The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1897-02-27
-MCKINLEYS DIFFICULTIES

The lot of the president-electi is any
thing but enviable, and if there is a
spark of human sympathy in the breast
of any individual it will be extended
to the man who will take his seat as
president. of the United States on the
4th of next month. Major Mckinley
will take the presidential chair worse
handicapped than any other president
who has been inaugurated, because
greater things have been promised of
his administration than of any of his
predecessors, and still he will be more
hampered in his actions than have
been any of the other presidents. First
of all, he will be expected to convene
congress in extraordinary session for
> the purpose of revising the tariff and
the money system, but he will encoun-
ter extreme difficulty to find data on
which to base his proclamation con-
vening congress to tinker with the
tariff, unless he deserts his former
ideas.
His favorite theory of political econ
sony has ever been that the source of
prosperity is the home market for home
products. coupled with an increased
foreign market stimulated by recipro-
real provisions, also the shutting out OF
foreign competition. But whens he
comes to look at recent reports of the
secretary of the treasury and thorough
ly Investigate the figures, he will find
that the home market is pretty we'll
protected under the existing laws, and
that there is a steady decline in i'm
ports, while our exports show an in
crease. Low as the import record was
lsfor last year, it is growing lower this
year. At the port of New York alone,
the imports for January fell off at the
rate of ABOUT 81 ,OO0, 900 week as COM
pared with those of last year.
On the other hand, he will find that
while the imports decreased last year
the exports steadily increased, and
that the foreign trade of the country
was many millions more in 1896 than
in 1895, Notwithstanding the fact that
we had no reciprocal agreements.
In view of these facts it would seem
that the well-known laws of supply and
demand have taken an active part, and
have exploded number of the majors
protection theories. More than this,
the records of imports show that a pro-
hibitive tariff is not necessary to pro-
tect the home market and is only use
full to fill the pockets of the favored
classes. To make this emphatic the
iron and steel manufacturers have
gone and reduced the price of their
product and are selling both at home
and abroad, showing that they are
able to compete with the manufactur-
ers of the world, tariff or no tariff.
Then if the major urges his high
tariff theory as revenue measure, the |
decreasing revenues under the 1880 |
law will down his argument, for that |
law was decided failure as revenue
measure. All these combined circum- |!
stances leaves the Ohio major standing
on rather slippery ground. He is
PEdCblCdily IOouCOu W plC Pldlu op1uO-
-nsnt that he is forced to convene con-
gress for the purpose of increasing
taxes that will produce more revenue
/. In order to fulfill ths pledges of his
party, and this increase of taxation
must fall upon the patriotic consumers
who accepted the collar prepared by
Mark Hanna for them to wear.
How much more enviable would be
the lot of the president if he could
in his proclamation convening con-
gresss make the plain statement, that
the nation was in need of more revenue,
On account of the extravaganza prac-
ticed by congress, and recommending
tax on wealth instead of increased
burdens on poverty. McKinley's dif-
ficulties are many. They were not
lessened by the ante-election promises,
nor will they be lessened by the
present circumstances.