The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-26
THE paramount ISSUE
TT IS PROSPERITY, ACCORDING TO
THE STATEMENTS OF ALL RE-
PUBLICAN SPEAKERS
THAT HIGH TARIFF ARGUMENT
A, j. Gray Discusses the Topic al
Length-Hfs Deductions Are Not
the Same as Are Drawn
by Others.

To the Editor of the Globe:
We are constantly told by RepuDllcaLl
writers and speakers that prosperity Is
the paramount issue in this presidential
campaign They say we are now enjoy
ing prosperous times, Which are que ~
the administration of Mckinley; that TO
continue this prosperity we R Ra{;o Jeu.
that the election of Bryan Wouio oIihs
on an industrial depression, IL not d
financial panic. - 4u;ef.
which are favored by Mckinley result IN
prosperous times, while low tariffs, wnlch
are favored by Bryan, cause nouStrlal
depression, To prove this they call at
tention to the fact that the tariff was
lowered in CleVeland'S second admlnlstra-
ton; that we then had an industrial oe
preston; that the tariff was lncreass ,e
after Mckinley was elected, and we now
have more prosperous times. 10 MAKE
good their contention it is incumoent
upon them to establish one OF TWO prop
ositions. Either that, In general 1ish
tariffs have caused or do cause, indus
trial activity and low tariffs have caused,
or do cause, industrial depression; OF
that the lowering of the tariff In CleVe.
lands administration was the cause OF
the last industrial depression, ana mat
the increase in the tariff in Mckinley
administration caused times to become
more prosperous.
FREE TRADE BETTER.
prove that the financial crises which this
country has experienced were to be at
tributed to a lowering of the duty on I'M
ports, but has proved decided daflu5Te,
except with those who are profoundly
ignorant of our history. 1t would not pc
difficult to show how employment would
be more steady, wages higher and tunes
relatively better under policy OF Tree
trade than they ever can be under that
= policy of trade restriction, called protec-
ton.
hi
protective tariff, such as was imposed by
the Wilson-Gorman act, but the abol1-
ton of all custom duties. But 1t is not
within the purpose of this article to dis
cuss the merits of free trade, or the de-
merits of protection, as abstract prop
ositions, but to show that tariffs and in
dustrial depressions and high tariffs and
prosperity" with full dinner pals, have
not had, do not have, and, in future,
will not be likely to have the. relation
of cause and effect To conclusively an
apostles of that abominable policy of
trade restriction and trade prevention
called protection" we have but to call
attention to a few well known historical
facts.
First, let US take the statement that
1.-The last industrial depression was
brought about by. the lowering of the
tariff in Cleveland's second administra
tion.' In the first place, the reduction
of duties was too inconsiderable to have
any appreciate effect upon the indus
y
an average cf only about per cent. 1t
left the tariff SO high on protected COM
modities that 1T was, In most instances,
prohibitive. 1t left an average of over
40 per cent, which was higher than the
war tariff prior to 1864.
BEGAN IN 1892
Again, the depression commenced in
some parts of the United States prior to
1892 1t eliminated in midsummer of 1893,
and the Wilson-Gorman protective tariff
act did hAPOm6 a law until 1894
How could the industrial depression be
caused by an act of congress which did
not become law for nearly, if not
quite, two years after the commencement
of the depression?
Republicans answer that it "antic-
lpated' the slight reduction in the tariff
made by the Wilson-Gorman protective
tal$ff act. Our reply is that it must have
been prophetic in its anticipation of that
act, for the depression commenced before
Cleveland was nominated, Again, every
person who is at all informed on the
subject knows that the last industrial de-
preston extended to nearly every civil
lied country of the globe; that it was ex-
perienced in Australia, Great Britain and
nearly every country of Europe before it
commenced in the United States; that
1t was more severe in parts Of Australia,
where they have a tariff for revenue only;
that 1T affected alike countries where
they have high protective tariffs, and
countries where they have low tariffs
countries where they have the single gold
standard, and countries where they have
the single silver standard. Yet Cleveland
was president of only the United States
DEPRESSION NEARLY OVER.
And those who are informed on the
subject know that we had nearly recov-
cred from the depression when McKin-
ley was elected, and before the Ding!ey
bill became a law. They also knew that
si peai h britain recovered from the depres
strange as 1T may seem, they did not IN
crease their tariff on imports either; that
Australla recovered and that all Europe
recovered without even suspecting that
tney We're to thank the advent of Nc
I1AInlSY ana an increase in the tariff of
Inc United States made by the Dingley
Dill, Tor that recovery. The facts are
all those countries and the United States
were eonValescent, and most of them had
entlreIy recovered from the depression be-
fore Mckinley was elected And NC
hlhIey boosted prosperity administra-
ION uld not then extend beyond the con-
ines INES OF North America; no, not even to
Eorto Rico, where he has since carried
me nag unaccompanied by the constitu-
IioIl: canada also experienced the de-
pTIeS;sion, the government there being ad-
nlnlstered by the high tariff party, it
was ACCOUNTED responsible for the depres-
slon, ana was superseded by the low tariff
party, under whose administration times
nave become prosperous and its writer's
ana speakers are urging the electors to
pals full. VIC u1iiiier
In view of the foregoing facts is if not
me helghth of presumption to claim that
CleVeland's administration was resnonci
pIe Tor the last depression or that re-
coEery from that depression is to be at
trlbuted to McKinley's.
NO BASIS FOR THE CLAIM
The claim that McKinley's administra-
ton is the cause OF our preSent good
times-relatively good, mean not abso-
lutely so-is but a little less presumptiye
1nan II would be to claim that he had
caused the eclipse of the sun last May
because 1T occurred while he was presi,
dent And 1t would be no more illogical
Of ,1 nnt 1 to charge his administration
reason When one hears or reads s11ch
CLAIMS they are filled with contempt for
b SnGse Wno advance them, and cannot
neip wondering whether speakers or wri-
ters who make such claims are ignoram-
ers or readers to be such
me industrial depression of 1899 Is NOT
tne only one which we have experienced
Snd knowledge of the history of these
S eSppfiedq Should convince the most
who, convinced against his viii is n n,
the same opinion still, that tariffs
ons wb n8n or D9w or party
Democratic government, have had, and
until a remedy is found and applied by
some party party admin administering the govern
prevent them. They have always been
preceded and succeeded by periods Of
n ~n1Sexpaim Am prosperity, which viii
OF which party is administering our gov
eminent, and In spite of policy like
protection, which hamper industry, OBJ
structs trade, and sends more wealth out
brought with It, thus making poorer the
country by which it is adopted.
DATES OF DEPRESSIONS
Industrial depressions have occurred in
1sz!, 1857. 1867, 1882 and in 1888, and as