The San Francisco call., 1896-01-23
PROTECTION DEMANDED.

1t is a familiar fact that the people and
not Congress make the politics of this
country. The course of coming political
contests can be better estimated by a
study of the meetings OF various classes of
men in their annual conventions than by
following the debates of the House and
the Senate. For that reason the proceed
lngs OF the two conventions of business
men held in Chicago on Tuesday are OF
more than ordinary interest as they not
only reveal the sentiments of the delegates
present. but afford a basis for determining
what the business men of the country re-
gard as the supreme issue to be decided in
the coming campaign.
OF the two conventions, one represented
the Textile Manufacturers of the Western
and Southern States and the other and
larger one represented the National Asso-
citation of Manufacturers. Though they
met in separate halls, the addresses were
of such similarity in tone and sentiment
that virtually they formed but one con-
vention. The addresses in each turned
upon the disasters brought upon Ameri-
can industry by the Wilson tariff, and the
demand of both was for speedy return
to the Republican protective system in
order that the country might recover its
lost prosperity.
The proceedings of the convention of
Western and Southern Textile Manufac-
turers was particularly significant, as it
shows how far the prestige of the Demo-
cratic party has been broken in the South
ern States by the experiment with free
trade. Letters were read from manufac-
| turers III North and South Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana
and Kentucky, as we'll as from those of
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Oregon
and California. Nearly ali of them not
only reported injuries done to industry by
the free-traders in the last Congress, but
deplored the present stagnation and urged
that the present Congress should do what
1t can to afford protection.
In each convention the growing danger
of an Asiatic competition more dangerous
than that of Europe occupied much of the
attention OF the speakers. In that of the
Textile Manufacturers the statement Of
G. II. Mason of Illinois that with these
new competitors in the field "Iot only
protection but prohibition would be neces-
sary, just as the Chinese were shut out be-
SNo0O tAOg hC1C iO1 W our ClNlll-
zation, was received with prolonged ap-
plause. In the other convention resolu-
tions were adopted calling for an investi-
CATION Of the extent to which Oriental
manufactured goods were being imported
and recommending prompt action against
this new menace to American industry.
The whole tone of the proceedings of
these two important meetings of represen-
tative business men makes it certain that
the people understand the real need of the
country at this time. Democratic poll
ticians may attempt to evade all discus
sion of the tariff by talking of war or
finance, but they will fail. Tariff revision
is the supreme issue. 1t is the present
tariff that causes the deficit in the rev.
enues, that makes the drain on the treas
ury, that rolls up an adverse balance of
trade, that leads to the export of gold that
paralyzes industry and compels the most
wealthy and enterprising people on earth
to face hard times in every home and
maintain the Government only by run
ming into debt.