Fair play., 1894-05-12

not conclusive, it is also true that SO
far as they are trustworthy they show
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-
gcration 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 it was during the decade
Of com paratively free trade.
Labor was SO fully employed at
good wages 9nder 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-
velopnents 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 lie
tells the people that they owe their
prosperity not to their own intel
ligence, skill and industry. but to gov
ernment He tells them that the gov
erEment 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
astrous depression" is to be found I'm
the attempt to wipe ont protection leg
islation 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
ther to undermine the self-reliance Of
SAiS PCpPAC uAA W
the belief that they are dependent upon
government. 1t 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" expires
ident would have people believe that
the existing depression is altogether
due to the prospect Of some little relief
from tariff burdens and cxactions But
he knows perfectly well that no panic
ever occurred that was not followed
by depression more or less severe and
prolonged. lie knows that there was
neither panic nor depression until near
the end Of last June, although reduc-
ton of the tariff was just as we'll as
sured nearly eight months before as i.
has been at any time since. He knows
that the panic originated in fear of
collapse to the silver basis under the
operation of an act passed by repub-
lican congress and signed by his own
hand. He knows that there was q
panic in 1878 which was quite as disas-
trous as that of 1898, and which was
followed by distressing industrial de-
preston continuing for period of five
long years lie 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 1T lcas. 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 republican legislation.
has been made more severe by the bene-
fciaries of protection from selfish mo-
tives, and is now being prolonged and
deepenej by republican flibus:ers in |
the senate who are actuated by like mo- |
tives. And the calm and temperate"
ex-presidcnt sees fit to encourage both |
in their unpatriot;c course.-Chicago |
Herald.