The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-01
POLITICS AND BUSINESS.

If we may calculate the events to come
| next year from the course of those now
occurring it is certain the main issue be-
fore the people in the Presidential cam
paign will be that of restoring the Repub-
lican tariff system. 1t cannot we'll be
otherwise. We must set our house in
order before we undertake new expert
ments. Until the Government has been
provided with revenue equal to expenses
and our industries with sufficient pro-
lection to enable them to live other issues
must wait.
1t is true there are many signs of revival
in the country, and no Republican will try
to, underrate them or in any way attempt
TO weaken their encouraging influence
upon trade and commerce. None the less
must the people seriously face the actual
condition of affairs and not be deluded by
sanguine hopes of good things to come of
themselves. The export of gold continues,
deficit in the revenue is noted every
month, the imports of the country are in
creasing while the exports are decreasing.
Such industries as were left some protec-
ton: by the Wilson tariff have indeed
started up again, but all from which pro-
lection was removed remain stagnant;
and while in comparison with the disas-
trous depression of the past three yea rs
there is undoubtedly much improvement
at present, yet we are still far from the
conditions that prevailed under the Re-
publican protective tariff and Republican
administrations.
In the face of these facts it would be q
folly to expect any permanent improve
n1ant in tho National
| the present governmental conditions exist.
So long as our industries are unprotected
we shall have unemployed workingmen
| and idle capital. So long as our imports
exceed our exports the drain OF gold will
| continue. and farmers will get but low
| prices for their products. So long as the
revenues fall below the expenses of the
Government we shall have to borrow
money, issue new bonds and increase the
| public debt. Nor can it be doubted that
so long as these things go on there cannot
| be in private business any of that assur-
ance of profit which is needed to promote
new enterprises and bring about COM
plete prosperity for all.
| The relation between Individual welfare
and National politics is too close for any
| observing man to be mistaken as to the
| effect OF the one upon the other. When
the people recall that the average monthly
| receipts from customs duties during the
| operation of the Republican tariff were
| $17,066, ia, and the average under the
Democratic tariff is only $13, 167 ,533, they
can see at once what the Government has
lost by the bill of "perfidy and dishonor" !;
and when they contrast the low prices of
the Democratic panic years with those of
the years OF Republican prosperity, they
can see what they as individuals have lost.
The Nation and the people alike have
suffered, and the suffering in both cases is
plainly due to the one cause of bad politics
at Washington.
1t should require no elaborate argument
under these circumstances to convince
every citizen that the first thing to be done
is to remedy the blunder of 1892 The
free-traders must be turned out of Office
and protection established as the per-
| manent policy of this country. When
that is done the true revival will begin and
| industry will again be as busy in all por-
tions of the Union and in all departments OF
labor as it was before Cleveland was elected.
The Republican victories of last year did
| much to encourage the people, but another
victory next year is needed In order to give
the party full power to redress the wrongs
| that have been done, to clear the statute
books of the Nation of the botchwork OF
Democracy, and to restore the tariff sys-
tenn which long experience has shown to
be essential to the prosperity of the Gov
eminent and the business of the people.