The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-27
The Fundamental Trouble.


In his speech before the West Vir-
ginia Republican convention on Wed
| nesday Senator Elkins stated the eX-
act truth with admirable force and pre-
cision when he said:
THE important question to be decided In
| the present campaign is that of a return
| to Protective tariff as the best means OF
| raising revenue to pay the current eX'
penses of the government. maintain the
national credit and reduce the public debt
and ut the same time protect American In.
| dustrieS to the extent of imposing duties
, equal to the difference between the wages
paid In Europe and in the United States
| Protective tariff. with reciprocity, is the
great American doctrine. one that has
| made the people happy, the country pros
porous, and the leading mining. manufac.
turing and agricultural nation OF the
world. The money question or free silver
| is subordinate TO the greater or unlerly-
! ing question Of the tariff, because upon
| Il Protective tariff largely depends our
business interests: whether without II the
| country can be prosperous: whether We
will have work Tor our people Ia do at
home. at good wages, or send II abroad u
be done; whether we will build up our
home markets and give employment ~ our
own people. CT help foreign markets an!
give employment to foreign wage-earrtrs,
Free silver would benefit the ownc'a %
silver mines and the owners OF silver IN
Eui cpe Bu, the free and unlimited com
age Of silver at the ratio OF lg to J es-
peciaily when united with reputation ana
anarchy, will not open nlil's and factRies
stimulate railroan building, . encoa:a -
the employment ct people at ..ood wages.
and make values stable. list the u;'Lr'
site of all those will surely follow.
1t cannot be too strongly impressed
upon rhe,ninds of voters that the advo-
cacy by theDemocratic party of unlm'
tied free silver coinage is a makeshift
TO cover up the disastrous consequences
that have resulted from the enactment
of the Wilson deficit tariff Before that
law was put on the statute books our
money system was the hest in the
world: our manufacturing interests
were prosperous beyond all precedent
in the country's entire history: our mer-
chants were in the enjoyment of profit
able trade; our labor was in the receipt
of higher average wage with greater
purcha sing power than had ever before
obtained in time of general peace; and
our farmers, although suffering in for
eign markets from inevitable competi-
ton incident to the development of vast
new grain fields. were in possession Of
home market that consumed over 20
per cent. Of their entire produce at
prices averaging nearly 40 per cent
greater than have obtained since the
Mckinley law was repealed. Further
more. under the reciprocity clause. ar
rangements had been begun which
promised at no distant day to solve
the problem Of how to dispose satisfac-
torily Of the surplus products Of our
farms.
At the time Of which We speak the
opportunities open to honest and indus
trious American citizenship were in ex-
cess OF those Of any prior period since
the republic was founded. That there
was occasional discomfort is only to
say that under no scheme OF govern
ment can natural laziness and thrift
lessness be legislated into prosperity.
But the statement is incontrovertible
that during the two years Immediately
ton to American Industries the one per-
pleXity that confronted our people was
not how to stop the piling up OF debts
but how to dispose of the accumulated
surplus. The time Is not SO long past
that readers Of this article cannot from
personal recollection acquaint them
selves with the facts; that they cannot
readily recall how throughout the
length and breadth of the land business
was prosperous, industry sure Of fair
reward and capital eager to put itself
in the way of earning satisfactory rc-
turns. Had campaign for free silver
been inaugurated during the admins
tration of General Harrison. 1t would
have fallen hopelessly fiat. for the sim
pie reason that 1t would have offered no
inducement to any honest class in our
entire population. Much as We should
like to make 1t easy for our Democratic
friends this year to stand shoulder to
shoulder with Republicans for sound
money. justice to William Mckinley, to
Benjamin Harrison, and to the Republi-
can party requires that the literal facts
as to the responsibility for the pres
ent silver uprising should be stated
plainly and without equivocation.
Free silver will not solve the diff
culties that now confront the American
people. Their safety lies in the restora-
ton of consistent Protection: and It
is proper that they should come to an
early comprehension of this truth.
Mr.. Singerly says: I'm districts in
which the Democrats have usually had
q majority, or which have been treat
ed as Democratic in apportionmsnts Of
representatives. the Republicans would
make no sacrifice in voting for sound