Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-11-12
AFTER ELECTION.

IIOlGCllOl Ids DCCH SiCdL Will
in every sense of the word. 1t is
not only a victory of great major
tiles, but it is victory for a great
principle. 1t is not victory for
any particular section, but a VIC
tory for the whole country. 1t is
not a victory for any particular
class of men or for for any party,
but victory for the whole Ameri-
can people. The victory is only
what every one expected. In a
square battle between Protection
and Free Trade there could be but
one result and that result a triumph
for the American system of Pro-
lection. 1t is for this reason that
William J. Bryan and all his Free
Trade supporters have SO strenu-
ously endeavored to switch the
issue of the campaign away from
the question of the Tariff.
But with Mr.. Bryan's Free
Trade record open to the public,
with the great "Apostle of Pro-
lection" as the leader on the other
side; with partial Free-Trade al
ready casting its deadly blight
upon our industrial life; with that
product Of ignorance and incom-
potency, of sectional discrimination
and individual favoritism-the debt
producing, industry destroying;
German bill as the law Of the land,
the dominant and decisive issue
was bound to be the Tariff. Much
as the Free-Traders did to befog
the issue, they could not change it,
That being SO, the result was a
foregone conclusion. There are
none so blind as those who will not
see, but there were none so blind
that they could not foresee the
coming of the political tidal wave,
which sweeps the country back to
prosperity, back to its prosperity
of four years ago.
The briefest actual trial of Free
Trade, or of any approach to it,has
always suffced to turn the people
back from any leanings toward
that economic fallacy. The disas-
trous experience Of the last four
years, under this Free-Trade ad-
has thoroughly sick
ened the American people of that
policy. In 1892, after more than
80 years of Protection, we stood at
the very pinnacle of prosperity.
The triumph Of the Free-Trade
party in that year sent US down to
the lowest depths of industrial de-
preston. The four years since
1892 have been one long history
of hard times, of disaster and dis
tress. No part of the country has
been left unscathed. The South
has suffered with the North and
the East with the West. No man
has been spared. The farmer has
seen the value of his farm and of
his stock decrease, his market de-
stroyed and his crops left unsold
upon his hands; the. merchant has
seen his goods grow dusty on his
shelves; the manufacturer has been
obliged to close his mill; the wage
Garner, whose whole capital is in
his power to labor, has had the
chance to labor taken from him;
the capitalist has suffered with the
rest. There is not a person in this
country who has not hel ped to
pay, either by actual loss or by
sacrifice of comfort, the tremen-
1ous cost of this trial of Free
Trade.
Truth has to be taught. Lies
ind their own way" said Speaker
Reed. The Free-Trade liar was
abroad in 1892. The provisions
IF the Mckinley law were grossly
nisrepresented, history was dis
orted, figures juggled and facts
suppressed. The lies found their
own way and won the election of
1892 for Free-Trade. But, during
he last four years, the American
People have had experience for
eacher and the truth has been
aught. Each drop in wages, each