The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-05
A Jusr ooncRpTION
Ofths Dlnglsy rar.G snl by an EIpss,
AUTHORITY.


American Wool and Cotton Reporters
It is frequently said of the American
people that they are too impatient This
Is. no doubt, in the main, Just criticism
The present. however, Is a time when, u
ever, they should make an attempt to
check this falling, We have Just enact
ed a new tarlff law, and the conditions
under which 1t goes into operation are
such as preclude any surprise, II at the
start Il does not produce Just the results
which are hoped for. In one particular
and very important one al that, Il Will
Enthusiastically accomplish, a most graf
flying result; We look for an immediate
return TO a settled condition, obtaining
thereby what has been wanting for a
great many months, namely, starting
point from which to arrange future lines
OF business,
Whether or not these lines will be quite
as heavy ut the beginning as might be
wished, is OF course matter OF great I'M
poratnce, and 1t is Just hero that the ex-
erclse OF patience may be called for.
A new tariff law Ia like a great shlpi II
takes some time to get II fairly under
way, Such, however, Is the impatlence
OF the American people, that they fall 10
make adequate allowance for this fact,
From one congressional election TO an
other Is about all the time they care to
allow a tariff measure In which TO DEM
onstrate It's efficiency, This Is OF course
an absurd limitation. General business
Is for months prior 10 change IN the
tarlft, reduced 10 artificial conditions
and the results which iow from these
conditions have 10 be recovered from De-
fore the new measure can be said TO have
fair show, The recovery is In the ma
ture OF the case slow, but this fact has
little influence with the mass OF the poo
pie. II a law has not, within two years
OF It's enactment, afforded many indioa-
lions OF It's efficacy, the impatience OF the
country begins 10 manifest Itself In no
uncertain manner. This spirit has been
witnessed a number OF times In recent
years, and the effect has been disastrous
upon business enterprises. We venture
to put In n plea for the law which has
lust gone into operation, and urge that II
may be accorded a fairer trial than SINH
lar measures have received In this coun-
try Of late years. In fourteen years we
can count four tariff laws, which would
give an average length TO each OF three
and one-half years. This Is certainly
state OF affairs which would be tolerated
In no other country on earth.
A new tarlff Is pretty sure 10 be &C.
companled by circumstances which,
though growing out Of II, are not parl
OF Its legitimate effect. Such, Tor IN
stance, was the excessive advance 10
ptices when the law OF 1880 went INTO
effect Goods were marked up beyond
all reason under the pretence OF making
them conform 10 the necessities OF the
Mckinley law, whereas that measure
called for no such figures. The zeal OF
spectators IS quite likely to impair the
public regard for tariff measure at the
start but such things work their own
cure II allowed time. II Is claimed by
some that the imports In certain lines oil
goods during the last few months have
been large enough to supply the needs
OF this country for two years. We do not
believe this; but even II It Is true, then
there Is every reason why we should re-
strain our Impotence, and why we
should decline to consider any further
tariff legislation until the present law is
seen to be in operation under normal
conditions.
our feeling Is that the new tariff law
starts into operation under more favora'
BILE circumstances than have character
lied any OF its predecessors during the
present generation, It amounts almost
TO a conviction In our mind that the
country has entered upon one OF the most
prosperous periods in It's history The
liquidation OF four years has furnished
a solid groundwork for a new prosperity
ana II looks as II great rush for our
agricultural products and an extraordt'
nary Increase in our gold mining indus
try. would. during the next year, const!-
tu.c Hood tide, the like OF which has
seldom been witnessed on this side OF the
Atlantic.