The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-01-26
THE STORY OF A YEAR
HOW A MIGHTY NATION HAS SUNK
FROM PLENTY TO WANT.


Industries Crippled and Ruined and Pros
perity Fleeing Before the Free Trade
specter-An Open Letter to the Hon. w.
L. Wilson.
One year ago the largest trade ever
known in this country gave promise of
prosperity and national wealth beyond
all precedent. Mills were crowded with
work and all kinds of business stimulat-
cd, giving promises of the best results
New enterprises started up to swell the
vast volume of commercial trade, and
every sign Of enterprise was hung out
over every door in the land. Yet in one
year the hopes have all been blasted, the
sun of prosperity has gone down, and
gloomy clouds have covered the sky.
During the presidential campaign the
pledge was made that IF you will only
elect Cleveland your wheat will bring a
dollar a bushel, corn will go up to the
highest figure, and the nation will enjoy
the greatest blessings ever known" r.
G.. Dun, In his weekly report, shows
how this promise has been fulfilled on
Dec. 30,
''Starting with the largest trade over
known, mills crowded with work and
all business stimulated with high hopes,
the year 1898 has proved in sudden
shrinkage of trade, in commercial disas-
tiers and depression Of industries the
worst for 80 years. The year closes with
prices Of many products the lowest ever
known, with millions of workers seek
ing in vain for work and with charity la
boring to keep back suffering and starva-
ton in all our cities"
The report of Bradstreet's gives but
little more encouragement and confirms
the sad testimony not only of r. G..
Dun g. Co., but of every hopeless citizen
of the United States.
The history of this nation, which is in
large measure taken from the words
and sentiments of leading statesmen,
such as Washington, Adams, Jefferson,
Madison, jackson, Clay, Webster, Lin
coin, Garfield, Harrison and a host of
others, shows that in the periods of free
trade, low tariff or tariff for revenue
financial disasters have always come
upon the l,lnd. 1t is also true that the
national distress brought on by such I'M
wise and un-American legislation has
never been removed until the people
came to their senses and compelled the
politicians to pass high protective tar
lift law.
would say to you, in the language of
Mr.. Cleveland, cit is a condition, not h
theory, that confronts u.s." and would
remind you that the condition is a sad
one, and that it is the legitimate result
Of the free trade policy of your execu-
tive and of the principle set forth in the
Wilson tariff bill, of which you are the
author. Reports from $50 correspond
ents of the American Protective Tariff
league, from A states of the Union,
show that the present depression is due
to the feeling created by threats Of tariff
reform. 1t is reported that o delegation
from West Virginia has waited on you,
protesting against the passage Of the
bill.
If you persist in this great reform Of
which the party make their boast, you
will only intensity the feeling of dissat-
isfaction and will increase the financial
distress.
An able writer ON protection, ID. III.
Mason, says: "All the prosperity enjoyed
by the American people-absolutely all
the prosperity, without any reservation
whatever-from the foundation of che
United States government down to the
present time, has been under the reign of
protective principles, and all the hard
times suffered by the American people in
the same period have been preceded
either by heavy reduction of duties OH
imports or by insufficient protection,
thus refuting all free trade theories on
the subject"
This, you will find by consulting his
tory, is true in every instance. one oe
which you probably remember-the dis
astrous period ending in 1861. You
know that in 30 years of Republican
control the nation has surpassed every
other nation of the earth and has en-
joyed more financial and commercial
prosperity than we have had till that
time since the discovery by Columbus.
Areyou not aware that the report of
your bill and the threats of reform have
ruined the sheep industry already and
have severely injured the coal. lumber,
lead and silver interests of the country?
Do you not know that manufacturers
have closed their works and thrown mil
lions of hands out of work because Of
the threats of tariff legislation?
Let the Democratic party abandon
their fatal policy, and the wheels of in.
dustry will again move on, and distress
will disappear H. A. BARCLAY.
,.,ol-o,oo Colo