The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-17
The Business Outlook.


The Business Outlook.
The country owes no thanks to the
Democratic party for the fact, already
happily visible, of returning business
prosperity almost Immediately follow
ing the settlement Of the tariff wrangle.
All that sectional prejudice, deluded
ignorance and vengeful malignancy
could do under cover of Democratic
mislegislation to thwart and badger
the lawful industrial activities Of our
people was done. To the natural and
inherited vagaries of the old-line De-
mocracy were eagerly yoked the So
cialistic fantasies of the north and
west, the mobocracy Of the urban
slums and the purchasable elements
that mouopolists supplied the money
to bribe and buy. Thus reinforced, this
Democratic administration managed
for upward of twelve-month to
hold club over the heads of
American business men whilst it car
ned on its hocus pocus of tariff re-
form" 1t succeeded to this extent,
that American labor and American
capital have in that year divided
between them money loss of 81, ,OOO,-
100000, exceeding even the colossal
cost of the slave holders rebellion.
But at the end it failed, as all such
vicious schemes must fail through the
sheer force of Its intrinsic depravity.
The wiser councils of the senate pre-
vailed; and though the tariff bill that
resulted was adistorted child ofstruggle
and compromise, 1t was compromise
fraught with relief to acute business
suspense and one which can be ac-
cepted, in lieu of a better, without the
necessity either of shutting up shop or
of greatly curtailing new enterprises.
We look at this subject in a twofold
light. While on the one hand we are
more than ever convinced, as we think
are all unprejudlced citizens, of the ut
ter unworthiness of the Democratic
party as an instrument Of genuine re-
form, and strengthened in our belief
that it has idly squandered the one po-
litical opportunity it will have during
this generation; on the other hand
we are disposed to accept the senate
bill as embodying upon the whole bet
ter and more lenient treatment than
American business men had had rea-
son to expect. A new tariff bill was
at no time real necessity. The gratu.
itous formulation of one, at time
when trade conditions were settling
down to prosperity under the McKin-
ley bill, and involving, as 1t did, new
and needless confusion, suspense and
loss, was gross blunder, if not de-
liberate crime. But when the deed
was committed, and there was left no
alternative to its final ratification save
the senate bill, In which, with all its
suggestion Of barter and sale, and its
bedragglement into the mire of the
socialistic income tax, there were yet
clear traces Of intended and systematic
protection, 1t obviously became and
remains the policy Of wisdom to accept
the best terms offered, and "let it go at
that.n
For eighteen months the production
of many of the staples of commerce has
been greatly curtailed or else suspended
utterly. During this time surplus
stocks have been wiped out and false
credits cancelled. The panic has been
aphysic that has weakened and griped
the patient sometimes with seemingly
intolerable severity. But with the en-
actment of definite law, the purging
will cease, and we shall from this time
onward pass into comfortable-and, by
contrast, pleasurable = convalescence.
The tariff physic has ceased to operate.
The dose will not be renewed. What
ever that quack doctor, Democracy,
might like to do in this emergency, the
fact remains that Its hands are now
manacled, and with the coming into
power at the first general election of a
competent and confidence-inspiring
Republican congress, we shall doubt
less see such a strengthening Of the
patient as will justify its discharge
with clean bill Of health.