Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-10-12
Fred White On Good Times.

III HIS speech mere laSJ week Ereu
White admitted we are ENJOYING an
era of good times but commended that
it was not produced or aided by re-
publican policies or measures, but
that this happy era has been brought
to us because of u series of good crops
in America and short crops in foreign
countries.
Democratic stump speakers and
candidates for governor are often put
to it very much to find plausible ex-
cuses for the good times that nearly
always come with republican legisla-
ton and administration, and conse-
quently they very often fall back on
this good crops Mt home and poor
crops abroad argument. 1t has done
service in many campaigns for them
and is becoming hoary with age
There is little something in it this
time, but it is seldom that the condi-
tions do not exist in nearly the same
way. 1t is seldom that some foreign
country doesn't have q shortage and it
is seldom that we do not have q pretty
good crop.
In view of the fact that Mr.. White
attributes our good times all to the
good crops here and shortage abroad,
it is interesting to examine the subject
and ascertain as to how the balance of
trade is on our other products than ag-
ricultural. If it happens that our bal
ance of trade on these other articles
are heavily in our favor, if Mr.. White
were fair and honest, he would admit
that there were other reasons than
mere chance for republican times being
good times.
In 1894 the exports of iron and steel
were valued at 500, 900, 264; in the fis-
cal year ending June 30, 1899 they
were $40, 406, 1856, or considerably more
than double. In 1891 we were i'm
porting iron and steel to the value of
$53, 544 ,372 while now we are only i'm
porting $40, 09S, 239. Mr.. White should
observe that we had good crops" in
iron and steel manufactures in the past
few years, as we'll as in agricultural
products, and he should remember
that these conditions have not been
brought about by chance.
The treasury figures show great
gains on the exports of nearly all our
manufactured goods and decrease on
imports of them since Mckinley elect
ion. On the totals of manufacturers
the imports in 1896 were 1888, $50, 9l2
while in 1899 they were only 1859, $40, :
293, or decrease ofnearly $75, 600, 600
in three years. In 1896 our exports
of manufactures were 1923, 81 ,17S,
while in 1899 they were $685., GG7, 794, or
over $100,O00,0O0 of an increase
Thus while the balance of trade in
NuS III ICJo
by $l04, 759, 734 it is now changed the
other way and is in our favor by 49,
O97 sol, a gain in our favor of nearly
5000, 600, 900 annually. These figures
only artly measure the benefits from
the prosperity of our manufacturing
industries. Their sales ut home have
been enormously greater than before.
They have had to employ an army of
workmen and at better wages than be-
fore and this has produced the market
that has been chiefly instrumental in
making good prices for farm products.
AS the exports and imports of man
ufactures are OF much more magni-
tude than those of grain of which Mr..
White speaks, it would seem that he
ought to take them into his account
when he is trying to arrive at con.
clusion as to why the times are good.
1t appears that he purposely overlooks
the main features in the problem.