Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1896-08-20

the United States to wOrkingmen,
who were everywhere employed,
were at the highest.
The present Democratic claim that
the Mckinley act was inefficient for
the purpose of revenue, IL a recent
discovery, and q false one. 1t
always provided a surplus, even
when Mr.. Cleveland was President
and a Democratic majority in both
houses had been elected, pledged to
repeal it, and reduce tariff duties.
The objection to the Mckinley law
was it's protective features. The
Wilson-Gorman bill was substituted
for the Mckinley law. i'm the Demo-
cratic argument that it was a
revenue tariff. 1t is shown by the
records that during the existence of
the Mckinley law the average
monthly surplus was $1,129,S21,
while the Wilson .'revenue" law has
created an average deficiency of
81 .69s .c93.
One of the first effects of the Demo-
cratic tinkering with the tariff was
to more than double the importa-
tiOn of agricultural products and TO
reduce the exports, thus cutting off
from the farmers of the country the
markets abroad which they had
been accustomed to, and bringing
into competitor with them the most
common products of the farm.
That class i'm the south and west
now so earnest after the free coinage
of silver as a remedy for their
troubles, would take a different view
of the situation If they studied the
tables of exports and imports. Dur
ing the last year of the Mckinley law
the imports of farm products were
SOL ,4l4,s44. During the first year of
the Wilson law the imports of the
same articles were $l07 .342. .522.
That the sheep industry has not
heen destoryed utterly under the Will
son-GOrman tariff bill IL surprising
AZ simportations of wool under Demo-
cratic legislation have Increased six
fold. Under the Mckinley law the
imports of wool in the last year
were only $4,000 900, while under the
present law for a corresponding
IperiOd the imports of wool are
valued a. 1913. 3.OOO,0OO. All that holds
the fiOcks together where bloOded
sheep are raised ia the confidence of
the wOolgrowers that the Republi-
can party will be returned to office,
and that protective legislation will
make 1t possible to continue this i'm
portant industry at living profit.
/. The American farmer not only has
had his markets destroyed for farm
produce and his revenue from wool
cut off, but even the little percentage
he once counted on from hides IL
abolished under the present act.
The Importation of hides under the
. wilson-Gorman Tariff bill has in
creased two and half fold. Look
ing through the list of articles which
can be produced readily I'm this
country one learns that while under
the Mckinley law the value of these
goods imported was $172, ,6O1, the
same articles imported during the
following year under the Wilson law
were valued at 1858 ,6S4, ,5l3.
The enormous importations under
the Wilson-Gorman bill are the
cause of the trouble in the Treasury
with the gold reserve. Everything
purchased abroad has to be paid for
in gold, and this drain has continued,
and is continuing, until the national
| debt has been increased over half a
depletion and the insufficiency of the
, revenue.
|, The exports of the Wilson law for
, one year in agricultural products
were valued at $3Ol ,57S. .SS5. During
the last year of the Mckinley law the
exports of similar productions were
valued at $371 Ia. 30. 1t is not
strange that the agriculturist should
be i'm a condition of revolt against
these conditions. He has been tied
, hand and foot. and all avenues Ol
, escape from poverty cut of by the
, |iniauitous Free Trade act, which,
Ihad It become law as originally
presented, would have caused much
greater suffering and heavier deficien-
|cies. 1t was due to the conversion
. lof certain Democratic senator's from
the East, with the aid Of the Repub-