Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-07-10

severe panlCS the country A"u e'oA
experienced. The tariff laws that
the Democratic administration
enacted were not so radical as the
party had promised, but there was
such reduction in the duty on
many American products that for
eign competition closed American
mills, reduced American wages,
and threw thousands Of men out
of employment. The repeal Of the
reciprocity provisions further de-
creased the market for American
productions.
Democratic tariff laws not only
injured the laboringmen, the man.
utacturers and business interests,
but also reduced the revenues Of
the government below the expenses.
At the same time when business
was depressed and the national in
come decreasing, the government
was buying millions Of dollars
worth Of silver monthly, and tax.
ing a course that threatened to
result in a deprecated currency.
The silver purchase law was re-
pealed, but the business depression
that resulted from the Democratic
promises of free trade continued.
The American people soon be-
came convinced that the Republi-
can system of protection was
necessary for the prosperity Of
the people, and no large ele-
ment of any party is now de-
handing Or promising that the
threatened free trade program
shall be fully carried out. The
Republican party demands that
duties be restored to such degree
that the American market shall be
pres erved for American producers,
and on that issue no party cares to
fairly meet it. That change is
now needed indeed. no man will
deny, but there is an effort to turn
tn e people from the course sthat
will ensure returned prosperity, to
one that will add to the disasters
and trouble. without helping any
but the silver mine owners aud
those connected with the silver
industry. Now that a
movement toward tree trade has
ruined many industries, destroyed
values, and decreased the demand
for and wages of labor, there is an
effort to avoid the logical propo.
sition that a return to protection
will revive industries, restore val
ues, and increase the demand for
and wages Of labor. Instead of
restoring the laws sthat gave us
prosperity, the "change" now
demanded is the free coinage of
silver. All the political elements
that have ever favored "a debased
and unsafe money are united on
free coinage of silver at Is to 1.
The men who wanted the old state
banking currency, with its unre.
liable values and certain deprecia.
ton, want free silver. The men
who favored unlimited greenbacks
want free silver coinage. The
infationists who wanted regular
fiat money-a dollar to be only the
printed declaration of the govern.
ment-wanr free silver. The
wealthy silver mine owners, es.
pecially, want the government to
stamp as worth one dollar an
amount Of their product that is in
fact worth only abont fifty cents.
These different elements exert a
great influence in the nation, and
they cunningly make the basis of
their present demand the fact that
times are hard and money difficult
to obtain. Of course, this deter
mined effort to have the govern
ment coin large amounts of silver
at face value of nearly double its
real value has added much to the
caused by the free
trade Democratic victory, and
whatever share this silver agita.
ton has contributed toward that
is now employed by
them as an argument for the
"change" they urge. Even the
H. af froo s;1uar co,noro 10 on