The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-10
The Trnfh Axnided.

In an article entitled THE Philosophy of
It." the New York Tribune says: -Four
years ago mills began to close the week
of President Cleveand's election. and
Others stopped taking orders and prepared
to close as soon as existing engagements
were completed. This year many mills
| start up the week of McB1inley's election,
and multtudes which have been running
as close as possible. so to stop without
delay in case of Bryan's success, begin
Immediately to run full force. -Four years
ago the reduction of wages began as soon
as the result of the election was known.
This year many concerns have already ad-
vanced wages voluntarily, even before the
result is precisely ascertained.'
What the Tribune wishes to be under
stood by the foregoing is that when Mr..
Cleveland was elected four years ago the
fear of a lower tariff caused manufacture
ers in many instances to close their mills
and in others to reduce wages. and that
the election of Mr. Mckinley causes them
to open their mills and advance wages.
The inference to be drawn from what the
Tribune says, and about the only infer
ence, is that the Wilson tariff is response
BILE for the depression from which the bus
mess of the country has been suffering
and that if the Mckinley tariff had re-
manned in force the past four years would
have been very prosperous ones. 1t is
probable also that the Tribune is prepared
to say that in the campaign just closed
the people voted for Mr.. Mckinley be-
cause they want high protective tariff
and not because they are opposed to free
silver coinage.
The Tribune is a great enough paper to
state the facts as they are 1t is so par
tlsan, however. that 1t cannot or will not
see and admit the truth in political mat
tiers. 1t persistently avoids the truth in
order to make point in behalf of the re-
publican high protective tariff.
What are the facts? The Mckinley tar
If had been in operation but a very little
while when there was a falling off in the
revenues, and signs of distress in many
parts of the country began to appear. Be
fore the end of Mr.. Harrisons admins
tration the Secretary of the Treasury be-
gan to talk about an issue of bonds, and
when that administration came to an end
the treasury was in a very sorry condi-
ton. If, therefore, mills were closed and
wages reduced as soon as it was known
that Mr.. Cleveland had been elected it
was not because OF his election, but be-
cause of what the republicans had done.
Mr.. Cleveland, during his first admins
tration, was just as much tariff reformer
as he was when he was elected for the
second time, and yet during his first term
the country was exceedingly prosperous.
The proof is ample, therefore, that the
fear of what Mr.. Cleveland might do in
the matter of the tariff had no influence
in the direction o. depressed business con-
dit.ons. Again, Immediately after the re-
peal of the Sherman silver purchasing
act, in 1898 the country had a brief period
of great prosperity, which would have con-
tinued if it had not been for the free silver
coinage agitation.
The Tribune surely knows-all the world
knows--that the agitation of the silver
question and the fear of silver monomet-
allism brought on the business depression.
If that was not the case the mills would
not now be resuming operations. If what
the Tribune says is true, they would wait
for a Mckinley tariff.
We shall never again have a tariff like
the Mckinley tariff. The present tariff
contains for manufacturers all the protec-
ton they are likely to get. 1t may be
changed in some particulars. but not in
the direction of higher protection for man
ufacturers. A tax may be put on sugar
and the demands of wool growers may re-
ceive favorable attention. but that will be
about the extent of tariff changes. When
the Tribune takes the ground that the re-
cent republican victory was a triumph for
the republican doctrine of protection it