Evening star., 1897-07-30
wANAMAkER on THE TARIFF.
Root of the Tree Which Yields Fruit
to American Labor.


to American Labor.
In a recent letter to the New York Press,
John Wanamaker discusses the tariff as
follows:
ITO the Editor of The Press
Sir: Last Saturdays bonfire of the Will
son and German tariff bill has lit up the
business world with brighter light than
it has seen for many a day. The Dingley
bill, makes it possible to build the fires in
factories workshops and mills that have
been quenched since the old tariff sublet SO
many industries to Europe. The revision
ot the tarir was promised by the republi-
can party when II asked for votes for Viii
liam Mckinley. The votes were given, and
the first important stage in promised legis
lation has been reached.
Il think if the sudden haste to secure
revenue for the government indicated by
eating back the operation of the bill to
the midnight preceding had taken hold as
intimated before election, the new tariff
could have been in force early in April
benefting the country in duties collected
aid importations prevented to the amount
of one hundred million of dollars. We are
undoubtedly at the turnstile to solid,
smooth road again. l see no good in telling
lies to myself that at o'clock one day last
week we were in the dismal swamp of busi-
ness depression and ten minutes after 4
O'Clock the same day We had drained the
swamp and gathered a great harvest.
When the unemployed can no longer be
counted by thousands and tens of thous-
ands, we shall know that prosperity is
here. The administration has prepared and
given out the tools to work with, but tile
capitalist and workmen must take hold of
them. and with united force make them
productive.
Amy man who loves his country will
drop doubts and fear, if he has any, and
make the best of what is to be the law of
the land for considerable time. Most as
suredly the tariff is the root Of the national
tree that yields fruit to American labor. 1t
is again replanted carefully, and we hope
wisely Let us give 1t chance to grow
and not crowd 1t with propositions of
change, or be pulling it up every three or
four years to try another planting. Better
for the country even an imperfect high
tariff that competition will regulate than
useless low tariff that will not permit
profitable investment of capital or furnish
any employment.
''One would think from reading the news
papers, that prosperity has already come
in night, like the vast horde of Jersey
mosquitoes came last week
1t has not so come, and never comes i'm
that way. The Klondyke country NAV he
full of gold mines. but there will be moth
ing gotten out to enrich the land and help
settle currency questions until the people
journey out and climb up the rocky steeps
into the wild valleys.
There is hard work to be done to make
the gold availabie-it is also so with the
tarin-oapital must flow out and enter
pr1s1ng men must turn in and hustle
When laboring people have plenty of
work and good wages the country will
know that real prosperity is here Fic-
titious booms are disastrous, because Of
their reactions. We are now able to start
on the upgrade again. and it is command
ingly important that We should set to work
and keep at 1t steadily until the whole
country feels the new life to be an absolute
fact. JOHN WANAMAEER
philadelphia July ~"