The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-22

different interests that may be able by req son of their power and control of members of Congress to obtain by combination and log rolling the schedules which these con- binations desire for their own peculiar pur- poses But the republican principle of pro tection Is to legislate for no one locality. The centre of political influence and power of thts country Is hundreds of miles west of its business and industrial centre. We find the former west of the Ohio, while the industrial centre is found In Pennsylvania. New York, New Jersey and New England. Should a selfish combination between the various sections of the country seek to legislate on the tariff for themselves alone, New England, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania would be power less to protect themselves If selfish con- siderations, as distinguished from a gen. eral principle. were to govern such legis- lative efforts, these great industrial cen tres might easily be driven to the wall.
 Signs Of Prosperay.
 Now, in testing the results of this gen. eral tariff principle the ordinary citizen looks out over the country at large and ascertains whether or not prosperity blesses all the people, by observing the condition of wage earners; whether mills are moving, and whether business as a whole Is profitable. If the wage earners are profitably employed and money and products are being accumulated and dis tributed, then we have prosperity But my very good friend. MT. w. Bourke Cock ram, of New York, in the closing hours of Congress, during tariff speech, said:-
 Now, if this definition of prosperity be correct 1t follows that any system that tends to swell the production of commodi- ties is the system that produces for the happiness, welfare and prosperity Of a people"
 Let us even take this conditional def- milton and try on 1t the results of pro- lection
 In 1890 the amount of annual production of this country, agricultural, mining and manufacturing, aggregated SIP, 452 193. 662 In 1900 it aggregated s17, ,s67, ,076,272. And I wish to call attention to the fact that this vast amount of production was beyond all question largely consumed in our own lcountry, because our exports during the last few years have been only about q 200, ,000O00 and our imports something like $500. 900, making the balance of trade in our favor some five or six hundred millions. as the case may be: so that this vast amount of production. seventeen bill- ions Is consumed by the people.
 It is not hoarded; 1t Is not piled up in the banks; 1t Is not stored away. It is ma chinery; it Is agricultural product: it Is the product of the mine. The gold and silver amounted to only about S1730 000 GOO. It must have been distributed among the great mass of people, as they. as dis tinguished from the wealthy few. are the consumers of these products. This shows an increase of production during that period of s5,414. .SS2,610 This extraordinary the fact that the years 1894, 1895. 1898 nd into 1897, years of democratic administra- ton, were years of deficit in the Treasurv accompanied with a paralyzing panic that threw labor out of employment and ar rested the development of production which makes the increase all the more re- markable.
 Now, how does that indicate any prog ress and development The percentage