Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1902-08-21
TO ATTACK THE TARIFF
Democrats Plan to Assail the Ma
tional Prosperity.
PENNSYLVANIA MUST BE FIRM
Bryan In High GIee Over the Pros
pect-What Protection Has Done
For PennsyIvania's Industries, AS
Shown BY Official Figures.

Washington, d. c., Aug. 19.-If ever
| there was time when Pennsylvania
needed to renew her loyalty to Re-
publicanism and the doctrine of pro-
lection. which has made her great
among the states, this fall is that time.
! A Democratic victory in Pennsylvania
| in November would be the greatest
| boon that the Democratic party has
known since Grover Cleveland crossed
| the threshold of the White House out
ward for the last time.
There Is no concealment of the fact
| that the Democrats in the next Con-
| gress hope to renew the free-trade agi-
| tation with the aid of small element
| in the ranks of the Republican party
| from the west. William Jennings
| Bryan, the apostle of Financial Ruin,
is publicly congratulating his party,
tossing his hat in air, over the Iowa
| Republican platform, which declared
| in favor of such changes in the tariff
| from time to time as may become ad
| visable through the progress of our
| industries and their changing relations
to the commerce of the world"
This much is seized upon with an
hurrah by Bryan, who, in an interview,
declares:
Il am glad to see that the Republi-
| cans of Iowa admit the necessity for
| tariff reform, for. while it will strength
en- the Republican party in this state
| for the coming campaign, it will ulti-
| mately weaken it, for the Republicans
cannot permit any reform in the tariff
without endangering their whole sys-
| tenn"
The situation so far as the tariff is
| concerned is creating more comment
here in Washington than any other
subject Experience has taught that
the slightest attempt of Democrats to
| tinker with the tariff has brought dis
aster to American industries and lower
wages or idleness to American work
men. No state has had such a bitter
| lesson in this as Pennsylvania, and the
| question is, will she encourage this at
tack on her unexampled prosperity by
| electing Mr.. Pattison governor and at
the same time increasing her Demo-
cratic representation in congress?
If the hope of the Democracy can be
! achieved the soup-house era will again
| come to Pennsylvania; her mills and
! factories will be closed and the output
of her furnaces restricted. This is no
| idle assertion. Official figures prove
it. Pennsylvania is the banner state
| for iron. steel and textiles. 1t is these
| industries, employing the great bulk
of her people that will be most af-
fected by the proposed Democratic on
slaught on the tariff
Now, what do the official figures
| show? In 1896, when Grover Cleve-
| land left the White House, there were
| just 1853 iron furnaces in blast. In 1901,
| under Republican administration, there
were 266 in blast. In that same period
the manufacture of tin plate had grown
| from 40,000,000 pounds TO CTS, 900, 900
| pounds while the number of wage
earners employed had increased from
/ 4,251,6 613 to 5,231. .6S7.
The same ratio of increase can be
| shown in the increase of farm values
under Republican administration. The
| value of the live stock on the farms
| of the United States. according to the
reports of the Agricultural Department
| here, has increased $253, ,12S,031. And
with this increased value has come
! increased consumption, with greatly in
| creased prices to the farmer for his
product. The farmers of the country
realized in the year 1900 alone $780,
900 more for their ceareals than
they did in 1896, the last disastrous
year of Democratic control
1t is the popular thing when discus
sing tariff revision and it's relation to
Pennsylvania politics for Democrats to
eXclaim:
But what has that got to do with
state issues?"
1t is the only way that a Democrat
can get out of corner, and the an
swer is: Everything
There is one point that Republicans
must not lose sight of, and it is that
in addition to governor, there are
congressman and a United States SEN
ator to be chosen as result of this
falls election. These congressman and
this senator will have all to do in hold
ing the balance of power in favor of
non-interefrence with the tariff. In
deed, they may prove to be the saliva
ton of the entire protective system of
this country. Is it any wonder that
widespread interest is felt in the result
in Pennsylvania?
In recent years the old saying that,
as Maine goes SO goes the Union" has
been transposed to read. 'as Pennsyl-
vania goes so goes the Union" This
saying is prophetic. In 1882 Robert E.
Pattison was elected governor, and two
years later Grover Cleveland was elect
ed president. In 1890 Robert E. Patti
son, Democrat, was again elected gov
ernor, and two years later Grover
Cleveland was for a second time in
stalled in the White House.