Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-16

II!!E==
100000; the southern states. s575. OoO. 900:
the central states, $1.114. 900. 900, and the
far western states. $271 zoo. 600. The per-
centages of increase were: New England.
"a per cent: middle Atlantic, BIS per cent;
| southern, u per cent; central. AZ per cent,
and western, % per cent. While the in
crease in the old manufacturing centers OF
the east was normal and healthy. the in
crease in the central. western and southern
| states was in the nature of a great boom
| in industrial development.
Republican Economic Policy.
The industrial census of 1905 shows this
and demonstrates that under the economic
policy Of the republican party, with it's
steady ard prosperous development, Our
manufacturing has steadily advanced into
the great agricultural sections placing the
factory beside the farm, to make the ex-
change between the two II eat bodies Of
producers the more direct and equitable
| and make them more dependent upon each
ether.
Not alone in manufacturing has there
been this doubling-up process in prosper
Hy under republican administration. The
farmers have doubled their crops and the
money they have received in exchange. The
farm value Of those three great staple crops
Of the west corn, wheat and oats, in 1896
amounted to 1884, 100000. and last year it
aggregated OF more Cudu
double the value in the last year of demo-
cratic administration. The value of farm
animals also doubled in the same period.
| increasing from 81. 728, 100000 in 1896 to 3d.
675 100000 in 1905.
This prosperity to the farmer was moi
confined to the corn and wheat belt of the
country. Like the rain which falls on the
just and unjust alike. 1t descended upon
our friends in the south, who still refuse
to believe that prosperity can exist under
republican policies. The value of the cot
ton crop went from $319.OOO.OOO In 1895 to
more than $500, 0O0, 600 in 1904, the last year
for which we have statistics. The miners
doubled their output Of coal and iron, and
in every line Of industrial development the
last ten years have been In harmony with
this Scriptural Injunction to make two
fore.
Under the policy Of protection the United
States produces one-third Of the manufac-
tured and agricultural products OF the CIV
ilized world. Our labor receives double
the compensation that labor receives in
Great Britain and three times the compen-
sation paid to labor on the continent OF
Europe. Ninety-three per cent OF this
product is consumed by our own people
and the comparatively small surplus that
goes abroad makes US the greatest ex-
development of the country we not only live
better than other people, but from the saw
ings OF production we have become the
wealthtest nation on earth.
Tariff and the Trusts.
While this unprecedented prosperity has
come in less than q decade of republican
administration and the Dingley tariff law
has demonstrated that it is a revenue pro-
Queer. both for the people and the gov
eminent we occasionally hear the old wall
that the tariff is the mother OF trusts and
the shelter of monopoly. The tariff revis-
ionsts are, however, answering their own
complaints. find in the New York Times.
| organs of tariff revision. an editorial show
ing that the giant steel trust Is no longer
looked upon by free traders as a monopoly
and that 1t has steadily declined In its
proportion OF the steel since It's organiza-
ton.
All Legislation. and especially revenue
legislation, Is the result of compromise.
1t must inevitably be so in order to COM
mand, as, Of course, is necessary. major
ity vote Of both House and Senate. 1t Is.
therefore. impossible to secure. perfection
| in each schedule Of tariff bill; but have
| no hesitation in saying that the present
revenue law. known as the Dingiey law.
all things considered, Is the most perfect
and just customs revenue law ever en-
acted. The general distress and industrial
conditions prevailing throughout the coun-
try at the time Of its enactment helped to
make 1t so, because it brought all the peo-
pie together. In times of prosperity when
the selashness Of the people is appealed to.
but when there Is industrial depression
different interests are more inclined to get
together for the general good.
The Dingley bill did not, and does not,
please the democratic party. That party
denounces the policy Of protection as rob-
berry and declares for tariff for revenue
only. This has been the position of the
democratic party for many years. 1t is its
position today and the position Of all its
leaders, including William J. Bryan and
John Sharp Williams. the leader of the
minority in the House Of Representatives.
who time and again during the late ses-
sion Of Congress proclaimed the policy OF
his party to be If clothed with power not
to destroy protection absolutely at one
fell swoop-over night, as he expressed tt
but to journey toward a tariff for revenue
only. He would not kill the patient out
right at one stroke, but would gradually
starve 1t to death. Such policy means less
wages for labor, both skilled and unskilled,
in every avenue of production. and, with
decrease Of wages and slack employment,
the great mass OF the people would become
less valuable customers to all other pro-
ducers. Such policy would act and react
upon all our people who are customers for
each other and we would have the might
mare of 1898 to 1897 repeated.
Tariff revision In time Of prosperity al
ways has. and always viii. halt business
activity. production and commerce. The
manufacturer win lessen his output, for
he fears to pile up his product unless there
is q reasonable certainty Of realizing its
cost and q fair profit. The farmer halts In
making improvements and consumes less.
because there is shortened demand for
his products. The decrease In the wages
a q A4vn0 80