The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1894-04-06

depression OF industries the worst for fifty
years. Whether the final results OF the
panic OF 1887 were relatively more severe
the scanty records OF that time do not
clearly show The year closes with prices
OF many products the lowest ever known.
with millions OF workers seeking In vain
for work, and with charity laborlng To
keep back suffering and starvation in all
our cities Al hope that the new year
may bring brighter days. but the dying
year leaves only dismal record. The re-
view OF different department. OF tr ide
given to-day exhibits collapse OF indus
try and business which Is almost without
pre- cedent"
To add to the perplexities OF the situa-
tion under the menace OF free trade here
described. the Wilson bill, which recently
pissed the House OF Representatives at
Washing ton and Is now I'm the hands or the
Senate. PROPOSES ostensibly e. reduce the
revenues S76. 100000 The real decrease
would eventually after we became more
and more impoverished, be far greater.
I his is at n time when the expenses OF the
government far exceed its receipts and
when by reason OF such condition the
Secretary of the Treasury has been COM
PEELED TO sell $1,000, 900 OF government
bonds, with the belief In many
quarters that this II but the be-
ginning of bon Issuing to relieve
~
The sum OF S76 000, 0oC. which it is proposed
TO surrender OF the revenues. Is more than
one third of the entire sum received from
customs In the last fiscal year. This re-
ducJion Is made upon the theory of the
Democratic free traders that it Will relieve
the people of burdensome taxation. Wheth-
er it does or not depends But OF one thing
we are certain: 1t has relieved the people
of employ ment OF work. OF wages. OF pros
perlty and of plenty-and some OF then
al. l.
good prices and good times are more to be
desired than the proposed relief from So
called .burdensome taxation.n Such a re-
lief is no relief
Narrow, Sectional and Provincial.
The Wilson bill Is not like any Of the
early tariff measures, but Is one I'm which
the changed condition of the country and
its marvellous growth and development are
utterly ignored and forgotten. Its pro-
moters forget that slavery no longer ex-
lists. They do not rec ,gnize nor appreciat re
the independence and dignity OF labor, and
cannot understand that the pro ective
policy under which we have had such
splendid prosperity IL not to be determ-
ined by geographical lines The bill is "A
narrow, sectional and provincial measure,
unworthy the great party which proposes
IL and wholly unsuited to the needs OF the
countrJ
The Wilson bill turns TO the past: away
| from the present 1t is for the plantation
| not for the farm and the factory. AS IL
| passed the House IL had for its foundation
| principe free raw material. Its authors
| argued that with free coal, free iron ore,
| free lead and free wool the manufacturers
OF the United States would be placed on an
| equality with the manufacturers of free
| trade countries. and we therefore could
not only retain our own markets but could
| control @the markets OF the world. +" Based
| upon this arg ument. which / believe to be
f.Ia thaNr A0ol ro6 hat uft
primary prod ucts free would have
| steady employment for all the worlxingmen
| OF the country at good wages And so in
| this form the bill passed the Democratic
] House OF representatives and is now the
| dread subject OF angry contention in the
| Democratic Senate.
| An examination Of the bill by the Demo-
| cratic members OF the Finance Committee
| OF tho Senate evidently convinces them
| that Mr. Wilson's bill and his argument in
| support OF the same are alike based upon
false principles. So coal goes back To tho
| tariff list, iron ore to the tariff lis' and
lead to the tariff list leaving free wool
alone. the only product OF agriculture. TO
support the false theory OF the House bill
| Even Mr.. Cleveland is disregarJed. for in
| his Madison Square Garden speech, after
his domination In 1902, he said l.. ave be-
| lieve that the Vantage OF freer raw ma
| terial should be accorded 10 our manu-
| facturers We propose, therefore to stimu-
|
freeing from duty the imported raw ma
terials which, by the emf loyme of labor.
| are used I'm our home manufactures, thus
extending the markets for their sale and
| permitting an increased and steady pro-
duction with an allowance OF abundant
| profit"
| have looked with some degree Of care
| through the bill / find nothing but irrita-
tion and aggravation to the great indus
| tries OF the country. No interest suffers
al
| labor OF all kinds seems - have been sim
| gled out as its foremost victim i have
examined IL carefully 10 find some section,
| paragraph, clause or line removing the
agreat burden OF tariff taxes from tho
shoulders of the people," about which we
have heard SO much for Sd many years
from the Democratic orators and papers
| and platforms, but have been unsuccess-
frl In finding any such provision. IL Is
| true that sugar, an article OF prime neces-
sity to every household, and which the law
OF 1899 made free to the people. has been
fairfield at from 1 10 40 cents per
pound, every cent OF which will be
aid by the consumers OF tho United
States But doubtless I'm compensa-
tIon for this added burden of upward OF
$50, 600. 00), and Lecause OF IL, they lowered
the tariff on tobacco and have extended
the bonded period for the warehouslnr OF
VIII sky and giving TO the distillers eight
years In which 10 pay the lax. They have
restored the tariff on coal, but then In
fairness they should be credited with hav-
| ing taken The tariff of OF diamonds. They
| reason that the manufacturers are few,
| forgetting that the workmen are many.
| hey look TO the interests OF importers.
| ignoring the farmer. aud obvious to tho
fact that the agrlculturist Is everywhere
Masses Are In Earnest.
The prevailing widespread distress en-
phaslzes the necessity for enlixbtened pub
lie policy and wise statesmanship The In
difference which has boon too prevalent
| for many years has given place to deep
and absorbing interest I'm public affairs.
The masses OF the peope are considering
economic questions more earnestly than
ever before and are aroused to their Inn