The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-27

To facilitate the enforcement of max
inns which he announced he declared:
ut Is essential that you should prac-
tically bear in mind that towards the
payment of debts there must be rev.
enue, that to have revenue there must
| be taxes, that no taxes can be devised
which are not more or less inconVen-
| lent or unpleasant. that the intrinsic
| embarrassment inSeparable from the
selection of the proper objects (which
| is always n choice of diiiiculties) ought
to be a decisive motive for candid
| construction of the conduct of the gov
ernment in making it, and for spirit
| of acQuiesence in the measures FOR
obtaining revenue which the public ex-
| igencies may at any time dictate.
| Animated by like sentiments the people
of the country must now face the con-
| ditions which beset them. The pub
lie exigencies'' demand prompt protec-
tive legislation which will avoid the
| accumulation of further debt by pro-
viding adequate revenues for the eN-
| penscs of the government. This is
| manifestly the requirement of duty. If
| elected president of the United states
| IL will be my aim to vigorously pro-
mote this object and give that ample
encouragement to the occupations of
the American people which is so i'm
peratively demanded at this juncture
| of our national affairs.
OUR CONDITION IN DECEMBER,
1892.
In December, 1892 President Harri-
| son sent his last message to congress.
| 1t was an able and exhaustive review
| of the condition and resources of the
country. 1t stated our situation so ac-
curately that i am sure 1t will not be
amiss to recite his official and valuable
| testimony. There never has been
| time in the history" said he. when
work was so abundant, or when wages
were so high, whether measured by the
, currency in which they are paid or by
| their power to supply the necessaries
and comforts of life. The general aV-
erage Of prices has been such as to
give agriculture fair participation i'll
the general prosperity. The new in
dustrial plants established since OctG-
Der 6, 1880, and up to October %, lS92,
number 345 and the extensions of exist
| ing plants 1OS. The new capital invest
| ed amounts to S40,i4606O and the num-
ber of additional employees 3I,2S5. Dur
| ing the first six months of the present
calendar year 1876 new factories We're
built, of which forty were cotton mills,
As knitting mills, &c woolen mills, 10
| silk mills, and two linen mills.
OF the 40 cotton mills, 81 have been
built in southern states
This fairly describes the happy COM
dtion of the country in December lo'-'
What has it been since, and Wnat Is
it now?
The messages of President Cleveland
from the beginning of his second au-
ministration to the present time
abound with descriptions of the de-
plorable industrial and financial sit
uation of the country. While no re-
sort to history or official statement IL
required to advise us OF the preseht
condition and that which has preValieo
during the past three years, l venture
to quote from President Cleveland's
first message, Aug. S, 1893, addressed
to the lifty-third congress, which he
had called together in extraordinary
session.
THE existence of an alarming and
extraordinary business situation said
he, ''involvng the welfare and pros
perity of all of the people has con-
strained me to call together in extra
session the peoples representatives IN
congress to the end that through the
isio tive d,ities with which they solely
are charged the present evils may be
mitigated and dangers threatening the
future may be averted. Our unfortu-
nate financial plight is not the result
of untoward events nor of conditions
related to our natural resources, nor is
It traceablc to any of the atllictions
which frequently check national
growth and prosperity. With plenteous
crups, with abundant promise of re-
muneratve production and manufac-
ture, with unusual invitation to safe
investment and with satisfactory as
surances to business enterprise, sud-
denly financial distrust and fear have
sprung up on every side. Numerous
monicd institutions have suspended,
because abundant assets were not i'm
mediately available to meet the de-
mand of frightened depositors. Sur
Viving corporations and individuals
are content to keep in hand the money
they are usually anxious to loan, and
those engaged in legitimate business
are surprised to find that the securities
they offer for loans, though hereto
fore satisfactory, are no longer ac-
cepted. Values supposed to be fixed
are fast becoming conjectural and loss
and failure have invaded every branch
of business"
The CAUSE of lfiG CiANEE.
What sudden change within the
short period of eight months, from De-
cember. 1892, to August, 1893!
What had occurred? a change of
administration, all branches of the
government had been entrusted to the
Democratic party. which was commit
ted against the protective policy that
had prevailed uninterruptedly for
more than thirty-two years and
brought unexampled prosperity to the
country. and firmly pledged to its COM
plete overthrow and the substitution
of tariff for revenue only. The change
having been decreed by the elections in
NoVeihper' us eiiects were at ONCE an
licipated ana felt.
we cannot ciose our eyes TO these
altered cohditions, nor would IL be
wise TO eXcluae IRON contemplatioh