Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-05-10

While it is true that these figures are
not conclusive, it is also true that so
far as they are trustworthy they show
q 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 If 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 itlwas 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-caIled
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
ngence, skill and industry, but to gov
Eminent He tells them that the gov
eminent Is the source of prosperity
nh . "a H., -
and the source of adversely when 1t 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
tsIation 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 selt-reliance OF
the American people and to inculcate
| the belief that they are dependent upon
| government 1t is calculated to ineite
the people to make utterly unreasona
BILE demands and enforce them by VIC
| lence. And yet he talks glibly about
''calm and temperate discussion OF
| great public questionsT"
| This calm and temperate express
ident would have people believe that
the existing depression is altogether
due to the prospect of some little relief
from tariff burdens and exactions But
he knows perfectly well that no panic
| ever occurred that was not followed
| by depression more or less severe and
| prolonged He knows that there wa:
| neither panic nor depression until neal
| the end of last June, although reduc
| ton of the tariff was just as well as
sured nearly eight months before as i
| has been at any time since. He know
| that the panic originated in fear of
| collapse to the silver basis under tn,
operation of an act passed by repub
ican congress and signed by his OWL
hand. He knows that there was
| panic in 1878 which was quite as disas
trous as that of 1898, and which wa.
followed by q distressing industrial de
preston continuing for period of iv,
| long years He knows that that pani,
occurred soon after the republican,
had won a presidential election by al
| overwhelming majority, and wheI
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 tn,
panic of 1898 and the depression follow
ing were wholly due to the attempt K
wipe ont tariff legislation The truti
of the matter is that the depression
which had its origin in the silver scar
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 ant
deepened by republican hibusters il
the senate who are actuated by like mo
tives And the calm and temperate
sx-president sees 1T to encourage boil
in their unpatriotic course--Chicag'
| Herald.