Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-09-09
PROTECTION UPHELD.
PROSPERITY HAS REIoNED DUR
ING HIGH TARIFF PERIODS.
Decrease of American Homo Market
Under Wilson Law-corn consump-
ton Fell Away Over q FiIlion
Bushels.
Treasury Bureau Figures.


summer in Washington are discussing
among themselves what the Democrats
will have for an issue In the next Presi-
Dental campaign. Protection has gain
ed such ground among members OF
their own party that they dare not
make that further issue as against
the Republicans, while the bottom has
absolutely dropped out of their free sill
yer opposition by reason of the devel-
opments Of the past few months. The
fact that they are finding 1t necessary
to seek for a new issue Is shown by
the recent utterances of various mem-
bers of their party favOring postal saw
ings banks, single taxes, the Initiative
and referendum, and other issues of
that sort as q possible basis for the
next years declaration. The latest
thing, perhaps, which is being discuss
ed as possible basis for Democratic
oratory in 1900 is the initiative and ref
erendum. The initiative means that
laws may originate with the people
Upon the request of n certain per cent
of voters, the State and municipal leg
islatures must pass any bill that the
petitioners ask for. Referendum means
that these laws must be submitted TO
the popular vote and Endorsed before
they shall be operative. BY this meth
cd every question would be submitted
to the popular vote, and legislatures
would be simply figure heads, and the
community Would be in constant
stew and uproar over every question.
In this connection the latest state
ments of Governor Boies. of Iowa, are
interesting. He was for free silver
last year, but he now insists that free
coinage at 16 to 1 is folly in view of
recent developments, and that a plan
for the warehousing of silver and the
issuance of certificates based on its
market value Is the only method by
which 1t can be utilized as a basis for
currency. With Mexican dollars only
worth 40 cents, as compared with
American money, which Is upon gold
basis, the Mexican workingman can
not be having an easy time. The report
made from the Trade and Labor AS
sembly of Chicago last fall shows that
workingmen got but about One-half as
much per day in Mexico In the silver
coin of the country as the wOrkingmen
of the United States got in our cur
rency upon the gold basis. When 1t Is
remembered that the dollar in which
these people are paid is now worth
only 40 cents, compared with our own
1OO-cent dollar, their condition can be
imagined. This condition of the work
ingmen of Mexico is being made use of
by those arguing in favor of gold
standard.
Another thing which is calculated to
damage the.cause of silver in Ohio and
elsewhere Is table just issued by the
Bureau of Statistics of the Treasury
Department, the highest authority on
matters Of this kind, showing that Ohio
XX wool, which, in August, 1896, was
worth II cents per pound, was, on
July 20, 1897, worth % cents per pound,
while silver, which, in August, 1896,
was worth 60 cents per fine ounce, was
on July 81, 1897, worth 5SR cents per
fine ounce. This condition Of prices
does rot, of course, coincide with the
oft-repeated silverite statement of last
year as to farm products and silver.
In view of the prediction of the return
of the American home market to the
producers Of the country, a glance at
some of the crop statistics of the Treas
ury Department during the period Of
prosperity up to the enactment of the
Wilson law and the subsequent era Of
depression under that law will be profit
nI,I In hn xxyhn a1 In
the United States amounted to Gil .O00,-
600 bushels. At the close of 1890 the
consumption of wheat was 900 bushels
per capita. In 1894 it had decreased
BAL per capita, showing a loss of 2.6S
bushels per capita in 1894 as compared
with 1890. The population of the Unit
ed States in 1894, as shown by the
school census, was 900, making
loss by under-consumptiOn of wheat i'm
1894 as compared with 1890 of little
over 1S2, 100000 bushels. OF the corn
crop in 1890 the consumption of the
United States was 5000 bushels per
capita. In 1894 1t was only 22.76, or
loss of 9.33 bushels per capita, making
n total loss of over 631 100000 bushels
Of corn In 1894 as compared with 1890.
Again, in 1896, the last year of the VIII
son law, the consumption of corn in
this country was reduced to 14.73 per
capita, and the total loss to the country
in under consumption was 1,229, Csc, 600
bushels of corn.
The increase Of expectation of man
ufactures under the Wilson Tariff law,
about which the free traders were jubi-
liant, is fact, but Is not altogether in
structive unless ii is considered in the
light Of some other facts. The increase
of importation of foreign manufactures
during the time in which our expOrta-
ton of home manufactures increased
was three or four times as much as the
growth In exports. Naturally with our
own markets filed with foreign manu-
features at low prices, our manufacture
ers were either compelled to seek n
market abroad or close their establish
ments. The effect of legislation cannot |
be determined by the study of single |
year or a term Of years. Those who |
want to examine this subject closely |
can get better view of 1t by noting the
imports and exports of the United |
States during the past half century In |
the past twenty-five years, which has
been a season Of constant protective |
tariff with the exception of the three |
years just ended, the excess of ex-
ports over imports amounted TO about |