The San Francisco call., 1896-08-28
PROTECTION AND PROSPERITY.

In his letter of acceptance Major Nc
Kinley discusses the tariff question at
consid erable length. but the Wilson tariff
act has brought so much distress upon the
country and the question of protection to
our industries and employment for labor
is of so much importance TO all the people
that Mr.. Mckinley might have used as
much more space and still held the atten-
tion of the public. No doubt his presenta-
ton of the question will be accepted bv
the people generally as complete an
alysis of the whole science of protection,
because Major Mckinley is recognized by
political friend a2d foe as tariff expert.
Generally speaking, figures and statls-
tics are uninteresting to the average
reader of the newspaper, but not so with
the figures Major Mckinley employs to
show the difference between results ae-
cruing under the Wilson law and the act
of 1890. Thus 1.-THE total receipts under
the tariff act of 1894, for the first twenty
two months of its enforcement, from Sep
tember. 1894, TO June, 1896, were $557,-
6l5, 1928. and the expenditures $640, 41S, 1868,
or deficiency of $S2, S03,035. The de-
crease in our exports of American prod
nets and manufactures during the first
fifteen months of the present tariff, as
contrasted with the exports of the first
fifteen months of the tariff of 1890, was
$220, 353. 800. The excess of exports over
imports during the first fifteen months of
the tariff of 1890 was $213, 3,972, 1858, but only
$50, ,75S 623 under the first fifteen months
of the tariff of 1884, a loss under the latter
OF $157, PA, 345. .he net loss in the trade
balance of the United States has been
$196, ,9S3 607 during the first fifteen months
operation of the tariff of 1894. as compared
with the first fifteen months of the tariff
of 1890. This loss has been large, constant
and steady, at the rate of $13, 120, 900 per
month, or $500,000 for every business day
OF this year."
1t was not difficult to obtain this exhibit
of the disastrous effects of the Wilson act,
for it is matter of official record in the
National Treasury Department, but Major
Mckinley nor any other man could
make even an approximate estimate OF
the misery and distress the closing of in
dustries and the throwing of labor out Of
employment by the Wilson act brought
upon the wage class. That there has been
and is still great suffering because of ina
bility to get work no one doubts, nor does
any fair-minded man believe that the CEN
dition of tn people will be any better un-
til our mills and other industries are open
for the employment of labor. .Opportun-
ity to earn wages is all our working people
ask, but who will give them opportunity
so long as Europe is allowed to overrun
our markets with paurer labor product?
1t is just as Mr.. Mckinley says. There
can be nc prosperity in the United States
so long as We permit Europe to manufae-
ture our goods and wares for US. I'VE will
have no prosperity until our industries
can be operated at a profit so that they
may give employment to all labor at good
wages When that is done there will be
good times and every interest will particl-
pate in the benefits accrulng. Without
protection there can be no prosperity.