The San Francisco call., 1896-01-25
BUSINESS AND POLITICS.

The National Convention of American
Manufacturers at Chicago adopted series
of resolutions to which Congress ought to
give prompt attention. All of them con-
Germ the business welfare of the country
and some of them are of pressing urgency.
Moreover they relate to matters which
can be dealt with at this session, and,
therefore, are more deserving the consider
alton of Congressman than issues like
that of silver coinage, which cannot be
settled as Congress is at present consti-
tuted.
The resolutions ask that the Interstate
Commerce Commission be directed to pre-
pare freight classifications which. shall be
uniform throughout the Union, that there
be established by the Government a
Department of Manufactures with a Secre-
tary of Cabinet rank at the head that
States be prevented from imposing inequit-
able conditions upon corporations created
by other States, that the Senate pass
promptly the revenue bill provided by the
House for the relief of the treasury and
finally that in reforming the tariff Con-
gress shall grant to the sugar industry fair
legislation and liberal encouragement.
There can be no question of the import
ance of the measures proposed. 1t is parti-
cularly urgent that the emergency revenue
bill should be passed without further de-
lay. The bill is certainly not all that is
wanted in the way of reform. but it will be
a great improvement on the existing tariff.
1t would not only provide abundant reve-
nues for the Government and put an end
to that borrowing of money which has so
largely increased the bonded debt of the
Nation, but would afford also something of
protection to home industries and by
checking to some extent the imports OF
foreign goods would turn the balance OF
trade in our favor and put an end TO the
export of gold.
In these resolutions we see politics as it
appears to the business men of the coun-
try. They fairly reflect the general senti-
ment of the people. There is an increas-
ing conviction that a return to a thor
oughly comprehensive system of protec-
tion is more important to the country just
now than even the reconciliation of sill
yer itself. AT any rate there is a chance
to do something in the way of tariff re-
form at once if the Senate would only re-
solve to act on the emergency bill, while it
yocates of silver that the discussion of free
coinage is only waste of time and en-
ergy.
The request for the establishment of a
Department of Manufactures, with an Off
claI head having a seat in the Cabinet,
raises new issue, but is not unreasonable.
The manufacturing industry has now be-
come one OF the greatest in the Nation,
and is certainly entitled to voice in the
Government. The need of such an official
is seen in the present danger to our indus
tries caused by Oriental competition. Had
we at this time Secretary of Manufac-
lures he could at once through our Consuls
investigate the nature and extent of the
competition and inform Congress what
legislation is needed to guard against the
evil. Lacking such an official the manu-
facturers must look out for themselves and
ask Congress for help as best they can.
This has been done in the present instance
by the Chicago convention, and it remains
to be seen what attention will be given to
the requests