The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-09-22
REED ON THE TARIFF.


The Ex-Czar veatalness nis vlsws o. q
Ali-fmporssst Quesssoa.
In his speech on the bill 10 repeal III,
silver-purchasing clause of the Sher
man act cx-Spealscr Reed did not as
sert, as some % his party associate
have done, that the trouble that nov
anfcts the country Is due 10 the fac
that the elections of last year put tn,
democrats In power. 1t is clear tina
Mr.. Reed has too much regard for hi
eputation TO take % absurd position
a that. ands besides, he knows that hi
p~o, Die would not sustain him in IL
Stui he could not resist the teinpta
tion 20 intimate that the dread Of tariff
refcpns has something to do with tn,
present "A urgency. He evidently felt
however. hat this was dangerou,
ground, ssf he touched the question
with great - 'tion. After promising
that he did xoe n gard the Sherman acI
and he dis nct consider an apology
necessary for sallsu4 II by that name
as alone responsible for the present
condition of fYairs, he vent on to men,
tion the stoppage Of hundreds and
thousands Of mills all over ! he country
as at the bottom Of the G'isast>'r Now
Mr. Reed knows very we'll tha< COM
parativcly few Of these mtlls sto .oped
until the monetary stringe 0cy set In,
and that the prospect Of improvement
in this respect has caused many of
them to reopen within q week The
closing of mills would not, OF itself,
tend 70 produce general scarcely Of
money, though 1t would, IT course. pro-
duce it among the employees of those
particular mills Elsewhere 1t wouid,
have just the contrary effect TIE.
closing OF the mills would lessen the
demand for money and cause it to ac-
cumuiuate In the banks The reverse
OF this is what has actually happened,
showing clearly that Mr.. Reed has mis-
taken the effect for the cause. In other
words. the money stringency caused
the closing of the mills, and tie closing
OF the mills is not responsible for the |
financial disturbance
Mr. Reed was pleased to express the |
opinion that the democratic congress
will not so revise the tariff as TO bring |
the worlSingmen back TO che condition
OF workmen under the Walker tariff.
This is very kind Of Mr.. Reed and in
one respect we quite agree with him.
The tariff will never put the working
man back to where he was in 1916. be-
cause the tariff has not brought him
out OF the condition in which he was
at that time. Improved machinery and
the general progress of discovery since
that time have put it in the power of
workmen 10 earn more than they could
In 1S4G. and accordingly they receive
more for their labor. This is true as
well under free trade as under protec-
ton. for the causes have operated
everywhere, at least in civilized coun-
tries. 1t is not admitted. Of course,
that protection has not deprived the
aborer OF part of his share in this inn
provement; but certainly it has not
been sufficient to neutralize it alto
yether.
There is, however. q subtitle and mis-
leading suggestion in the selection by
MIR. Reed OF the era of the Walker
.arif for comparison as the condition of
he worlxingman. 1t was intended to
make the impression that his condition
vas then peculiarly had, whereas it
vas better than it has ever been be-
ore. During all THAI period wages
we're continually rising According to
he report Of q committee appointed by
republican senate, the average Of
wages in 1s46. the yRar the Walker
ariff was enacted, was only s9.3 per
emit Of what it was i'm 1860, after the |
aw had been in operation for fourteen (
cara In other Words the workman !
rho earned ESQ. 80 in 1s46 was earning
100 in 1861, and in the same proportion
Or those earning larger sums At no
inc during the operation OF the
Walker tariff were wages so low as in l
ne year when it was passed, and with
vo or three exceptions there was an
Improvement every year of the four 4
zen. During the same period the :
riccs Of commodities. declined or per 8
mt. SO that the purchasing power of
ages was increased nearly 20 per
mt under the Walker tariff.
We are very glad that Mr. Reed is Of
he opinion that the democrats are not r
ping to ruin the country by tariff re- G
'rm- At all events, IL is not likely 4
lat tariff reform under democratic q
ispices will have 50 disastrous an
feet upon the party Of the country as c
'e legislation of the congress which O
as dominated by Mr.. Rced.-Louis- d
lie Couricr-Journal g
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