New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-14

This country has wonderful rccuperatlvc
novnrs 7, is even able 10 stand two years Of
Democracy without losing more than about 30
nor cont Of IFS business The congressional
blockhcads who imagined that their free trade
tboorios would introduce the millennium. having
no eyes 10 open. fail TO see that the proSiraiion
Of industries and the proStraion OF revenues
co hand in hand The imports in The last four
months Of 1872 before the old duties were us
turbcJ were S272 100000 and in the last four
months of 1894 the imports wer" s-il'"o'''
in value. q decrease Of about 22ia per cent The
duties on imports in four months under ire now
tariff have been S490oOoO0, and IN the same
months of 1892 were SJ4OoO"o The treasury
is in trouble simply because The people are III
trouble. and have not means 10 buy rs mu'h ~
usual They have not means because 'h'lr
wages have been reduced. Their wages nave
been reduced because employers had I" lace me
probability Of sharp competition with foreign
producers on new terms.
II pcascs our Democratic friends To assign
other reasons by the score for this tremendous
change But nobody Is convinced ana nobody
deceived. They do not even cheat themselves.
Even while they vociferate In Congress mat 'he
tariff has made 10 difference. they personally
know better The average Democratic m"mhrr
Of Congress knows rs little as II Is convenient
10 know about things generally. hut he hah
bounded into him bv angry constituents ana
their votes last November some d"iinii" knoWl-
c,pe ~ the prostration of industries in hi- own
district. and OF It's cause. He would consider
himself a traitor TO his party II he should utter
in The House one word OF what he has thus
learned. but he knows what defeated his party,
nevertheless.
II would he treason 10 his party. he thinks.
., odvocotc any restoration 81 duties. Perfectly
well hc knows, by this time, that thousands 81
his constituents are getting less wages Than TWO
voors ago because Of the great change in posi-
bilitics Of profits for manufacture. bu, he j. not
going 10 confess any such truth. lie knows
that men who receive 80 per week. hut Used 10
get S12 cannot buy as many things 81 foreign
or domestic production rs before. lf III" man
were sufficiently unmuzzlc1 10 tell the straight
truth. he would admit that 2'.O1.p" nine
dollar carncrs cannot buy n much - 21.W"'""
twelyc-dollar carncrs by $9OvooD yearly.
But he IS TOO good Democrat 10 tell tales "u'
~ school. and so he robusily Insists that all Inc
trouble is due TO Republican currency aud other
laws.
Very well. Gentlemen OF Congress. II Is your
bed and you have made 1t. Until March 4
Won will lie in IT, But when the Republicans
get at business. their first duty viii be To help
the people TO earn more and buy more. mat Is
the first step toward relieving the Treasury, ana
the first step also toward reviying European
confidence I'm American investments and pre-
venting the wlthdraw wal Of foreign capital.
Democratic President may not like 10 have n
repeal OF the tariff Of 1894 thrust before him.
ms the necessary first step toward financial ana
industrial health but he need not be surprised
il n Republican Congress begins in exactly that
way. What II may devise afterward In the
way OF revision Of duties. Is OF course uncertain
But If President Cleveland does not have
chance TO permit the bill Of "preidy and dis
honor" 10 90 out Of existence, II he likes rcfus
ing to sign the repeal as he refused to sign the
act itself 1t will probably be because he con
trives in some way not TO call an extra session
OF Congress.