Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-01
"Uncertainty" Not tho Cause.

Delay and uncertainty hurt, but moth
Ing else, say some democrats. If the tariff
bill were once passed, they argue, every
thing would brighten. 1t is a pleasant
theory. but is IL true3 Every republican
as well as every democrat wants to be-
lieve it, since it is declared that the bill
must pass. But is it the fact that GER
| tainty of the evil feared for a year would
be worse than the feari For once bust
ness men may as we'll look the facts
squarely in the face. and then petition
Congress. if they can. to pass the pending
bill without delay.
The great fact, which it is positively
| silly to ignore, is that business has been
ldismally bad for year because great
| change in the tariff has been expected.
But what has been expected Never
change toward higher duties, never since
November last a change toward lower
duties than were named in the Wilson
bill. The doubt has been whether indus
tries could live with such duties as were
proposed. Changes have been made, some
| for the better and some for the worse. but
| on the whole the average Of duties on
dutiable imports would be only an insig
nificant fraction higher under the bill
| now pending in the senate than under
the bill which passed the house Bust
ness has slightly improved, but to all ap-
pearances only because it became certain
| that any change must be delayed for
| months, and some wants which must be
met could be satisfied by American pro-
duction before foreign competition on
new terms could begin.
1t is in full view of the measure actu-
ally pending that business had been bad.
| Men have known from hour to hour just
what the blackmailers and the tricksters
| of the party in power were proposing to
d. and how far they were likely to 20 in
| sparing some industries from the destruc
tive force of the free traders. If business
has been bad, it is because expectation Of
| the bill actually pending has restrained
men from buying or selling. They have
not been hindered by fear of anything
| worse than the Democratic party has pro-
posed, through its officials and committees
and chosen representatives of caucus.
What business is, Siat prospect has made
it, and not any uncertainty, 80 called
Men have simply not dared to order goods
or to sell. if the passage of the pending
| bill would make the transaction losing
one Its passage. therefore, must be ex-
pected to prolong existing conditions so
far as those concern the tariff. What
business men can do prior to the dates
fixed for various parts of the bill to take
effect, they may be expected to do. After
that. as many as cannot compete on new
terms expect to stop
| This straightforward statement Of facts
perfectly well known to all makes it
clear that business cannot be expected to
grow better, on account Of the passage of
the measure apprehended, but, on the
contrary. must be expected to shrink for
two reasons: First, many of the works
that are now turning out goods to be de-
livered before the bill takes effect are ex-
pecting to stop when suck orders ara exc
cuted. Second, many works which are
now holding on. because not yet forced to
stop. are perfectly aware that they will be
| compelled to do 50 when the force of for
eign competition is actually felt. Thus
the phrase which Democratic business
men are so fond of using as an explana-
:ion of the prostration of business is really
deceptive. 1t is not uncertainty" which
| stops business but the expectation of a
change which, when it comes, is def
nitely expected to arrest part OF the bust
ness which ca n now be transacted.
| The changes in the senate, outrageously
iavoring few interests at the expense Of
all others, do not help the prospect. On
the contrary, it would probably be even
worse for business as a whole to have a
few interests thus exceptionally favored
than to have all treated with impartial
Aestructivenesc. The men of collars and
cuffs cannot thrive if the millions who
Guy those things are to be deprived of
,heir livelihood or part of their wages.
| Under protection the nation has been 30
FEARS learning the lesson that the pros
perity Of every industry and interest de-
ponds more upon the general welfare of
the wage-earning millions than upon any
especial favor which it is in the power of
any body to grant.-[New York Tribune.
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