The record-union., 1896-08-27

IN the treasury ana a STEADY QepletlOH
in the earnings of labor and land. 1t
has contributed to swell our national
debt more than $262, 100000, a sum
nearly as great as the debt of the Gov
ernment from Washington to Lincoln,
including all our foreign wars from the
revolution to the rebellion. Since its
work at home has been dimin-
ished, prices of agricultural products
have fallen, confidence has been ar
rested, and general business demoral-
lzation is seen on every hand.
THE TARIFFS OF 1890 AND 1894
CONTRASTED.
THE total receipts under the tariff
Act of 1894 for the first twenty-five
months of its enforcement, from Sep
tember, 1894, to June, 1896, were S557,-
615,32S. and the expenditures S640,-
41S,363, or a deficiency of $50, 500, ,035.
The decrease in our exports of Amer
lean products and manufactures during
the first fifteen months of the present
tariff as contrasted with the exports
of the first fifteen months of the tariff
of 1890, was 500, 800, 800 The excess
OF exports over imports during the first
fifteen months of the tariff of 1890 was
the first fifteen months of the tariff of
1894, a loss under the latter of S15l,-
214,34J. The net loss in the trade ball
ance Of the United States has been
S196, ,934 G07 during the first fifteen
months operation of the tariffs of 1894,
as compared with the first fifteen
months of the tariff of 1890. The loss
has been large, constant and steady, at
the rate of $13, 100000 per month, or
$500, 600 for every business day of this
year.
LOSS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
eve have lost in both directions. Our
foreign trade has been diminished, and
our domestic trade has suffered meal
culable loss. Does this not suggest the
cause of our present depression and
indicate its remedy? Confidence in
home enterprises has almost wholly dis
appeared. Our shops are closed, or
running on half time at reduced wages
and small profit, if not actual loss.
Our men are idle, and while they are
idle men abroad are occupied in supply
ing us with goods. Our unrivalled home
market for the farmer has also greatly
suffered because those who constitute
1.-THE great army of American wage
earners-are without the work and
wages they formerly had. If they can
not earn wages they cannot buy prod
uctS. They cannot earn if they have
no employment, and when they do not
earn the farmers home market is less
ened and impaired and the loss is felt
by both producer and consumer. The
loss of earning power alone in this
country in the past three years is suffi-
cient to have produced our unfortunate
business situation If our labor was
we'll employed, and that employment at
remunerative wages as in 1892, in a few
months every farmer in the land would
feel the good change in the demand
for his products and the better prices
which he would receive
The first duty of the Republican
party, if restored to power in the
country, will be the enactment of
tariff law which will raise all the money
necessary to conduct the Government
economically and honestly admins
tered, and so adjusted as to give pref
erence to home manufactures and wise
production to home labor and the home
market. We are not committed 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 are almost the same. Our
duties should always be high enough
to measure the difference between the
wages paid labor at home and in COM
peting countries, and to adequately
protect American investments and
American enterprise.
OUR FARMERS AND THE TARIFF
Our farmers have been hurt by the
changes in our tariff legislation as Sc
Verely as our laborers and manufacture
ers, badly as they have suffered. The
Republican platform wisely declares in
favor of such encouragement to our
sugar interests as will lead to the pro-
duction on American soil of all the
sugar which the American people use.
1t promises to give our wool and wooden
interests the most ample protection,
a guaranty that ought to commend it
self to every patriotic citizen.
Never was a more grievous wrong
done the farmers of our country than
that so unjustly inflicted during the
last three years upon the wool growers
of America. Although among our most
industrious and useful citizens then, it
has been practically destroyed and our
wooden manufacturers involved in sim
liar disaster. At no time within the
past thirty-six years, and perhaps
never during any previous period, have
so many of our wooden factories been
suspended as now. The Republican
party can be relied upon to correct
these wrongs, if again entrusted with
the control of Congress.
RECIPROCITY.
"One declaration of the Republican
platform that has my most cordial
support is that which favors reciproc-
ity The splendid results of the reci-
procity arrangements that were made
under the authority of the tariff law of
1880 are striking and suggestive. The
brief period they We're in force in most
cases only three years, was not long
enough to thoroughly test their great
value, but sufficient was shown by the
trial to conclusively demonstrate the
Importance and the wisdom of their.
adoption.
I'm 1892 the export trade of the
United States attained the highest
point in our history. The aggregate of
our exports that year reached the i'm
mense sum of 81 ,03027S ,14S, a sum
greater by 100000, 900 than any pre-
vious year In 1898, owing to the
threat of unfriendly tariff legislation,
the total dropped to $S47 $50, 1914 Our
creased $3.50, 000,0 900, but reciprocity
Z,