Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-09-29
The Blight Under Cleveland.
Philadelphia Press.


The amusing Record" after houn-
dering some days over a debate of i'm
possible conditions on who was respon-
sible for the panic and depression of 1893
and succeeding years, now proceeds to
maintain that there wasn't any depression
at all! The whole country has been under
strange delusion for ten years 1t has
imagined there were hard times under
Observation-Disclosures be was the cause or
not-when there were no hard times
whateverl Oh, the amusing Record
In order to show that there was no de-
preston under Cleveland the amusing
"Record" purports to cite the report of
the Massachusetts Bureau of Labor Stats
tics to the effect that more persons were
employed in identical establishments in
part of 1898 than in part of 1892. But
its figures are incomplete and are selected
for lis purpose. We shall take the came
Massachusetts report and show that the
amusiUg Record" suppresses and mis-
represents the truth.
The fact is that according to this Mass
achusetts report the decrease in the num-
Der of persons employed in 1898 as COM
pared with 1892 was 1904, and the fur
ther decrease in 1894 as compared With
1893 was l7,470-a total decrease of 3d.
5O4 in the number Of persons employed
in Massachusetts alone. So, the decrease
in the aggregate of wages paid in 1893 as
compared with 1892 was SIC, 1856, 104, with
further decrease in 1894 of ST., 1892, 1852.
Again, the decrease in the value of the
product in 1893 as compared with 1892
was $5l, 793, s52, with a further decrease
in 1894 of $50, 793, 44s. In Pennsylvania,
according to the report Of the Secretary
of Internal Affairs, the number of persons
employed ia 35S identical establishments
fell off IA, 500 in 1893, as compared With
1892, and again fell of 1921 in 1894.
The reports of other States show the same
results. These figures tell the story Of
business loss and depression which came
under Cleveland's Administration, and
the very limited figures which the Rec.
ord picks out for Its own purpose are
worthless as a presentation of the whole
case.
The "ReOord" cites some other states
ments of a similar character; but they are
all frsgmentary, isolated and incomplete.
A few broad, comprehensive exhibits
will be immeasurably more valuable in
showing the true conditions. For ex-
amble, the numb or of failures increased
from 1894 in 1892 to Is, PAP In 1898. and
the liabilities from 4,044, l67 in 1892
to $946, US, 1889 in 1893. The number of
railway employees was reduced nearly
lQOel9. Seyenty:fo4r railroads we're
placed in the hands of receivers in 1899
alone. Bank clearings, which register
business activity, fell off from sixty bill
lions year to forty-6ve billions. The
production of pig iron declined from nine
million tong to sig million tons. The de:
posts in national banks declined $780,.
100000. And these are only samples Of
the facts running through the whole range
of business enterprise. If we were to con-
trast the decline in all branches under the
Cleveland Administration with the reviv-
ed and splendid ADVANCE of business on
the return of the Republican party to
power it would emphasize the EXHIBIT.
But 1t ls needless to expand these lie
lustrations. 1t isn't necessary to prove
what rest in eyerybody's consciousness.
There is no man whose memory runs back
eleven years who doesn't wildly remem-
Der the anaE cial and business disturbances
that came with ths Cleveland ADMINS.
tration. Statistics are not necessary to
demonstrate what ia self-evident and his
torical. II the Record" seeks to show
that there was no blight till the panic Of
1898 it is welcome to do 3d. for before We
get though we shall hope to make clear
where rests the responsibility for the apHte
panic as we'll IS for the long depression
For the present we only deal with the fact
and with the period Of the collapse. On |
another day we shall deal with the causes.