The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-09-03

unrtvaled home market Of the farmer
has also greatly suffered because they
who constitute it, the great army Of
wage-earners, are without the work
and wages they formerly had. II they
cannot earn wages they cannot buy
products. They cannot earn IL they
have no employment. and when they
don't earn the farmers home market II
iesseneo ana impaired, anu the ~
felt by both producer and consumer.
country In the past three years IL suf1l-
cient to have produced our unfortunate
business situation. II our labor was
well employed and employed at as re-
muneratsve wages a. In 1892 In g few
months every farmer "a the land would
demand for his productssazid in ths heae
ter prices which he would receive.
NOT OPEN MINTa BUT OPEN
MILLS.
It Is not increase in the volume Of
money which is the need OF the time, but
an increase In the volume Of business.
Not an increase Of coinage, but an Inc
crease OF confidence. not more coinage,
but a more active use Of the money
coined; not open mints for the unlimit-
ed coinage of the silver Of the world, but
open mills for the full and unrestrict-
ed labor Of American workmen. The
employment OF our mints for the COIN
age of the 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 mass
es, and such employment is certain to
follow the re-establishment Of a wise
protective policy which shall encourage
manufacturing at home. Protection has
lost none of Its virtue and Importance.
The first duty Of the Republican
party, IL restored to power in the coun-
try, will be the enactment Of tariff
law which will raise all the money me-
cessary toconduct the Government eco
nomically and honestly administered,
and SO adjusted as to give the prefer
ence to home manufacturers and ade-
Quate protection to home labor and the
home market. We are not committed
to any special schedules or rates of
duty. They are and will be always sub
tect to changes 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 measure the difference be-
tween the wages paid labor at home and
in competing countries, and to ade-s
quately protect American investments
and American enterprises.
Our farmers have been hurt by tbs
changes in our tariff legislation as Sc
verely as our laborers and manufactur--
ers, badly as they have suffered. The
Republican platform wisely declares In
favor Of such encouragement to our su-
gar interests as will lead to the PRO
duction on American soil Of all sugar
which the American people use" It
promises to our wool and woolen inter-
est the most ample protection" guar
antee tina. Uught to -eon1mendttself to
every patriotic citizen. Never was 4
more grevious wrong done the farmers.
of our country than that so uniustly In
fiicted during the past three years upon
the woolgrowers of America. Although
among our most Industrious and useful
citizens, their interests have been prac-
tically destroyed and our woolen man
ufacturers involved In similar disaster.
At NO time in the past thiItysix years.
and perhaps even during any previous
period, have 30 many Of our woolen fac
tories been suspended as now. The Re-
publican party can be relied upon to
correct these great wrongs If again In
trusted with the control Of Congress.
RECIPROCITY.
Another declaration Of the Republic
an platform that has my most cordial
support is that which favors reciprocity.
The splendid results of the reciprocity
arrangements that were made under
authority of the tariff law of 1890 are
striking and suggestive. The brief peri
cd that they were in force, in most cases
only three years, was not long enough
to thoroughly test their great value, but
sufficient was shown by the trial to con-
clusfvely demonstrate the Importance
and wisdom Of their adoption. In 1892
the export trade OF the United States
attained the highest point in our his
tory. The aggregate OF our exports that
year reached the immense sum Of ST.
030. .27S, ,14S. sum greater by S10u.1ae,s0o
than the exports of any previous year.
In 1893. owing to the threat Of unfIiend-s
ly tariff legislation, the total dropped to
$847 665, 100. Our exports Of domestic
merchandise decreased $189, zoo, GOO, but
reciprocity still secured US q large trade
in Central and South America and q
larger trade with the West indies than
we had ever before enjoyed. The in
crease Of trade with the countries with
which we had reciprocity agreements
was $500, SIS over our trade in 1892 and
SIG. .44o.721 over our trade in 1894.
The only countries to which the Unit
ed States showed increased exports in
1893 were practically those with which
we had reciprocity arrangements. The
reciprocity treaty between this country
and Spain touching the markets Of t:u-
ba and Costa Rica were announced Sep.
tember l, 1891. The growth OF our trade
with Cuba was phenomenal In 1891 we
sold that country but LA, Al barrels Of
dour, in 1892, 366, IT'S; in 1898, SIG, ,406, and
In 1894, 662, ,248. Here was q growth OF
nearly 500 per cent, while our exporta-
tons Of -four to Cuba for the year end
repeal Of the reciprocity treaty. Tell to
379. .S56 barrels, a loss Of nearly half our
trade with that country. The vaiue Of
our total exports Of merchandise from
the United States to Cuba In 1891, the
year prior to the negotiation OF the re-
ciprocity treaty, was $12, ,224. .o8S: in 1892.
81, ,s53, SIS; in 1898. $24, ,157. sos; in 1894.
$2o.125.321, but in 1895. after the annul-
ment Of the reciprocity agreement. It
fell to only S12. 1881. .661.
Many similar examples might be CIV
en- Of our increased trade under recdp-
rocity' with other countries, but enough
has been shown Of the efficacy Of the
legislation Of 1890 to justify the speedy
restoration Of its reciprocity provisions.
In my judgment, Congress should Inn
med1ately restore the reciprocity section
OF the old law, with such amendments,
II any, as time and experience sanction
as wise and proper. The underlying
principle Of this legislation must, how
ever, be strictly observed. It Is to af-
ford new markets for our surplus agTt-
cultural and manufactured products
without loss to the American laborer Of
single days work that he might othsr--
wise procure.