Arizona republican., 1898-09-06
THE STATE OF TRADE.

Colonel William J. Bryan must have
 other regrets in these days besides those that arise from his i'll success in obtaining any prominence as soldier. Things are happening now which he
 said never could happen without cer- been made; and if he should ever again come before the voters as a candidate they would have to laugh at his argu-
 ments and lamentations Nor is MT.
 Bryan alone in this deplorable condi- tion; the popocrats are all in the same boat. According to them, there could
 be no return of prosperity while busi- ness was transacted on the gold basis. and yet now they cannot deny that there is a remarkable business activity, that prices have improved without free coinage and that all the signs point to an era of general prosperity such as we have not known since before the great Barring failure upset things the world over. ,
 All the usual testimony is to this ef- feet. Productive industry is active, trade is in increased volume, labor is generally employed, and in nearly all markets paralysis and stagnation have given place to a healthful movement to Bradstreet's, the distribu- tion of merchandise at Chicago is very active, as also at other points in the west and south. Dun's review reports increased shipments of boots and shoes from the east. To be sure, the increase of business comes slowly in the latter section, but taking the country as whole it is quite true as the New York Journal of Commerce says, that there is a large distribution of merchandise going on and heavy fal1 trade is be- lieved to be imminent" Railroad gross earnings are improved and the bank clearings are larger than ever before. In respect of volume of business done 1892 has till now been our banner year But last week the clearings aggregated at least fourteen per cent larger than in the corresponding week six years ago. Even at that they were two per cent less than in the week before
 Indeed, these encouraging feature. that dominate the trade situation in the more favored sections and industries are not just beginning to show them selves; they have been in evidence to a
 greater or less extent for some time
 past Especially is this true of the irou
 and steel and allied industries. Tn
 these there has been not only an active
 demand, in part present and in part
 prospective, but also marked advances in prices and we'll sustained activity notwithstanding some hesitation on the part of buyers to pay the increased
 prices. There is no doubt, however that the new prices will have to be
 met, for the mills have orders ahead
 for from thirty to sixty d:ys and in some cases have been forced to refuse orders because of inability to fill them within the time limits required. Even
 tin. plate, after a long depression, is
 commanding better price. In dry
 goods there is an increased demand, es- pecially for general supplies for quick delivery. And there are much the same reports from other lines of trade Building and improvements are once
 more in progress, panic and apprehen- sion have given place to confidence
 and cheery expectations.
 All this, of course, should be impos- sible if the Chicago platform was a sound statement of economic truth and if the predictions of MT. Bryan and his fellow agitators were correct. They
 told us two years ago that there coul6
 never again be dollar wheat or a revi- val of business on gold basis; that the gold dollar was destroying all prosperity forever; that prices were low. because the dollar was high, and that they would never rise till gold was cast out and silver substituted as the standard of value. All these conf dent assertions have now been falsified by the events The gold dollar has been retained, yet prices have advanc ed, especially for the farmers, an6 prosperity is returning The per cap ita circulation has net been increased yet there is an abundance of money for the transaction of business. II short, everything has happened, an6 we may we'll believe that he thinks himself doubly wronged in not having been able to acquire a military record l 10 cover up his failure as prophet