The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-07-28
Is TaIS BIT MADNESS2

There are reasons for believing that
there is rapidly coming to this country
marked change in Its industrial and
financial affairs. The arabic lands OF
the nation having now practically all
passed from the hands of the govern
ment to those of the individual, curtail-
ing possible speculation, and such es-
pansion as comes of discounting the
future in the way of booms, with an
almost entire cessation of railway con-
struction, a new era, based on new and
more circumscribed conditions. is in
evitable The amassing of colossal for
tunes, in a single life time, by individ-
uals will hereafter prove impossible IN
this country. The opportunity has gone
with the probabilities of sudden growth.
Some of these economic reflections lead
TO the conviction that with the boom
period or speculative era, that luxurie5
will disappear and extravaganza become
impossible with the average individual,
the demand for which IN ceasing the
Yankee notion" factory will close shop
for lack of custom. Wages and salaries of
every character and description threat
en- to fall TO a European level. The
wage earnar, including Linn who COM
mands the salary of a semi-professionai
and expert, as also clerks, accountants,
trades and artizans, down to the day
lsborer, all will be compelled to adjust
themselves to a condition wherein ex-
travagance and Injuries will be impos
sibie. The farmer, that is the man who
owns and cultivates his own land, will
find his surroundings and chances en-
HANGED in the great demand for his
staples at better and more steady prices,
consequently will feel greater independ
ence than he enjoys at present. The
money loaner will be unable 10 get any
thing but very low interest, the pro-
perty owner rent that will barely cover
taxes, insurance, repairs and the small
est possible interest on his investment.
There will be no sudden reaction from
present conditions, as occurred formerly,
because of the absence of former chan
ces found in undeveloped resources and
in the unoccupied domains of farming,
grazing and mining lands; therefore, all
the promises being held out by financial
and commercial writers of a quick re-
turn of good times will remain unful-
filled-will he impossible.
There seems to us but one hope That
we find in the idea or principle of ''pro-
lection" Rather than the level of
European prices and wages better pro-
lection so aigh as to be prohibitory. A
Democratic tariff for revenue only,
means, in the end, free trade and dead
level conditions, means a commonality
of relations with the balance of the
world with no reserved rights or super
ior chances as Americans. The Repub-
lican party believes that by protection,
America, and all that the country has,
that its inventions and wages, its enter
prise and resources, can be held superior
to those of the old and exhausted
countries of Europe
In face of the conditions now confront !
ing us, under Democratic sway and the
tendency Of their efforts, would not
further trial and test of the Republican
idea, under which all the triumphs of
the past thirty years have been won, be
worth trying while longer?
We think SO.