The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-09-22


which are brushes, coke, leather and manufac-
lures thereof? How will he treat the free listg
VIII he place tea and coffee, spices and drugs
on the tafif listp
He can do the cause which he represents no
greater good than to give the people informa-
ton upou this subject, taking up the tariff law
of 1890 and following IL to its conclusion, indi-
eating the duties he would impose under the
system which he so ably advocates. When he
has done that, every citizen OF the state can
determine in practical business way, which
schedule of duties he prefers, those of Mr. Neal
or of the republican law of 1890. Then he
should go farther and advise us what revenue
he will secure from his tariff reform law. VIII
he also inform the people what new subjects he
will draft for federal taxation, II any? Itwould
be proper in this connection to have from him
full statement of how he would raise the money
to carry on the government, 10 pay its pensions
and other obligations
With the condition which confronts US, with
idle factories and idle men in every part OF the
country, the present question is how can they
best be set to work? The mills are closed. win
free trade start them? viii lower tariff re-
lxindle their fires? VIII larger importations OF
competitive products made by cheaper labor
increase our domestic production! III the Tor
eign shop is to have easier access TO this mar
ket with its competitive goods through q lower
tariff will that help American shops? VIII
freer access to the markets or competitive
products increase the demand for American
products and American labor? That Is the
question. win the larger use OF goods OF Tor
egn shops competing with our own increase the
labor in our own? VIII more foreign goods
shipped here increase the demand for like do
nestle goods? Lower tariff or no tariff makes
1t easier to bring IN foreign goods and harder to
dispose Of kindred domestic goods. The more
foreign goods used competing with ours the less
domestic goods will be used, and the less do
nestle goods which are used the less VIII be
w he less m
quired to make them, and those who do make
them have less work and will have less wages.
Do we want to make 1t easier than 1t now Is to
import foreign goods competing with our own!
Do we want to have foreign competition with
out hindrance or restraint? Ii we do free trade
or revenue tariff will accomplish 1t. If we
want our goods made abroad and not at home
we should be for a revenue tariff. II we want
them made at home we should be for protect
i've tariff If we make them at home we will
employ American labor. If they are made
abroad foreign labor will make them and home
labor will be idle. 1t is no economy to buy for
eign goods and leave our own unsod
They say o protective tariff is tax and
burden upon the people 1t Is tax upon the
foreign producer, and his welfare is not our first
concern Idleness is much greater tax and
much more onerous burden than any tariff tax
which can be imposed. There is no burden so
great as unemployed men; no tax so grievous as
poverty. The craftsmanship which can supply
work to willing hands, consistent with the gen.
eral national prosperity that has been had in
the past thirty years. is the craftsmanship of
good business and of saving common sense
The farmer who has q house full Of grown, Wig
orous sons, finds no economy in hiring his
neighborS' sons while his own are idle. The
country which has a million OF its own citizens
unemployed will find no economy in employing
aliens and strangers of another country to do
its work abroad We want our work done by
our own citizens. They must be preferred
above all others.
1t is true that our protective legislation still
stands, but the democratic party is pledged to
repeal 1t. They have in platform declared II o
fraud and robbery and the eliminating atroc-
ity of class legislation. They have gone so far
as to pronounce it unconstitutional Their vic
tory last year, as they interpret it, was de.
cree TO tear up protection root and branch. Is
that not so? If so, then the commonest instinct
OF business prudence demands the business
world to take notice. They have done it. and
tho present condition of the country tells the
rest. When man is sentenced to be hung, he
sufferers all the fortunes of death before he has
ever seen the halter, and the most reckless
man, under such q sentence, gets ready for the
death which is to ensue.
We never had greater prosperity or better
employed labor than from the passage of the
law of 1890 down to the election of 1892, when 1t
was determined that the senate of the United
States would be democratic and all the branches
OF the government WOuIu DC III Tue HdHuS Vi
that party. Il. G.. Dun CO. Weekly Review
of Trade of December 81 1892, says:
1.-THE most prosperous year ever known in
business closes to-day" 1.-THE year 1892 from
the same authority, "was remarkable for fewer
failures than occurred in any other year since
1885, the number reported being 1894 or 1923
less than in 1891. The largely increased number
of traders and the enormous increase of produc-
ton for the year render these figures most
significant"
Everybody will regret that these conditions
have been changed and that the change has
been unfavorable TO the American people.
BradStrectS Commercial Agency has received
reyorts from eight hundred manufacturing
establishments at two hundred and ten different
points that have closed their doors since June
LIST, and says that summary of the results of
the Investigation shows that no fewer than
100000 industrial building trades and mining
employees have been thrown out of work within
the period specified due to the absolute closing
of the establishments in which they were
engaged or the shutting down of work at the
mines
This situation of things needs no comment or
elaboration. The president himself, whose con.
sttutional duty ii is to advise congress of the
condition of the country has sounded the alarm
and proclaimed in solemn message the calamity
that is upon US 1t is q matter of deep concern
and of still deeper regret to every well-wisher
of his country that the splendid prosperity of
of such business gloom We must not lose
heart. Confidence and courage are half the
victory The people once aroused to the gravity
of the situation will not surrender but find q
remedy, as under our political system they have
q remedy, at the polls.
This changed condition is not the result of our
monetary system Whatever evils, If any, are
to be found in that system, they can in no way
account for this wholesale curtailment of pro-
duction and dismisstl OF employees from their
accustomed workshops The cause lies deeper
than all this, and it is found in the fact that
everyone of these great Industries are threat
ened with destruction by the party in power.
You cannot expect men to invest their capital
in producing for the future when they do not
know what that future will be. They can only
wait and see; but waiting is paralyZing to the
business of the country aud brings distress to
every man who works for wages. Any adjust
ment of the tariff, however conservative, is sure
to disturb every industry of the country. 1t
affects the cost of production and the price of
such product in the market The producer is
therefore unwilling to accumulate his product
for the future demand, the profit of which may
oil be wiped out by q change in the tariff
The complaint is made that the gold goes out
of the country If we had free trade or a
revenue tariff this complaint would be aggra-