St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1895-08-17
M'klNLEY AS A CANDIDATE.
Little Prospect OF Revival of the Ultra
Protection Law.

WNbNIEI 40 n SANDiDAl &c
Little Prospect OF Revival of the Ultra
Protection Law.
If the fate of William Mckinley, Jr.,
as candidate for the repu blican presi-
Dental nomination should depend on a
comparison of the apparent results OF
his tariff and those of the present
tariff, he would get left by a large ma
iority. A few weeks ago the McKin-
ley organs were disconnected to find
that the silver question was the upper
most thought in the public mind, be-
cause it had tendency to hide the
benefactions of the tariff of 1890, and
the calamities of that of 1894. Now
the danger is that the contrast be-
tween them will become too g1aring,
and that the offenses of Mckinley, as
the chief engineer Of the republican
defeats of 1890 and 1892, will be too
freshly brought to mind. For it is not
| TO be denied that the com trast is very
| great. We publish elsewhere care
fully prepared statement of the show
ing in a large number of protected in
dustries, telling US how employment
| has increased and how wages have ad-
vanced in protected manufacturing in
dustries since the Wilson bill became a
law, and the contrary effect in the
same shops after the Mckinley tariff
went in force.
We shall not take an unfair advan-
tage OF the McKinleyites. however.
We do not accept the,maxim: Post hoe
ergo propter hoe. These figures do not
prove that the Mckinley tariff was
worse than the Wilson tariff, or that
the latter was better than the former.
The fact is that the difference between
them was not sufficient to account for
the industrial changes here recorded.
There We're other overruling causes,
and among these the currency, or rath-
er the credit question as dependent
upon the currency question, was by far
the most important The Sherman act,
so-called, by which four million Eve
hundred thousand ounces Of silver were
bought each month and added to the
fat money of the country, shook con-
hdence on both sides of the ocean in
the standard of value. Gradually, but
with increasing volume, capital was
Withdrawn from the country, taking
the form of gold exports, which be-
came SO large that after this act had
been In force two years and half a
genuine alarm filed the public mind.
The panic of 1893 was the eonse-
qusnce. It came just at the right time
to enable the McKinleyites to say that
1t was caused by the election of Cleve-
land and a democratic congress They
hoe propter hoe to the fullest extent,
and they persuaded the workingmen
Of the country, who had lost employ
ment and had had their wages cut
down, that this was the true cause of
their sufferings. The worlingmen
could not understand the mysteries of
finance, and although the democratic
party, under the lash OF President
Cleveland, actually did the only thing
that could possibly restore confidence
and revive bdsiness, by repeating the
Sherman act, they voted by over
whelming majorities for republican
congress.
1t takes time to bring prosperity
back after SO rude a shock as that
which the business of the country re-
ceived In 1893, but the true remedy was
applied and the result was sure to fol-
low. It has now come. The McKin-
leyites are trying, in feeble way, to
play their old trick over again. AS
they said before that the panic was
caused by the apprehension of what
the democrats would do, although they
had actually done nothing, SO they are
saying now that the good times are
caused by the hope of what the re-
publicans will do, although they have
actually done nothing, and there is no
chance OF their doing anything tariff
wise for two years to come.
This is an argument that will not
bear close examination. Tt may serve
for the campaign of this fall. but not
for next year. Long before the autumn
of 1896 It will have worn out. Most
likely the campaign of 1896 will turn
on other questions than the tariff, but
Il the tariff is then uppermost the
most effective battle cry will be to
s1et it alone" That will be the fetch
Ing argument with the workingmep,
and to a large extent with their en-
ployers also. In that case Mckinley
will be unavailable, because he stands
for change-the same kind Of
change that he made before. Es-
pecially will he be committed to re-
store and even increase the duties on
wool, in accordance with the demands
of the wool-growing triumvirate,
Lawrence, Harpster and Delano And,
OF course, any change in reference to
wool must bring in corresponding
changes in woolens, worsteds, mixed |
goods, textiles of all kinds; in short,
everything that anybody wants il he
has a pull" with the committee Of |
ways and means. Does the republican /
party want to wake up the spirit that |
smote it in 1890? # SO, it can be |
pretty sure of doing it by making Nc
Kinley its candidate next year.-M Y.
Post.
Another Nail.
The increased number and prosperity |
Of the tin-plate mills drive another nail |