,
1871. was 5o,525,107, and their value
S210,193, 1925. On January l, 1892, the
number was 52,39S,O19. and their value
S241, ,931 AIS.
on january l, 1891, the number of cattle
was SO, 6,S75, GAS, and the value S544, 1870
On January l, 1892, the number was 81
COL, ,239, and their value S57O,749,155.
CONDITIONS HERE AND ABROAD
If any are discontented with their state
here: if any believe that the wages or prices
the returns for honest toil-are inadequate,
they should not fail TO remember that there is
no other country in the world where the con-
ditions that seem to them hard would not be
accepted as highly prosperous The English
| agriculturst would be glad to exchange the
/ returns of his labor for those of the American
| farmer, and the Manchester Workmen their
wages for those of their fellows at Fall River.
| | believe that the protective system, which
now for something like thirty years has pre-
vailed in our legislation, has been a mighty
! instrument Tor the development of our Ma
tional wealth and a most powerful agency in
protecting the homes of our workingInen
| from the invasion of want. | have felt q most
| solcitous interest to preserve to our working
people rates of wages that would not only
! give daily bread, but supply a comfortable
| margin for those home attractions and family
| comforts and enjoyments. without which life
| is neither hopeful nor sweet They are Ameri-
| can citizens, part of the great people for
| whom our Constitution and Government
| were framed and instituted, and it cannot be
| q perVerSon OF the Constitution to so legis-
| late as 10 preserve in their homes the comfort
| independence, loyalty and sense of interest in
| the Government which are essential to good
| citizenship in peace and which will bring
| them, as IN 1861, to the defense of the flag
when it is asSailed.
| QUESTIONS OF TARIFF.
1
| argument in favor OF protective tariff The
result of the recent election must be accepted
| as having introduced q new policy. We must
! assume that the present tariff constructed
| upon the lines of protection, is to be repealed
! and there is to be substituted for it a tarifi
| law constructed solely to revenue, that no
| duty is to be higher because the increase will
| keep open an American mill or keep up the
| wages of an American workman but in every
| case such rate of duty is to be imposed as
viii bring the Treasury of the United States
| the largest returns of revenue. The cOnten-
| tion has not been between schedules but be-
| tween principles, and it would be offensive to
! suggest that the prevailing party will not
| carry into legislation the principles advocated
| by il and the pledges given to the people.
| The tariff bills passed by the House OF
! Representatives at the last session, were, as
! supposed, even in the opinion of their pro-
moters, inadequate and justified only by the
| fact that the Senate and House of Represent
atives were not in accord, and that a general
| revision could not, therefore, be undertaken.
| recommend that the whole subject of tariff
revision be left to the incoming Congress. 1t
| is matter of regret that this work must be
| delayed tor at least three months, for the
| threat of great tariff changes introduces so
! much uncertainty that an amount not easily
| estimated OF business action and of dimin-
| ished production will necessarily result. 1t is
| possible also that this uncertainty may re-
| suit in decreased revenue from customs duties
| for our merchants will make cautious orders
| for foreign goods in view OF the prospect of re-
| ductions and the uncertainty as 10 when ii
| will take effect Those who have advocated a
protective tariff can well afford to have their
| disastrous forecasts Of a change of policy dis
| appointed.
! If system of customs rules can be framed
| that will set the idle wheels and looms oi
Europe in motion and crowd our warehouses
| with foreign-made goods and atsthe same time
/ keep our own mills busy; that will give US an
! increased participation in the markets of the
| world of n greater value tEan the home
| market that we surrender; that will give in.
creased work to foreign workmen upon pro-
| ducts to be consumed by our people without
! diminishing the amount of work 10 be done
| here; that will enable the American mauufact-
urer to pay TO his wOrkmen from 80 to 100
per cent. more in wages than is paid in the
| foreign mill, and vet to compete in our market
aud foreign markets with the foreign pro-
! ducer; that VIII further reduce the cost OF
| articles of wear and food without reducing the
wages of those who produce them; that can be
celebrated after its effects have been realized,
| as its expectation has been in European as
/ well as in American cities the authors and
promoters of Ii viii be entitled to the highest
praise.
! We have had in our history several expert
ences of the contrasted effects of a revenue and
| of protective tariff, but this generation has
| not felt them, and the experience OF one gen
4 Grafton is not highly instructive to the next.
4 The friends of the protective system, with un-
1 diminished confidence in the principles they
4 have advocated, will wait the results of tie
new experiment.
The strained and too often disturbed rela.
| tions existing between the employees and en-
! ployer in our great manufacturing establish
| ments have not been favorable TO a calm con-
! sideration by the wage-earners of the effect
| upon wages of the protective system. The
| facts that his wages were the highest paid in
| like calling in the world, and that a mainte