, 1900-01-25
THELOGIC OF EVENTS.
FREE-TRADE SOPHISTRY COM
PLETELY DISCREDlTED.
impressive Lessons Taught by Our Ma
tionni Experiences In the Past Eight
'ears Under Different Economic
Systems.

statesmen in forecasting the indus
trlal outlook for several years prior
10 the enactment of the Wilson tariff
predicted the defeat of protection to
American industries.
For decades the country has been
ming up with people from foreign
shores who, without any reflection up
on their general intelligence and mo-
ives in seeking a new place for in
dustrious pursuits, were ignorant of
the government and institutions of this
republic. In this condition they easily
became the victims of t. political
shyster and demagogue. The cry of
tariff reform was raised and per-
sistently exploited until a sufficient
humber of people were deceived into
voting against the interests of the
iaboring classes to carry the election.
During the campaigns leading up to
the catastrophes of 1890 and 1892 no
sophism, falsehood or misrepresenta-
ton was unappealed to for the purpose
OF misleading the w~orkingmen and
laborers. Peddlers with tinware on
their backs were started out over the
rural districts with instructions to ask
double the usual price for such goods.
Upon being inquired of for the cause
of such advanced prices, they credited
them to the Mckinley bill. Democratic
campaigners vehemently asserted that
the dinner bucket would double in
price. An ex-governor of this state
held aloft a tin cup while he berated
the tariff on tin. Another ex-governor
charged the Republicans with admit
ting diamonds free for the benefit of
the plutocrats. Both were false, and
only intended to mislead and deceive
the ignorant. Newspaper and maya
zine writers quoted decisions of the
Supreme court of the United States
against the principle of protection to
Industries, which had no more to do
with the tariff for protection than
Pixies peak with the Gulf stream.
The flood tide went on, Inc Cleve-
land was landed in the presidency.
Then the storm began, and for four
long years the whole people suffered
as never before. Every prediction of
Republicans in the press and IN the
stump was more than verified in the
daily experience of every business man.
Laborers were idle, factories were
closed, the consumptive capacity of
the people declined more and more,
foreign inportations grew less. COM
merce languished, the national bonded
debt largely increased, insolvencies
and receiverships were more numerous
than ever, individual Indebtedness
grew as the years rolled by-all the di-
rect result of Democratic tariff re-
form" The aggregate losses to the ma
ton have been conservatively esti-
mated at four or five billions OF dollars.
The foreign contingent could not be
schooled in the economy OF protection,
except by paying this enormous tut
ton in the school of experience. The
greatest prosperity hitherto attained
was in Harrison's administration after
the passage of the Mckinley bill. II
that was great, the people clamored for
still greater figures in trade and com
merce, and were led to believe that
tariff reform" under Democratic ad-
ministration would bring 1t. In vain
history was adduced to prove disaster
and ruin always had followed low
tariffs, or tariffs squirting toward free
trade. Tariff for revenue" a sweet
political morsel under Democratic
tongues, always increased the public
debt.
The lesson, though a long and hard
one, was learned at last for this gen.
Grafton, and the majority Of voters
wanted no more of that kind OF ex-
perience. That trinity of ~administra-
tions-Harrison's. Clevelands' and Nc
Kinley's-prosperity sandwiching dire
adversely, should be treasured as a
warning precedent by every working
man and be handed down to his latest
posterity.
The lesson of this recent national
experience is that men who so recently
have been reversed in their %prognosti-
cations by the trend of political events
cannot in any sense be trusted with the
solution and determination of the pro-
founder problems of the present nor
those which will arise in the future
Topeka Capital.