The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-13
a NATIONAL CURSE.

If anything ever was demonstrated as
historical fact il Is that since 1885 free trade
has been a continuing curse to this coun-
experiences with free trade. always disas-
trous. but none that ever disclosed it's de-
structive tendencies and it's power for evil
so thoroughly as the last one, which, un-
fortunately. is still in operation. Attention
has already been called to the fact that the
free-trade party i'm Congress is responsible
for the enormous increase in appropriations
during the last few years. The increase
began when the free traders. I'm order TO
curb the power Of Samuel j. Randall. Il
Democratic protectionist and chairman of
the appropriations committee, took from
that committee one-half of the appropria-
ton bills and distributed them among other
committees of the House. Since this was
done the appropriations have Increased
from 500 269 600 i'm 1886 to ST. 045 600 coo i'm 1896
This alone should cause every taxpayer TO
hate the name of free trade but this is
only a small part of the curse it has
brought upon the country. BY continued
agitation the free traders succeeded i'm 1892
in electing a President and Congress and
passed the present tariff act. The election
of Cleveland the signal for the begin
ming of one of the most disastrous panics
the country has ever known. Its effects
are still felt I'm the universal depression Of
trade. just beginning to improve since the
election of Mckinley. The number of bust
ness failures in the United States in
creased from 1873 i'm 1892. with 1861 al liza
bilities, to lila i'm 1885, with 1924 0S7 76S la
bilities. The number of bank failures in
creased in a0nuch greater proportion. The
free-trade agitation was transferred from
the open field to Congress, and after a long
and disquieting discussion the present tariff
bill was passed. 1t made the situation
much worse. Under its operation hundreds
of manufacturing establishments closed
hundreds of thousands of workmen were
thrown out of employment. and the wages
OF other hundreds of thousands were re-
duced. While the expenses of the govern
ment and the appropriations by Congress
were increasing the revenues began to fall
of. In 1894, for the first time since the
war, the expenditures of the government
exceeded its revenues. The deficit i'm 1894
was $50 500. PSI; in 1895 it was s43. sos 233: in
1896 1t was $25. 2O3. 2i6. In 1884 the revenues
of the government were $34S. 519. $40: in 1894
they were 1927. 722.Ol9. The government was
losing on both sides of the balance sheet
its revenues failing while its expenses
increased, and the free traders unable to
do anything. The necessity of meeting cur
rent expenditures and maintaining the pub-
lie credit forced the government to borrow
money, and repeated issues of bonds added
hundreds of millions to the public debt.
The present tariff was at least impartial in
that 1T hurt foreign trade as much as il
did home industries. 1t struck at Ameri-
can interests at home and abroad with
equal viciousness and effect While II was
taking bread out of the mouths of Ameri-
can workmen and money out of their peck
cts to give to those of other countries IL
curtailed our foreign trade enormously. Its
effect has been wholly bad without a single
redeeming feature The reign of free trade
has been a reign of ruin and "A curse to
the country. The people should take cour
age and thank heaven that its end is near
at hand