San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-08-04
OUR NATIONAL FINANCES.
JUDGE EVANS VIEWS ON THE
QUESTION.
He Compliments President Cleve
land, and Favors Silver as the
Home Currency.

- ~
Al. Evans this morning and the
first question asked was, "What do
you think of the condition of our
national finances"
Judge Evans was busily engaged
in his office, but took time to grant
the reporter an interview, and
said:
'"They are in a fearful condition,
never equaled since BLACK Friday,
during Gen. Grants administra-
ton, when the crash came from
the contraction of our currency
incident to the resumption of specie
payments"
"What is the cause, or causes for
all this financial trouble?" asked
the reporter.
1.-TWO primary causes, or rather
one primary cause, and one main
incidental cause.
''First, this great cause is the
deep and wide fear that the rapidly
approaching congress will, at its eX-
traordinary or regular session, pro-
coed to reduce the tariff on the
lines set out, and called for by the
late Chicago national platform.
SECONDLY, the main incidental
cause is the condition of our silver
coinage.
"The whole manufacturing, COM
mercial, agricultural and labOring
interests of the nation now stand
face to face with such a reduction
of our tariff as will destroy our
protective system, enforced in this
country since 1862, and a return
to the free trade doctrine of the
Democratic party, from 1916 to
1861.
"Never since 1862 had the free
traders such hope as now, of fas.
tening their doctrines upon the
nation.
"They have today a clean cut
majority in each House of Congress
and president pledged to their
theories, with a small section of
Republicans and Populists, voting
with them.
"This majority in Congress, the
whole country feels, must proceed
to action and will do so, and the
fear of the storm is already as
great as the storm itself can posi-
bly, be. Strike down our protective
system at once, with a sweeping
free trade tariff, will wipe out un,
told billions of capital now invest
ed in our manufactures, and throw
untold millions of labOrers out OF
work and reduce other millions tC
pauper wages.
"Such speedy contem plated dis
aster must come to us now, or &
great political party, pledged t.
free trade, must go to the wall
This is the condition that now con
fronts us.
against this there is a hope
and whilst that hope is but small
it may save us.
"That hope is found in Presiden
Cleveland.
at is well known that sine,
CleVeland's defeat in 1888 he ha
been growing more and more con
sentative in his tariff views. TIL
hopeful among us put mucl
stress upon the great fact tina
President Cleveland, in hi
letter accepting his nomination
expressly failed to endorse tn
tariff doctrine Of his platform bu
was elected on his own self-con
structed platform.
"HOpeful men feel that if tn
free trade element, in the Demo
cratic party,get control in congress
as they did in the Chicago cOnven
ton. and pass radical free trad
tariff law, that President Clevelan
may veto it.
eff things take this course, the
at once confidence would arise, an
things financial grow better, bu
if such a tariff bill is passed an
signed by the president, the
our days of woe ar
upon us, and our hon
for relief will be in the genera
election of 1894, when the congress
that tried to force free trade upo
this people will be wiped from tn
face of the earth. This will restO1
us to financially prosperity. INT
then let the manufacturing, con
mercial and labOring interests
this country look out for clos
times.
GAS to the main incidental issu