The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-08-27

1t is a mere pretensc to attribute the
hard times 10 the fact that all our chr.
rency is on gold basis. Good money
never made times hard. Those who nssert
that ourp prescntindustrial and financial de-
preston Is the result of the gold standard
have not read American history Alright. Oh.
been careful students of the events of
recent years. We never had greater pros
perity in this country in every field of
Fmployment and industry than in the
busy years from 1880 to 1892, during all of
which time this country was on a gold
basis and Nnployed more gold money In
Its fiscal and business operations than ever
before We had, too, protective tariff
under which Rinple revenues were col
lected for the government and an accumu-
latlng surplus which was constantly
applied to the payment of the public debt
Let us hold fast to that which we know
is good.
1t Is not more money we want; what we
want Is TO put the money we already have
ut work. When money is employed men
are employed. Both have always been
steadily and remuneratively engaged dur
Ing all the years of protective tariff legls-
lation. When those who have money lack
confidence in the stability of values and
Investments they will not part with their
money. Business is stagnated, the life
blood Of trade is checked and congested.
We cannot restore public confidence by an
act which would revolutionize all values,
or an act which details deficiency in the
public revenues We cannot inspire con-
fidence by advocating the reputation or
practcing dishonesty. Wecannot restore
confidence, either to the treasury or to the
people, without change in our present
tariff legislation.
The only measure of n general nature
that affected the treasury and Temporal
ment of our people passed by the Fifty
third congress was the general tariff act
which did not receive the approval of the
president. Whatever virtues may be
claimed for that act there is confessedly
one which it does not possess. 1t lacks the
essential virtue Of it's creation-the raising
of revenue sufficient to supply the needs
of the government. 1t has at no time pro-
vided enough revenue for such needs, but
it has caused constant deficiency in the
treasury and u steady depletion in the
earnings Of labor and land. 1t has con-
tribued to swell our national debt more
than s262, 0OO,00O "A sum nearly as great as
the debt Of the government from Wash
ington to Lincoln including all our for
bellion Since its passage work at home
has been diminished, prices of agrioul-
tural products have fallen, confidence has
been arrested, and general business de-
moralization is seen on every hand.
Losing in Both Directions.
We have either been sending too much
money out of the country or getting too
little in, or both. We have lost steadily in
both directions. Our foreign trade has
been diminished and our domestic trade
has suffered incalculable loss. Does not
this suggest the cause of our present de-
preston and indicate its remedy? Conf
dence in home enterprises has almost
wholly disappeared. Our shops are closed,
or running on half time at reduced wages
and small profit, if not actual loss. Our
men at home are idle, and while they are
idle men abroad are occupied in supplying
us with goods.
Our unrivaled home market for the
farmer has also greatly suffered because
those who constitute 1.-THE great asSly of,
American wage earners--are without the
work and wages they formerly had. If
they cannot earn wages they cannot buy
products. They cannot earn if they have
no employment and when they do not
earn the farmers home market is lessened
and impaired, and the loss is felt by both
producer and consumer The loss of earn
ing power alone in this country in the past
three years is sufficient to have produced
our unfortunate business situation If
our labor was well employed and en-
ployed at rs remunerative wages as in
1892 in few months every farmer in the
land would feel the glad change in the in
creased demand for his products and in
the better prices which he would receive.
Not Open Mints, but Opsa Mills.
1t is not an increase in the volume of
money which is the need of the time, but
an increase of the volume of business;
not an increase of coin, but an increase of
confidence not more coinage, but a more
active use of the money coined; not open
mints for the unlimited coinage of the
silver Of the world, but open mills for the
full and unrestricted labor of American
workingmen. The employment of our
mints for the coinage Of the silver of the
world would not bring the necessaries
and comforts of life back to our people.
This will only come with the employment
Of the masses, and such employment is
certain to follow the re-establishment of
wise protective policy which shall en-
courage manufacturing at home. Pro
lection has lost none of its virtue and inn
portance.
The first duty of the Republican party,
if restored to power in the country, will
be the enactment Of IA tariff law which
will raise all the m0Dey necessary to con-
duct the government, economically and
honestly Administered, and SO adjusted as
to give preference to home manufactures
and adequate protection TO home labor
and the home market, We are not com
mitted to any special schedules or rates of
duty. They are and should be always
subject to change to meet new conditions,
but the principle upon which rates of
duty are imposed remains the same. Our
duties should always be high enough to
measure the difference between the wages
paid labor at home and in competing
countries, and to adequately protect
American investments and American en-
terprises
Our Farmers and the Tariff.
Our farmers have been hurt by the
changes in our tariff legislation as Sc
verely as our laborers and manufacturers
badlv n q thpv have e,tffarpd Tho RoruI,