New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-18
TEACHINGS OF EXPERIENCE.

TEACHINGS or EAPERIENCE.
Alike to friends and foes. the tremendous
power of the Protective policy has been amaz-
ing Ever since the first fruits Of the Demo-
cratic victory in 1892 appeared in the reduction
Of wages and the soppase OF works, the mani
festation Of popular feeling and the surprise at
it have been steadily growing II is no mere
figure Of speech, but cold recital Of facts. TO
say that the wisest and most helpful Rcpub-
licans were astonished al the gains Of $1,000 in
New-York II, 900 in Pennsylvania and 10000 in
Ohio in the fall Of 1893. with other gains else
where. Still more astonishing TO nearly every
body were the results Of Congressional elections
in 1894, which put 244 Republicans into the
House instead Of l21. and 10i Democrats instead
Of 217 in 1892. But even these results seemed
tame when the Overturning Of Democrats In al
most all Northern and some Southern States
came last fall. And this year. In different way
and even more 10 the amazemcnt Of both par
ties, the power OF the Protective policy has been
displayed in the election Of delegates for Nc
Kinley and the overwhelming defeat Of cxtraor
binary combinations against him
Men recognize In various ways according 10
their temper and character, the fact which
amazes them all Some put on a tone Of lofty
NH''i NJ INV p'pUIdi 'lhrf i'l
Mckinley, as If he could rcmake the universe"
Others think it n great pity that "A man who
does not seem TO them n broad statesman or n
sound man should thus be preferred The man
who can conceive OF no other than dishon-
est and corrupt ways Of attaining political re-
suits manufactures all sorts OF stories about the
wonderful adrOineSs and unlimited expenditure
of Hanna, as II such results ms appear could
4
But 1t all means the same thing; men are amazed
that the Protective idea brushes all opposition
smashes the strongest machines. drives every
other issue ont OF the way. and changes great
States from one side 10 the other IA II by magic
At bottom. the reason why men are amazed
IS that they have never fully realized how this
one issue takes hold Of the lives and occupation
and condition Of millions Of people Probably
ninety nine opponents of Protection ont Of every
hundred had somehow persuaded themselves
that the tariff really made no difference with
the wages or employment OF labor. Rightly
considered. that same notion was more amazing
than the recent revolution in public opinion. IT
was incomprchcnsible that any sane man should
believe that the establishment Of n new indus
try here would not create new shops and a new
demand for labor, or that the destruction Of an
industry would not turn some people out Of
employ ment and deprcss wages. Even among
Protectonists there were many who did not
fully realize the truth and far reaching lmpor-
lance OF statements which they habltually made
Hence 1t was that when The Tribune asserted
before the election Of 1892 that Free Trade
victory would produce the greatest rcvulslOn In
business men had ever seen, there were doubt
less many thousand who sincerely thought the
statement exaggerated and extravaganza
But the people have been learning with great
rapidly. They have seen working men and
women by the hundred thousand deprived for
long time Of all opportunity 10 earn n living
and others compelled to accept lower wages or
go without any. They have seen Democratic
leaders, and bankers and fnanciers who knew
no better, clamoring month after month for
some monetary relief, and gold borrowed TO the
extent Of $260,0O0,000, without improving the
real condition Of things In the least They have
seen the country. under exactly the same none
tary system which permitted in 1892 the high
est prosperity ever attained, struggling along
for three years to escape from the prosration
into which 1t was plunged by the mere prospect
of change Of tariff even before any change
whatever had occurred. Men reason when the
question affects their homes and their living and
the future of those dear to them. They reason
straight through all the sophistries Of all the
fnanclers In Christendom, and 90 down TO the
fundamental fact that the country must suffer
II 1t hires foreigners to make Its goods, and
thereby forces It's own workers to stand idle
1t Is, indeed, wonderful that men should need
three years Of suffering to teach truth so
plain. But the Mckinley craze proves that
the lesson has been learned