Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-04-18

The State of Business.
It is too much to expect that those who
care more for their private opinion or for
their profit in importing than for the good
of the country and the happiness of fellow
beings will be led, even by the events of
the last three years, to give up their wor-
ship of free trade theories. But there arc
millions in this country who have only &C
copied such theories because they were
taught by respected college professors or
by favorite political leaders, and these
millions are learning fast from experience.
It is to them that the story of enlarged
importations and reduced wages and man
ufacturing products comes with convinc-
ing power. That free traders feel this is
confessed by their eager citation of every
advance of wages at a single establish
ment, and every resumption or increase
of work, as if by isolated instances they
could disprove the personal experience of
the working millions. Let it be distinctly
understood, once for all, that these facts
are neither denied nor overlooked nor
deprecated by any sensible American.
They only prove that the tariff of 1891,
which vas ID uior ioSClulty uctcCtlNO 90 ~
was UNANIMOUSLY dishonest, according to
the president and other Democratic lead
ers. fails to accomplish as much as its ad,
vocates expected
The avowed purpose was to stop the de-
tense and support of home industries by
duties on import. If at any point the
duties are left so high that they afford full
protection to the home industry against
foreign competition the Democratic con-
gress at that point was false to Demo-
cratic principles and corruptly favored
monopolies Tho country has to learn
by costly and somewhat prolonged eX-
nericnce how far and in what cases this is
the fact; and if it should turn out that the
duties remaining are at every point high
enough to protect home industries, and
enable them to bear foreign competition
without reducing wages, the result would
only prove that the duties are not what
the people were promised, but are base be-
travals of Democratic principles and
pied ges, corruptly granted to monopolies
in return for shares in the profits of sugar
and whiskey speculation. But everybody
Is learning that this is not the truth, as
respects many of the industries.
In good many establishments wages
have been advanced; that is, part of the
reduction made in preparation for Demo
cratic tariff has been rescinded. Where 20
or % per cent was taken off, in many cases,
10 per cent has now been restored When
it is found that particular industries are
in no way affected by the new tariff or
enjoy all the protection they formerly had,
the old wages have in some cases been re-
I1,t ba f,ot rartoinc hat 1orr
proportion of the workers are now Teceiv-
ing lower wages than they received in 1892,
and they know both the fact and the
cause.
A good many establishments which
stopped while n Democratic tariff was in
preparation, have now resumed, wholly Or
in part. This also is gladdening, and the
Tribune heartily wishes that all could do
as we'll or better. The fact remains that
many have been wholly idle for two years,
and many more have as yet been able to
resume only with part of their force OF
working part time. This also the workers
know by their own experience, and the
cause. Day by day, as the extent of for
pign competition and the effect of new
duties come to be more correctly measured,
some concerns are increasing force or re-
Stunning, while others i'll different branches
are reducing force or suspending work,
and while it must be months before the
full effect of the competition on new
terms can be realized, every enlargement
of opportunity for American labor will be
hailed with joy, as gain for the country
and an additional victory over blunder.
ing Democratic tariff. At this date the
banking returns show that actual bust
ness is 202 per cent smaller than it was
early in April two years ago. before the
breakdown came and largely increased
part of that diminished business is due to
the marketing of foreign products, of
which in February the imports in many
leading branches were twice as large as in
1898. This necessarily involves II decrease
greater than the average in the volume of
trade resulting from tho marketing of do
nestle products. -iNew York Tribune.