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

Is checked and congested. We cannot
restore the public confidence by an act
which would revolutionize all Values'
or an act which entails q deficiency IN
the public revenue. We cannot INSPIRE
confidence because advocating repudi-
alton or practicing dishonesty. we
cannot restore confidence, either to the
treasury or to the people without
change in our present tariff Legislation.
THE TARIFF OF 1894.
The only measure of a general nature
that affected the treasury and the en'-
pigments of our people passed py the
Fifty third congress was the general
tariff act, which did not receive the ap-
prevail OF the president. Whatever
virtues may be claimed for that act
there is confessedly one which 1t does
not possess. 1t lacks the essential V!r-
tue of it's creation-the raising OF rev.
enue sufficient to supply the needs OF
the government. 1t has at no time
provided enough for such needs, but 1t
has caused a constant deficiency in the
treasury and steady depletion in the
earnings of labor and land. III mas
contributed to swell our national debt
more than s262, 900. 900. a sum nearly as
great as the debt of the government
from Washington to Lincoln, including
all our foreign wars from the revolu-
tion to the rebellion. Since its pas
sage, work at home has been diminish
ed. prices of agricultural products have
fallen, confidence has been arrested
and general business Generalization is
seen on every hand.
THE TARIFFS OF 1890 AND 1894
CONTRASTED.
The total receipts under the tariff
Of fg, hn fpSt tNra yr-tU a
months of it's enforcement, from Sep
tembcr, 1894. to June, 1896, We're $557,-
6l5,S2S. and the expenditures SGiO.4lS,-
3GS, or a deficiency of $S2,S03035.
The decrease in our exports of Amer
lean products and manufactures dur
ing the fist fifteen months Of the
present tariff as contrasted with
the exports in the first fifteen
months of the tariff OF 1880,
was 1920. .353, 800. The excess of eX-
ports over imports during the first
fifteen months of the tariff of 1890 was
S2l3,972, ,9GS. but only S56.75S,623 under
the first fifteen months of the tariff
of 1894, loss under the latter of $751;,
2l4,3I5. The net loss in the trade bal
ance of the United States has been
$l96, 6,983G07 during the first fifteen
months operation of the tariff of 1894,
as compared with the first fifteen
months of the tariff of 1880:
The loss has been large, constant and
steady, at the rate of $l3 $50, 900 per
month, of s50O0OO for every businss day
of this year.
LOSING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
We have either been lending TOO much
money out of the country or getting
too little in, or both. We have lost
steadily in both directions Our for
cign trade has been diminished and our
domestic trade has suffered incalcul-
able loss. Does not this suggest the
cause of our present depression and in
dictate IT'S remedy. Confidence in home
enterprises has almost wholly disar.
peared. Even wheel shops are closed
or running on half time on reduced
wages and small profit. if not at actual
loss. Our men at home are idle and
while they are idle, men abroad are
occupied in supplying us with goods.
Our unrivalled home market for the
farmer has also greatly suffered be-
cause these who constitute the great
army of American wage e-earners-are
without work and wages they formerly
had. If they cannot earn wages they
cannot buy products. They canont earn
If they have no employment, and when
they do not earn the farmers home
market is iessened and impaired. and
the loss is felt by both producer and
consumer. The loss of earning power
alone in this country. in the past three
years is sufficient to have produced our
unfortunate business situation. If our
labor was well employed, and en-
ployed at remunerative wages as in
1892, in few months every farmer in
the land would feel the glad change
i'm hn in Il I,
ducts and in the better prices whoch
he would receive.
NOT OPEN MINTS BUT OPEN MILLS
1t is not an increase in the volume
of money which is the need of the time,
but an increase in the volume of busi-
ness. Not an increase of COIN but an
increase OF confidence. Not more coin
age, but more active use of the money
coined. Not open mints, unlimited
coinage of the silver of the world. but
open mills for the full and Unrestricted
labor of American workingmen. The
employment of our mints for the COIN
age of silver of the world would not
bring the necessaries and comforts of
life back to our people. This will only
come with the employment of the
masses and such employment is certain
to follow the establishment of a wise
manufacturing at home. Protection has
lost none of its virtue and Importance.
The first duty of the Republican party.
if restored to power in the country.
will be the enactment Of a tariff law
which will raise all the money neces-
sary to conduct the government econom-
ically and honestly administered, and
so adjusted as to give preference to
home manufacturers and adequate pro-
N homo 10 hnr nd hn
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. but the
principle upon which rates of duty are
imposed remains the same. Our duties
should always be high enough to meas
ure the difference between the wages
paid labor at home and in competing
countries and to adequately protect
American Investments and American
enterprises.
Our farmers have been hurt by the
changes in our tariff legislation as Sc
verely as our laborers and manufacture
ers badly as they have suffered. The
Republican platform wisely declares in
favor of such encouragement to our
sugar interests "as will lead to the
production on American soil of all the
sugar which the American people use"
IT promises to our wool and woo!en in
terests the most ample protection"
a guaranty that ought to commend it
self to every patriotic citizen. Never
was a more grievous wrong done the
farmers of our country than that so
unjustly inflicted during the past three
years upon the wool growers of Amer
lea. Although among our most indus
trious and useful citizens their inter-
ests have been practically destroyed
and our woolen manufacturers invOlv-
ed 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 factories
been suspended as now. The Republi-
can party can be relied upon to correct
these great wrongs. if again entrusted
With tho f,nnf,.nl Of nn,,nrron..