New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-15

wash,npton Feb i4-The great mass OF ci''~e'.'
of the United States who are Dependent ." as =,
culture for a livelihood will perhaps De as'o'.. =,
find TO how great extent the ne" iai' ~
discriminating against them both In the MATE "
the Importation of their own products anu Wv.
rortation of foreign products which compete WIN
their own labor. They have had intiinauon' -
this in the fragmentary statements WIN" ~ IT,
been possible to present from time 10 unie Vi ~
workings Of the new law, but IL Is no" p'
f,r the first time to compare definitely from o'"O
indications the workings Of the new law In siVe"
ner,od with those Of the Mckinley law. Ana 'he
statement thus obtained shows that In practica"S
every department of agriculture the new law mas
placed the great population OF this country "'o "
dependent on agriculture at a great uisao'A"'~e9
The Treasury Department arranges lts stdtehie"''
% tho oneratlons of the customs law in two diner
"a, forn,s AT the close Of the fiscal year. June "0'
IT presents a statement showing the amount anu
vaIuc NJ imports and exports during the twelve
,rorths ending at that date. AT the close Oh INC
calendar wear Il presents a statement showing inc
imports and exports during the twelve mohths Gnu
ing December 81. The operations or the Mch''ey
law ended August 2s. 1891; therefore, 'he la9' i
,car of its workings shown by any official statement
I'm detail would be the year ending June ~ 1917
which is usually termed the fiscal year ls'i'
,rho Wilson law went into effect August %. 1891;
therefore the first fun years statement In detall
which can be had Of Its operations IL the caienu"
year 1885 Naturally. neither the OLD nor ue ne"
law worked normally during the few weeks pre-
ceding or following the date at when the chaisc
was rnade-August 2s 1s9i-and comparison OF the
nscal vcor ending a few weeks prior to that date'
with the calendar year beginning few weeks ai.eF
that date is essentially fair one to both laws re-
sides Il is the only method OF comparing oinciai
statements OF the workings Of the two laws during
periods Of equal length nearest to Il" date at whch
the old Law ceased be operative and the new one
went into effect. A comparison. therefore. OF the
imports and exports during the fiscal year ending
June 3d. 1904 with those Of the calendar year be-
ginning January l. 1880 places side by SIDE the TWO
vcorlv official statements obtalnabie which most
nearlv touch on either side the date at which the
change was made from the old to the new law
MISLEADING DEMOCRATIC PROMISES.
qood many Of the 100000 OF people who are
dependont on agriculture III this country az" ""'
recall IN. ccrvor with which the Democratic S'd''S-
men denounced the Mckinley law az hostile TO inc
f,ru,r and Characterized the wilson law as oh-
which would be greatly - his advantage. VIII be
.,-,,,ts.l IN learn that under the wilson law te
Irp,rts Of farm products In competition with the'F
own labor have been much greater than they were
IN Ter the Mckinley law. while the exports OF i"l
prolucts have fallen on since the repeal OF inc
Mckinley law The orators VINO dehouneSu IN
Mckinley Law and favored the Wilson law INSISTED
that they were lcglslatlng N way that would
,r,fcct the farmer. and yet Increase MS sales
abroad That their promises were misleading III
accurate and untrue is apparent from comparison
~ the actual workings Of the new law Win those
Of the Mckinley law.
In all the great articles Of farm producuo"' SUI"
az wheat. barley. wool. hides tobacco, meats fax
breadstufYs hops hay. hemp cotton ana others Tue
importatlons have largely increased unaer the he"
auy while in the same class Of articles the exp0r-
,ation, under the new law have decreased lhese
statements II should be remembered are Daseu Oh
official figures furnished By the treasury bePal'-
rnent covering the years most nearly touc"'"s t'e
date AT which the change was made from the NC
kinney law 70 III. Wilson law. In the fiscal year
In. Inn. 20 1891 the last fiscal year under the
,cI,.uley law the exports OF products OF Domestic
agriculture amounted - H2s3ls.1'3 In the year
ls.5 the nsst calendar year under the wilson law
the exports Of products Of domestic agriculture
amounted TO only .J4j7l4.55. This was a!lins OH
~ 81 o.oo 10, IN the amount exported. That the new
law actually discrlm.nates against the farmer Is
shown bv the fact that but e. per cent OF the total
xnorts If 1895 under the law were agricultural
uroiucts While over - per cent OF the exports IN
,h asst year of the Mckinley law were agricul-
tural products.
THE OFFICIAL FIGURES.
The following tables show. from official reports
OF the Treasury Department. the imports ana eh-
ports OF farm products IN the last hsca year uhoer
IN. mckinley law compared with the first calendar
year under the Wilson law. 1t may be worth while
r.pcatiuc the settlement already made that these
two periods-the fiscal year ending June So 1924 ard
IN. calendar year beginning January l. 1872 most
nearly touch the date at which the change Was
made from the old to the new law OF any annual
neriods covered by the official statements OF the
Treasury Department The fiscal year 1884 closed
two months before the end OF the operations OF the
Mckinley law. and tho oaendar year 1898 began four
month, after the v iron law had begun It's work.
Each years figures may therefore, be assumed 10
present fairly normal picture Of the workings az
the TWO laws and thus TO give for the first time
since the enactment OF the Wilson law an absolutely
accurate Official comparison OF their operations as
Affecting the great class OF citizens of the United
States dependent ON agriculture: