The herald., 1896-07-05
Los ANGELES HERALD. SUNDAY MORNING, July 5. 1895.

ships. 1t is interesting to note of what
this trade consists. In the twelve
months ending June, 1895, the value of
our trade to Great Britain represents
AZ per cent of the entire exports OF the
United States. The chief items of this
trade were cotton, SIP, 500, 600; wheat,
500, 100000; bacon and hams, SAC. 900, 900;
cattle, $23, 900, 900; fresh beef, SIG, AIS, 900;
lard, $13, 900 900; tobacco, s13, 500, ,000 and
corn, 81, 100000 OF this immense trade
! only little over per cent is carried by
United States vessels. Commenting
| upon this decadence in our commercial
marine, the writer referred to says:
while other nations, therefore, are do
ing everything possible to stimulate
and encourage their mercantile marine,
the United States has allowed a valu
able, indeed an Indispensable, industry
to decay, and even the most disinterested
can hardly review these figures without
rejecting upon the splendid opportunity
to acquire maritime greatness which has
been frittered away by the exigencies of
a Short-sighted protective policy"
/ Is 1t to perpetuate this short-sighted
protective policy" that Mr.. Mckinley has
been nominated? Our Republican friends
should be constantly reminded that up
to the breaking out of our civil war, and
while the country was under Demo-
cratic administration. fully 70 per cent of
the foreign trade of the United States
was carried by American ships, under
Republican rule only 8. We had the
blessing of high protective tariff
through all the years of strife and strikes
between the laboring men and the capi-
talists. When the industrial army"
so-called, ragged and hungry, was
marching on Washington, protection
was fixed in our statute books in very
high figures. 1t still shed it's sweet
blessings when more than 100000 of
American men were crying for bread, or
work by which to earn bread for them
selves and their wives and children.
This great Republican principle of pro-
lection has been with US for more than
thirty years, during which it has made
q few hundred millionaires and many
million tramps and paupers. And we
are now coolly asked to elect Mr.. Nc
kinley president upon the presumptive
ground that he is the great apostle of
this respectable humbug,
Now, the st. Louis platform is smooth,
and in the MAN, eloquent reading. But
looked at critically it is simply Mon
sieur Tonson come again." "Prcec-
ton" set to new music, vox ct praeterea
nihil; a string of grandioquent moth
ings intended to catch the ears of the
groundlngs. Our friends on the other
side of the fence doubtless believe, as
was said of that once winning card Of
theirs "the bloody shirt" that there is
one more campaign left in protection"
In the presidential election year of 1892
the American people pronounced against
the doctrine of protection by an over
whelming majority. This result was
reached through exhaustive investiga-
tion and discussion, running through
several years. There is no reason under
Heaven why the popular judgment of
1892 should be reversed in 1895. 1t is true
that the Republicans have adroitly play
ed upon the prevailing popular unrest
and dissatisfaction growing out of bus
mess depression, and have with charac-
teristic cunning attributed to the So
called free trade" Wilson tariff meas
ure the cause thereof. But surely they
cannot "fool' the American people with
such Sophstry as that. The Republicans
know, as everybody with any claim at
all to knowledge of recent congressional
legislation in the premises knows, that
the Wilson bill is high protective tariff
measure, and except in the item of free
wool and one or two other articles of
prime necessity which pay no duty, the
present tariff approaches so nearly to
| the famous Mckinley bill that the diff
| ference is hardly appreciable. If Amer
| lean prosperity needs only the stimulus
! of high protection, the present times
! should realize the dreams of the most
optimistic protectionist, for we are now,
, and have been for years, living under a
high protective tariff. The Mckinley
bill, of which, let us bear in mind, Mr..
Mckinley was not the author, was des-
ignated at the time of its passage as
protection run mad" enumerates
schedule rates in many instances identi-
cal with the schedule rates of the Will
son tariff, and for the rest is on an aver
age only from 21a to 51s per cent above
the latter. And yet reckless Repub-
lican press is daily proclaiming that all
the financial troubles of our country
are, in the main, due to Democratic free
trade" as illustrated by the Wilson tariff.
! What fools our friends the enemy must
| take the people to be.
THE FINANCIAL QUESTION.
Touching the financial question, we
must reckon with public opinion whether
it be wise or foolish. l believe myself
in the single gold standard, and fear
| the success of the free-silver theory as
I would the possible visitation of public
calamity. But in this country the peo-
pie are supreme. Their will makes law.
| They may be in the wrong in reference
to any given question, but, right or