New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-02
ONE YEARS TRIAL.

1t was year ago last Wednesday that the
new tariff went into operation as TO most OF
its features The most important Of all its pro-
visions, the radical change in duties on woollen
goods, did not take effect until eight months
ego But most Americans have had time
enough to determine from personal experience
how far the change has helped them. 1t is Il
question they cannot answer, as by this time
they have learned without looking about 10 see
how it has affected their neghbors, for 1t Is the
cornerstone Of the protective policy that Il
genuine and lasting prosperity cannot be real
lied by any class or body of people II thereby
the rest are impoverished or degraded. 1he 1ree
trade policy. essentially selfish in It's pima III
dividualism. puts out of mind the question
whether industries will be destroyed or de-
pressed, whether works will be closed ana
American workers driven from employment
and seeks only the satisfaction of personal
wants at the lowest cost
We have not had experience Of that policy
nor of any consistent approach TO It, But
enough Of change as to many important indus
tries has been made to give the people practical
experience Of its effects. So great has been the
depression of industries that defenders of the
new tariff would one and all angrily protest il
the volume of business during the past year, or
the production Of industries, or the earnings of
labor for the year, should be compared with
those Of any previous year Of prosperity. They
would declare ii utterly unfair to take the past
wear as a whole when there has been improve
ment toward the close. 1t is equally unfair 10
take for comparison only the past few months
of recuperation since it was settled that no
further change of tariff would be made by
Democrats and that the Republicans would
hereafter control the work But yet, taking the
best results attained since Democratic de-
feat brought this recovery as measure OF the
Improvement made possible by that defeat, ana
assuming that these best results will be main
tanned in the future what do the people think
about it?
They have seen a great many idle works
started again since a Democratic Congress ad-
iourned But they also see in every county and
almost every town many others which are SUI
idlo II is NOT matter about which complete
statistical accounts are possible, but II Is known
to every voter and every business man what the
facts are within his own personal oDSerValloh'
Not only are many establishments idle, their
former hands having been forced to seek
livelihood in other occupations, but OF tnose III
operation comparatively few are yet WORKING
full time with full force. 1t Is cause OF Slad
rejoicing and the good news is quickly sent
nv wire all over the land, when This or lhat
establishment finds It's business sufficient 10
warrant working as many hours and with as
many hands as in prosperous years. How FAR
recovery has advanced taking all kinds OF
business together, may perhaps be inferred by
oil hOuSpS.
in August, with unusually large deferred settle
ments from previous months because of the
great delay last spring, and with extraordinary
speculation in progress here and at the west
were nevertheless o per cent smaller than in
1892.
Another fact Of which people Will Judge from
their personal knowledge Is that me wages OF
labor and the profits Of business are not what
they were in days of prosperity mat soi"'
thing like half million Of workers nave rec'N"
some advance In wages since the TINE oi Sr''r
est depression Is most cheering ana yet every
hody knows that within his personal acpualhl'
once most wacc.carners are stlll receiving less
Than they uscd 70 receive The great strikes IN
voollcn and Garnet mills which have failed, the
strikes of iron miners and of clothing Worh'rS'
and thc threatened strike of cotton WORKERS.
with many Others of less Importance, all Dear
witness ,o the same fact. that labor Is YET re-
ccvng much less than In lS'2, before th' coun-
fry chose to have change If the twenty
million wagc-earncrs cannot earn as mu'h
money as they used TO earn. neither can h'F
spcnd rs much, and thus some shrinNage III we
volume of business is unavoidably felt even ny
those whose conditions are most fortunate Nor
will merchants or manufacturers hesitate 10 al
NIT that their profits in almost every prahch OF
business have also been cut down
These are the facts which will govern me ac-
ton Of intelligent voters in great number. lheE
were promised better times if they would give
the Democratic party Il trial and see the pracl
cal results They have tried it year, ana II
may be seriously doubted whether one man IN
a hundred in any part of the country, imagines
that he has been benefited by it in the least
But there are millions who know that they nave
been injured.