Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-09-03

Haru tiWtS 10 tHe TACT lndt all our cul
rency Is on gold basis. Those who al
sert that our present Industrial and finar
cial depression is the result Of the gol
standard have not read American histor
Alright, or been careful students Of tn
events OF recent years. We never ha
greater prosperity In this country, 4
every field Of employment and industry
than In the busy years from 1880 to 1856.
during all OF which time this country wa
on q gold basis and employed more gol
money In Its fiscal and business operation
than ever before. We had, too, a protectiv
tariff under which ample revenues wer
collected for the government and an &C
cumulating surplus which was constantl
applied to the payment OF the public debt
"Iet us hold fast to that which we know
Ia good. II Is not more money we want
what we want is to put the money we al
| ready have at work. When money is EN-
pl0yed. men are employed. Both have al
ways been steadily and remuneratively en-
gagged during all the years of protectly
tariff legislation. When those who hav,
money lack confidence In the stability Of
values and investments, they will not par
with their money. Business is stagnatc(
the life-bl0od Of trade Is checked anC
congested. We cannot restore the pub.
lie confidence by an act which would rev.
0lutionlze all values. or an act which en-.
tails deficiency In the public revenues
We cannot inspire confidence by adyocat.
Ing reputation or practlcing dishonesty
We cannot restore confidence, either TO the
treasury or to the people, without a change
In our present tariff legislation.
The Tarin OF 1894.
THE only measure OF general nature
that affected the treasury and the employ
ments 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 II does not possess. 1t lacks the
essential virtue OF Its 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 q constant deficiency In the
treasury and a steady depletion In the earn
lngs or labor ana land. 1t has contributed
70 swell our national debt more than $685.
0U,WV, sum nearly as great as the debt
of the government from Washington to
Lincoln, including all our foreign wars
from the revolution TO the rebellion. Since
Its passage work at home has been dimin-
ished prices Of agricultural products have
fallen; confidence has been arrested and
general business decentralization Ia seen on
every hand.
Tariffs Of 1890 and 1894 Contracted.
THE total receipts under the tariff act
OF 1874 for the first Y months of its enforce
September, 1894, to June, 1886
were $751;, 615,32S, and the expenditures $780,
4lS,S6S, or deficiency Of ISL, 800, OBS. The de-
crease In our exports of American products
and manufactures during the first Is
months Of the present tariff, as contrasted
With the exports of the first 10 months of
the tariff Of 1880, was S220, 1920. The ex-
cess Of exports over imports during the
first Is months OF the tariff Of 1890 was
l2l3, 72,96S, but only s56,75S,623 under the
flrst Is months of the tariff of 1894, q loss
under the latter OF yl57,2l4,s45. The net loss
In the trade balance OF the United States
has been $l96,9S3,6N during the first Is
months Of the operation Of the tariff Of
1914, as compared with the first IL months
# the tariff Of 1890. The loss has been large,
constant and steady, at the rate of 49,
30 900 per month, or 100000 for every BUSH
less day Of this year.
I'VE have lost steadily In both directions.
)ur foreign trade has been diminished and
'ur domestic trade has suffered incalcul-
4 our present depression, and Indicate its
emedy? Confidence In home enterprises
las almost wholly disappeared. Our shops
re closed, or running on half time at re-
uced wages and small profit, II not actual
)ss. Our men at home are idle and while
hey are idle men abroad are occupied In
IMPLYING us with goods Our unrlvalled
ONE market for the farmer has also great
! suffered because those who constitute
the great army of American wage-earn-
rs-are without the work and wages they
"a al hnA hntr
hey cannot buy products. They cannot
arm II they have no employment, and when
hey do not earn the farmers home market
lessencd and impaired, and the loss Is
cit by both producer and consumer. The
,ss OF earning power alone In this country
! the past three years Is sufficient to have
reduced our unfortunate business sltua-
on II our labor was well employed, and
mployed at as remunerative wages as In
", In few months every farmer In the
nd would feel the glad change In the In /
'ased demand for his products and In the
stter prices which he would receive.
should Open Mills, Not Mints.
ut Is not an increase in the volume Of
oney which Is the need of the time, but
! increase in the volume Of business. Not
Increase of coin. but an increase Of
nfidence. Not more coinage, but q more
tive use OF the money coined. NOT omen
ints for the unlimited coinage OF the
yer OF the world, but open mills for the
II and unrestricted labor of American
.rklngmen. The opening to the world
our mints for the coinage of silver would
It bring the necessaries and comforts OF
Q back to our people. This will only
me with the employment of the masses.
ID such employment Is certain to follow
e reestablishment Of a wise protective
Icy which shall encourage manufacture
! at home
The Party's First Duty.
Protection has lost none Of Its virtue and
portance. The first duty Of the repub-
an party II restored to power In the
lntry, Will be the enactment of tariff
v which will raise all the money neces-
ry to conduct the government, econom-
lily and honestly administered, and so
justed as to give preference to home
and adequate protection to
me labor and the home market. We
not committed to any special schedules
rates,of duty. They are and should be
ways subject to change to meet new
but the principle upon which
es of duty are imposed remains the
ne. Our duties should always be high
,ugh to measure the difference between
, wages paid labor at home and In COM
Ing countries, and to adequately protect
lerlcan investments and American en-
prises
Our Farmers and the Tariff.
Our farmers have been hurt by the
lnges In our tariff legislation as severe
as our laborers and manufacturers,
lily as they have suffered. The republic !
platform wisely declares In favor of
N encouragement TO our sugar interests /,
VIII lead TO the production on Ameri- (,
soil Of all the sugar which the Ameri- !
people use 1t promises to our wool
woolen interests the most ample pro-
ton a guaranty that ought to COM
nd itself to every patriotic citizen.
yer was more grievous wrong done .
farmers OF our country than that so !.
Justly inflicted during the past three \
rs upon the wool growers OF America. !
hough among our most industrious and !
full citizens their interests have been
ctically destroyed and our wooden man !,
cturers involved In similar disaster. At I
time within the past IS years, and per- 2
IS never during any previous period, I
Ie so many of our wooden factories been 2
pended as now. The republican party I
be relied upon to correct these great
'ngs, If again entrusted with the con- 9
Of congress. o
Reciprocity. !,
Another declaration of the republican r
form that has my most cordial support a
nat which favors reciprocity The SPLEEN G.
results OF the reciprocity arrangements n
were made under the tariff law of 1890 d
striking and suggestive. The brief Pc o.
they were In force, in most cases only II
20 years, was not long enough to thor r.
b1V fpgf THAR praaf " llta hrtf or !,