Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-08-11
The Weekly EXpOSitOr.
FRIDAY, AUG. II, 1893.
HARD TIMES.
CAUSE AND CURE.
ARTICLE !.

dustries, and all departments OF trade
and commerce are depressed and III II
bad financial condition.
Every weeks reports increase the
number of factories, mines, and other
business concerns that have shut down
or suspended, thus adding to the
thousands upon thousands of laborers,
artisans, specia lists, clerks and others
who depend upon the existence of
these various industries and lnstltu-
tions for livelihood for themselves
and families, and who have thus
been thrown out of employment.
Lack of employment is always bad,
but it is difficult to realize its terrible
effects upon those whose daily bread
depends upon the prosperity of II
manufacturing concern and which Is
suddenly closed. 1t means actual
want and often starvation to helpless
women and little children who are
powerless to protect and provide for
themselves.
There are to-day hundreds upon
hundreds OF such concerns that have
heretofore prospered and there are
also thousands upon thousands of such
helpless families who suddenly find
want and starvation staring them in
the face because of the fact that these
factories and other concerns are now
closed.
Something must have been instru-
mental in producing this effect and
that something is
THE CAUSE.
There is undoubtedly some principal
cause which has brought about this
result.
The "Gold Bugs of Wall Street
allegc that il is due to the fact that the
Government has attempted the use of
silver III accordance with the terms of
the Sherman Silver Bill, while the
"Silver Crank" of the Silver States
Just as strongly charges the whole
difficulty to Wall Street and the "Gold
Bugs" who attempt to force a single
gold standard as basis of all money.
1t may be true that the Sherman
Law may need to be repealed and a
modified provision for the use of silver
as money made to replace it, but it
is quite certain that the claims urged
by extremists cannot prevail.
Silver has been used as money by all
nations and peoples from the day
that Judas Iscariot sold our Lord for
thirty pieces of silver to the present
date.
1t has been in existence among our
own people since the early settlers
brought it from their homes across
the ocean.
With all the complaints that have
been made against it one may purchase
as much IN meat, provisions, boots,
shoes, or clothing today 1Cth .fUe
Siloer dollars as he can with five
dollar gold piece, five dollar bill, or
five dollars of any other money made
by any nation that issues money.
So we may fairly claim that since
silver has retained its purchasing
power on Il par with gold and paper
money; since the very working men,
merchants and manufacturers who
have been forced to suspend would all
| be glad to continue work and business
and accept these same Sitcer dollars ut
par for their products, we must con-
clude that there is something besides
the silver question to be disposed of
something besides the silver question
that is causing trouble.
THE TARIFF.
All readers will concede that prior to
the election of last fall the Republican
and the Democratic.partyw were opposed
that the Republicans in convention,
on the stump, and on rostrum insisted
that our people needed a protective
tariff: one that tended to foster our
own industries; that tended to keep
out foreign made goods and thus per-
NIT our own laborers and manufacture
ing concerns 20 continue to furnish
such goods and articles as we use here
at home by our own people, because of
the fact we can make these good
enough and cheap enough.
1t will be remembered that Republi-
can Speakers and Press insisted that
the Mckinley Bill should remain the
protective bulwark to shield our labor
ers and manufacturing industries.
1t will also be remembered that from
| the time the National Democratic Con-
vention assembled in Chicago in June
until Grover Cleveland was elected,
the Democratic platform, speakers
and Press, all denounced protective
tariff and insisted that the Mckinley
| Bill must be repealed as soon as dem
ocrats got into power.
So it is conceded that the Demo-
cratic party came into power pledged
to the people that they would reyise
the tariff and change the system.
Upon this point / now quote from
the message Of President Harrison
dated December 6, 1892, to the Congress
that convened soon after the election
of Cleveland upon platform that
promised to thus change our tariff
system.
81 recommend that whole subject of
tariff revision be left to the incoming
Congress. IL is matter of regret
that this matter must be DELAYED for at
least three months; Tor the threat Of
great tariff changes Introduces so much
Of uncertainty that az amount, not
easily estimated, Of business indction
and Of diminished production 1cUl
necessarily result"
Here then is cause for the "busi-
ness inaction and diminished pro.
duction" that is to-day closing the
factory, store and shop. The Demo-
cratic party came into power. They
have control of the President, Cabinet
the House, and the Senate. They
convened in March inaugurated Cleve-
land. and remained in session three
months with full power to act upon
the tariff. This they failed to do
They deferred action until they meet
again. Meanwhile all that manufac-
turprs and laborers and the Deonle al