Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-05-10

1S90. ,O6 4p.0 1O39 " ~
While it is true that these figures are
not conclusive. it is also true that SO
far as they are trustworthy they show
a vastly greater percentage of increase,
both in aggregate wealth and wealth
per capita, during the low tariff decade
from 1850 to 1860, than in any of the fol-
lowing high tariff decades. II we
should make allowance for the exag.
geration of wealth in 1870, due to de-
probation Of the currency, the differ
ence would be still more striking. The
increase Of wealth per head Of popula-
ton in the average for the three
decades of protection was not much,
if any, more than one-third as great
per cent as 1t was during the decade
Of comparatively free trade.
Labor was so fully employed at
good wages" under protection, says
Mr.. Harrison. That gentleman is old
enough to know that there was COM
paratively little discomfort among
working people during the so-called
free trade period He is old enough to
know that the strike evil and the
tramp disease are almost wholly de-
velopments under republican tariff pro-
lection.
Without directly referring to the
Coxey craze Mr.. Harrison strongly en-
courages It He lays the industrial de-
preston from which the country Is
slowly recovering entirely to the pros
pective reduction Of the tariff. He
tells the people that they owe their
prosperity not to their own intel
ligence. skill and industry. but to gov
eminent He tells them that the gov
eminent is the source of prosperity
when it is in the hands Of his party
and the source Of adversely when it is
in the hands of another party. He tells
them that ''the cause OF this present dis
sstrous depression" is to be found in
the attempt to wipe out protection leg
isiation and to substitute for it the doc
trines of revenue tariff" Congress,
he tells them, Is to blame, and in SO
doing he encourages them to organize
their peace armies" and march on
Washington and demand that congress
restore prosperity.
His teaching is calculated still fur
Their to undermine the self-reliance Of
the American people and to inculcate
the belief that they are dependent upon
government. It is calculated to incite
the people to make utterly unreasona-
BILE demands and enforce them by vio-
lence. And yet he talks glibly about
''calm and temperate discussion Of
great public questions!"
This calm and temperate" express
ident would have people believe that
the existing depression il altogether
due to the prospect Of some little relief
from tariff burdens and exactionA But
he knows perfectly we'll that no panic
ever occurred that was not followed
by depression more or less severe and
prolonged. He knows that there was
neither panic nor depression until near
the end of last June, although reduc-
ton Of the tariff was just as well as
sured nearly eight months before as l.
has been at any time since. 40 knows
that the panic originated in fear OF a
collapse to the silver basis under the
operation of an act passed by a repub-
lican congress and signed by his own
hand. He knows that there was
panic in 1873 which was quite as disas-
trous as that OF 1893, and which was
followed by distressing industrial de-
preston continuing for 2 period Of five
long years He knows that that panic
occurred soon after the repu blicans
had won a presidential election by an
overwhelming majority, and when
there was no possibility of any tariff
reduction for at least four years
And yet, knowing all these things,
Mr.. Harrison utterly ignores them. and
seeks to make people believe that the
panic of 1898 and the depression follow
ing were wholly due to the attempt to
wipe out tariff legislation. The truth
of the matter is that the depression,
which had its origin in the silver scare
brought on by repu blican Legislation.
has been made more severe by the bene-
fciaries of protection from selfish mo-
tives, and is now being prolonged and
deepened by republican flibusters in
the senate who are actuated by like mo-
tives. And the calm and temperate
ex-president sees At to encourage both
in their unpatriotic course.-Chicago
Herald.
The strain under which the re-
publican organs have placed themselves
in their efforts to prove the demo-
craatic tariff policy responsible for all
human ills is beginning to tell There
are signs of apoplexy, not to mention
softening OF the brain and other kim
dred disorders. The gravity of the sit
uation was somewhat ludicrously
shown in the way a press dispatch
from San Francisco was handled the
other day. The dispatch told of
shrinkage in the assessed value of real
estate in the Pacific city of thirteen
million dollars To the uninitiated
this meant nothing but the caprice or
dishonesty of an assessing official To
the luminous intellect and profound in
sight of the Chicago Tribune. however,
it represented the indubitable effect
of the democratic low tariff policy on
the values Of real estate in San Fran.