Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-09-15
rate of $3.50, 900 a month or 100000 for
every business day Of the year.
Losing In Both Directions.

little ill., or both. We have lost steadily in
both directions. Our foreign trade has been
diminished. and our domestic trade has
suffered jncalculable loss. Does not this
suggest the cause of our present depres-
sion, and indicate its remedy? Confidence
in home enterprises has almost wholly dis
appeared. Our shops are closed or run
ming 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
army of American wage earners--are with
out the work and wages they formerly had.
IL they cannot earn wages they cannot buy
products. They cannot earn II they nave
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. III our
labor was well employed, and employed at
as remunerative wages as in 1897, IN lew
months every farmer In the land would
feel the glad change to increased demand
for his products and in the better prices
which he would receive.
Not Open MINIS, but Open Mills.
cit is not an increase in the volume OF
money which is the need for the time, but
an increase in the volume Of businf Ss
Not an increase of coin, but an increase ri
confidence. Not more coinage but Int 20
active use of the money coined. Not open
minis for the unlimited coinage or the
silver of the world, but open mills for the
full and unrestricted labor of American
workingmen. The employment OF our
minis for the coinage of the silver of the
world would not bring the necessaries and
comforts of life back to our people. rms
will only come with the employment or
the masses and such employment is GER
tain to follow the establishment of a wise
protective policy which shall encourage
manufacturing at home. Protection has
lost none of its virtues and Importance.
New Tariff Law Promised.
1.-THE first duty of the Republican party,
IL 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
administered, and so adjusted as to give
preference to home manufactures and ATE
quate protection 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, hut the
principle upon which the 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 invest
ments and American enterprises.
Our Farmers and the Tariff.
"Our farmers have been hurt by the
riA cIaff al VI
as our laborers and manufacturers. Daddy
as they have suffered. The Republican plat
form wisely declares In favor OF sucE en-
couragement to our sugar interests as will
lead to the production on American soil
OF all the sugar which the American peo-
pie use. 1t promises to our wool and
wooden interests the most ample protec-
tion,' a guaranty that ought to commend
itself to every patriotic citizen. Never
| was a more grievous wrong done the
farmers of our country than that so un-
| justly inflicted during the past three years
upon the wool growers Of America. Al
| though among our most industrious and
useful citizens, their interests have been
practically destroyed and our wooden
manufacturers involved in similar disaster
At no time within the past thirty-six years
and perhaps never during any previous
period, have SO many OF our wooden rae
lican party can be relied upon to correcl
these great wrongs. il again entrusted
| with the control Of congress.
Advantages of Reciprocity.
| Another declaration Of the Republican
platform that has my most cordial support
| is that which favors reciprocity. The splen-
did results of the reciprocity arrangements
that were made under authority Of the
tariff law of 1890 are striking and sug
gestive. The brief period they were In
force, in most cases only three years, was
not long enough to thoroughly test theil
great value, but sufficient was shown by
the trial to conclusively demonstrate the
! Importance and the wisdom of their adop
ton. In 1892, the export trade of the Unit
| ed States attained the highest point in oul
| history. The aggregate OF our exports tina
| year reached the immense sum OF $l,03O,
27S.14S, a sum greater by 10000, 600 thar
| the exports of any previous year. In 1898
owing to the threat of unfriendly tariff leg
islation, the total dropped to $S47. 665. 1874
| Our exports of domestic merchandise de
creased $3.50, 900 900, but reciprocity still
secured us large trade in Central ant
South America, and larger trade will
the West Indies than we had ever befor'
enjoyed. The increase OF trade with thu
| countries with which we had reciprocit.
agreements was $3.560,515 over our trad
in 1892 and $t6,440,721 over our trade IL
| 1891. The only countries with which thu
| United States traded that showed increase,
exports in 1893 were practically those will
| which we had reciprocity arrangements
| The reciprocity treaty between this coun
try and Spain, touching the markets O
Cuba and Puerto Rico. was announces
| Sept /, 1891. The growth of our trad
with Cuba was phenomenal. In 1891. w
| sold that country but ia, AL barrels o
-four; in 1892, 366, IT'S; in 1898, GIG, 406, an,
in 1894, 662,248. Here was a growth o
nearly 500 per cent, while our expectation
| OF -four to Cuba for the year ending jun
30. 1895, the year following the repeal o
the reciprocity treaty, fell to &c., 56 bar
rels, a loss Of nearly half our trade witt
that country. The value Of our total ex
ports of merchandise from the Unite
States to Cuba in 1S91-the year prior t
the negotiation of the reciprocity treaty.
was $12 ,224, 1888; in 1892, 1883, 579; in 1893
$24, 157 698; in 1894, $40, 125, 1921. but in 1896
after the annulment of the reciprocit
agreement, It fell to only 81, 1897 ,661. Man,
similar examples might be given of on
increased trade under reciprocity witt
other countries. but enough has beel
shown of the efficacy of the legislation o
1890 to justify the speedy restoration o
it's reciprocity provisions. In my judgmen
congress should Immediately restore tn
reciprocity section of the old law witt
| such amendments, II any, as time and ex
perience sanction as wise and proper. Tn
| underlying principle of this Legislation
must however. be strictly observed. I
| is to afford new markets for our surplu
L nd ma 70 aft rot