El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-08-27
The Tide of Prosperity.
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.


likely to remain permanent. The loss
of revenue to the United States from
the annexation of Hawaii, Porto Rico
and the Philippines will amount to
many millions of dollars. If Cuba
should be annexed the loss would be
still greater. Just what the exact
amount would be cannot be stated at
present. Assistant Secretary Howell,
who has charge of the customs, said to-
day that he was having statement on
the subject prepared. He thought that
the democratic contention that the loss
would be $50, 000, 900 was an exaggera-
ton. Whatever revenue is lost, wheth-
er it be $40, 0O0, 900 or S6O, 900, 900, will
have to be made up by internal taxa
ton. This is admitted and the neces-
sity for filling up the gap in the re-
ceipts which will be caused by the an
nexation of the territory which we
have conquered, is the CHEZ reason
given by the treasury officials for their
belief that a number of features of the
war revenue bill will be maintained in
the permanent law.
Already it is apparent that the anti
expan sionists intend to seize upon the
fact that more revenue will have to be
raised in this country, in view OF our
colonial acquisitions, as one of their
chief arguments against the policy OF
expansion. The republicans are not
at all alarmed over the prospect. They
are confident that the annexation of
Porto Rico, Hawaii, and at least part
of the Philippines, and the making of
Cuba a trade ally, If not more, is sdes-
tined to bring this country an era of
unexampled prosperity. Our business
with Porto Rico, Cuba, the Philip
pines, and Hawaii, will increase i'm
measurably. American industries will
find such an outlet for their products
as they never had before. They will
employ more men and can afford to
pay more wages. The building up of
the navy and merchant marine will al
so help in solving the labor problem.
Thousands of Americans will go to
Porto Rico, Cuba, the Philippines and
Hawaii to seek their fortunes. This
will do away with the great army of
the unemployed in this country. There
will be plenty of work for every body
who is willing to work, and at good
wages.
With such conditions prevailing, re-
publicans do not think the democratic
orator who pirates of having high taxes
is likely to have much effect with the
masses. The people have never been
known to bother themselves very
much about q small increase in taxes
when tuey are euploy Gu ouu REVIEWING
good wages. They will be smart
enough to contrast their condition I'M
der republican rule with the hard
times they experienced when the de-
mocrats had their sway. The adj
is willing to stand or fall
by that contrast.
STRIKING COMPARISON
That the taxes in force at present
will be considerably reduced there is
no doubt. And yet, even at present,
no complaint is being heard through
out the country about onerous taxes.
The reason is not far to seek. The
operation of the Dingley law has
brought prosperity to the country, and
the people are much better able to pay
even the war taxes now than they were
to pay the peace taxes under q demo-
cratic administration. Compare the
industrial conditions of March, 1895,
with those of March, 1898. The Amer
lean Protective Tariff League has I'M
dertaken to gather the facts upon
which to make the comparison.
Facts only are of Importance in such
an investigation. The measure of in
dustrial prosperity is to be taken by
learning how many hands are en-
ployed and how much those hands re-
ceive for wages. Returns were re-
II OLh III -cCNCh ob6tCS 6uu tcF-
ritories from upward of 1000 different
concerns engaged in their hundred
different kinds of production. The
field covered is 80 wide and the facts
have been so carefully gathered and
that their meaning can be
easily extracted.
This brief. summarized statement
tells the story most cogently and
In March, 1895, when the
Wilson tariff law was in full tide of
successful operation, 2229 establish
ments employed 2o4, $50 hands and paid
them 81 ,O19, 323. "a in wages. In March,
1898, the same 2229 establishments em-
ployod 26O, 1929 hands and paid them
$40, 19S, 1864.
Every report received by the tariff |
league is incorporated in this statemen |
In some instances fewer hands were
in 1898 than in 1895, but with
rare exceptions the increase in both |
wages and employment was uniformly |
striking. After few hundred reports |
had been recsived general average |
could be made, which would be strik- |
ingly and accurately verified, by all |
5u bsequent returns. In other words, |
rs the ratio of increase in number of |
hands employed and amount of wages /
paid was constant throughout the re-
turns after the first few hundred, 1t is |
apparent that satisfactory basis is
for broad generalization.
1t was found that it could be safely
claimed that 30 per cent more hands /
we're employed in March, 1898, than in
March, 1895: that these hands received /
1t least 40 per cent more wages in 1898 |
han was paid to those employed in
1896. and that the average amount
paid each employe was more than 10
per cent higher.
From Missouri there are FOG reports
rom concerns which employed 5O57
lands in 1895 and 1866 in 1898. The /
wages paid in March, 1895, were $751;
El3. "a: In 1898 they amounted to S247,-
1854. The increase in hands employ. |
ID was 90 per cent, but there was an /
Increase in the average wages paid of |
o per cent.
An Enterprising Druggist.