The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-01
Gossip at
the Capital

Special Correspondence OF The Tribune.
Washington, May 81.
If the arguments which the Democrats
are to offer in opposition to the pending
tariff bill in the senate are to be gagged
In their accuracy or convincing power by
that of their chief spokesman, Senator
Vest, which he presented in his opening
speech against the tariff bill, they will
have little effect with members of the
senate, or with the country.
Senator Vest, i'm his opening speech, at
tackled the protective theory, bringing
forward as a chief argument against 1t
the recent statement of the Bureau of
Statistics and of free trade representa-
tives generally that the exports Of manu-
featured articles from the United States
have Increased more rapidly than they did
under the protective tariff. In support of
his statement, he presented table say
ing: II ask permission to insert a table
for the correctness of which l have the
highest official authority, showing the
enormous increase In the exports OF our
metallic manufactures from the year 1885
to 1896, the increase being conspicuous
under this derided Wilson law" That
table, as it appeared in the Congressional
Record as part Of his speech, is as fol-
lows:
Agricultural indictments: Mowers and
reapers; 1886. $lS59 900; 1891, 81, ,537 900; 1896
S2, 2,s39 600. Plows and cultivators: 1886
$S22, 900; 1891, 1897 OOO 1885, s6OO 900. All 9th
er and parts Of 1855, 800 600 1881 oa5 900
factures Of 1856. $3.50, 900; 1891, s2S7 900; 1896
81, ,06OOO. Carriages, cars and parts, 1886
aSGes' SiSsSs aaS 1881 w,tsbai iSs :ss 49, ' SS
$l.5SO, 900; 1896, s., 1853, 900 Copper manufac-
lures, 1856 100000; 1891, 100000; 1886, s5la,
0O0 Cycles and parts Of 1896, So, ,79S, 900
purposes, 1886, 800, 900; 1891, $l.576 900; 1896
&,7lIOOO Iron and steel manufactures
CUTLERY 1886, $4,000; 1891, sl46 ooo 1896
$4,000; 1896 $4,000 Builders, hardware,
etc. 1886, 50, ,4G6 600; 1891 So s5s, 600; 1896. &c.
10000 Machinery, sewing, 1886, $2,5S5OoO;
1891, 81, ,S6s, 900; 1896, SS,OalOO0. Other ma
S22 $4,000. Nails 1886, s2s4, 900; 1891. $40 900;
s sSsi OOSi isSi ssis oSS isSs T ssi 600 stoves ives
$50, 900, Wire, 1855, $685. 900; 1891, $50 900;
1896, sl,766OOO. All other, 1886 s2,2S4,0oO;
1891 $S,s67 600; 1856, S. 1893, 900; Total lSS6,
SS eoC l ,SOGoo 5S ..s ss odd @
$500 900; 1896, $7S0,0OO, Musical instruments,
1886 SSH Coz; 1891, 81 226 OOO 1896, ST. 269, ,OO0
Total, 1885, S22,6l6,OOO; 1891, siO,6lsOOO 1895,
S6S,5i0OOO,
A comparison OF the above, as pre-
scented by Senator Vest, with the official
figures of the Statistical Abstract of the
United States, a publication prepared by
bureau of statistics under the direction
OF the secretary of the treasury, shows
that of the SO statements which II con-
tains, no less than 80 are inaccurate, or
at least fail to correspond with the Of
| fetal publications OF the statistical alb
stract. OF the so statements which relate
to the exports OF the year 1896 under the
Wilson law, only ~ correspond with the
| figures of the 1896 issue OF the statistical
abstract.
While many OF the discrepancies in the
statements OF Senator Vests table quoted
above are comparatively small, they are
OF themselves sufficient to cast a doubt
| upon the accuracy of the statements Of
| fered in so important a subject as that
under discussion by the senate, while In
a number Of cases they are so great as to
render the statement absolutely valueless
| for comparative purposes. For instance,
| his statement OF the value OF "cycles and
parts" exported in 1896, puts the figures
at S3,796, 900, while the ofticlal figures OF
the statistical abstract show the exports
Of "eyeles and parts" in 1884, Sl,S9S.0l2 II
may be remarked also In this connection
that the large showing which the sena-
tor Is able to make for the totals OF his
table are due In part TO the fact that IN
the preceding years referred TO In the
table, 1880 and 1861, "eycles and parts"
are not CLASSIFIED under that head, the
manufacture OF this particular class u
articles having not assumed such proper
tions as TO warrant q separate classifica-
tion, His statement of the value OF wire
exported In 1896 Is 81, ,7ss0O0. while the
statement OF the statistical abstract gives