The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-02-01

AfNNNN ~~~N~~~TT"lE
THE PROBLEM FOR DEMOCRATS
This country has wonderful recupera
tive powers. 1t is even able to stant
two years Of Democracy without losinl
more than about 30 per cent of it
business. The congressional blockheadf
who imagined that their free trade
theories would introduce the millen
mum, having no eyes to open, fail tC
see that the prostration of industries
ana the prostration Of revenues go hand
in hand. The imports in the last -four
months of 1892, before the old duties
were disturbed, were $272,OOO,OOO and In
the last four months of 1894 the imports
were s211 100000 in value, decrease of
about 22lh per cent. The duties on i'm
ports in four months under the new
tariff have been s49,99s,ss9, and in the
same months Of 1892 were s54,OOO,OOO.
The treasury IL IN trouble simply be-
cause the people are in trouble, and
have not means to buy as much as
usual They have not means, because
their wages have been reduced Their
wages have been reduced because en-
pIoyers had to face the probability of
sharp competition with foreign pro-
ducers on new terms
It pleases our Democratic friends to
assign other reasons by the score for
this tremendous change. But nobody
Ia convinced and nobody deceived. They
do not even cheat themselves. Even
while they vociferate in congress that
the tariff has made no difference, they
personally know better The average
Democratic member of congress knows
as little az It Is convenient to know
about things generally, but he had
pounded into him by angry constituents
and their votes last November some
definite knowledge of the prostration
Of Industries IN his own district, and of
It's cause. He would consider himself
traitor to his party IL he should utter
in the house one work of what he has
thus learned, but he knows what de-
feated his party nevertheless.
It would be treason to his party, he
thinks. to advocate any restoration of
duties. Perfectly well he knows, by
this time, that thousands of his con-
stituents are getting less wages than
two years ago because of the great
change In possibilities of profits for
but he is not going to
confess any such truth. He knows
chat men VINO receive 50 per week,
but used to get si2, cannot buy as
many things Of foreign or domestic
production as before, If the man were
sufficiently unmuzzled to tell the
straight truth, he would admit that
nine-dollar earners cannot
buy as much as 25,OOO.OOO twelve-dollar
sarners. by ssOOO,OoOOOo yearly. But he
a too good a Democrat to tell tales
,ut Of school, and SO he robustly In
,lsts that all the trouble is due to
Republican currency and other laws.
Very well. Gentlemen OF Congress, II
8 your bed, and you have made 1t,
Until March you win lie in it. But
When the Republicans get at business,
heir first duty viii be to help people to
arm more and buy more That is the
rst step toward relieving the treasury,
nd the first step also toward revivlns
European confidence in American in
estments and preventing the with
rawal Of foreign capital. A Demo-
ratio president may not like to have a
epeal Of the tariff Of 1894 thrust before
i'm a. the necessary first step toward
Inanclal and industrial health, but he
iced not be surprised II a Republican
ongreas begins IN exactly that way.
what 4 may devise afterward. In the
say Of revision Of duties. Is Of course
But n President Cleveland
oea not have a chance TO permit the
nj Of ''peridy and dlahonor' to go out
{ existence, II he likes REFUSING to
Isn the repeal as he refused to sIsn the
Ct ilseIk It win probably be because
E contrises IN some way not to can
D extra session q coneress