Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-08-11

enough and that all our troubles, de-
preston in trade and the like, were
due to the lack of it. The facts bear
out Mr.. Sanders but not Mr.. Bryan.
The amount Of money in circulation
August /, was $1,646. All. 139. This
makes per capita circulation or 22.53,
trifie less than the average for 1895.
Yet there is today more business than
there was at this time of the year 1895.
Mr.. Bryan also told us about wheat
and silver falling together. We know
better now if we didn't then, but has
Mr.. Bryan been man enough to ac-
knowledge the truth? We remember
also that Mr.. Bryan said the prices OF
farm products would continue to fall
unless we should adopt free silver. On
the contrary they have gone up as the
Republicans said they would when the
demand warranted it and not before.
There is four times as much gold coin
in the world per capita as there was a.
half century ago and yet Mr.. Bryan
told us we would never be able to get
along on a gold standard.
The free traders together with Mr..
Bryan told us we could not have in
creased confidence and aid through any
tariff bill that might be devised. The
bill has become law and on every side
is evidence of that increased condolences.
The increase of $6,5OO,0OO in the loans
of the New York banks indicates not
only larger demand for employment
of capital in industry but also greater
confidence on the part of the capitalist,
who now is ready to loan where a short
time ago he was not. The clearing
house exchanges for last week showed
for the city of Pittsburg so per cent
excess of the largest total of any cor
responding week in previous years and
100 per cent. over the smallest weeks
figures those of August, 1893.
OF the 1897 from all parts of the
country who answered queries made by
the Dry Goods Economist respecting
trade conditions last week only 107 took
a gloomy view of the situation while
more than 1000 say business is good or
very good Does anyone suppose such
sanguine replies could have been had
last fay when Mr.. Bryan was vending
his free silver cure-all from the tail
end of a train?
Just as the free traders six years ago
secuted the idea of successfully manu-
featuring tin plate in this country, 50
they have been scouting the Dingley
tariff law. Only the other day our con
sui at Birmingham sent home a clip
ping from the Birmingham Post, a pa
per with the politics of which Joseph
Chamberlain is supposed to be very in
timately acquainted. This clipping
announces that sales of English tin
plate to this country have fallen off one
half because American production of
that article has been so steadily in
| creased. 1t also says that in the opin-
ion of the secretary of the British am
bassador at Washington this increase
in production of American tinplate will
be much greater under the Dingley law.
But this is not ALL though in Rea-
sons name it ought to be enough. Re-
turns are coming in from all around OF
opening mills of a return to the wages
paid before the Wilson law neces-
STATED a cut-down. A few cotton
mills, an industry which was not so
seriously affected as many by the Will
son law, are shut down during the
summer months, as they have done
heretofore. OF this the free trade, or
gans make much and without reason,
for it is noticeable that new cotton
mills are going up in the South and
that the cotton industry is not and
never has been claimed to be one which
would be much affected by the change
in the tariff. The wooden Industry
which suffered intensely from Demo-
cratic free wool is quick to show the
effects of the radical change in the
rates affecting it. Half the wooden and
wOrsted mills of Rhode Island have
been idle the past three years and now
are humming on full time. Olneyville
looks as it did during the Harrison ad-
ministration. The farmer is getting a
better price for his wool and feels the
effects of the greater demand for his
products now that the consumers are
having steadier work and better pay.
This is not alone true of Rhode Island.
Better times, better confidence, better
circulation of money, better prices for
farm products, quicker sales, a sense OF
relief from uncertainty and impending
loss of work, these we have all about
us wherever we go. The improvement
is slower in some places and Instances
than in others but it is none the less
certain.
Are we to believe in the face of all