The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1906-01-25

DenOGTdtlC SENATE anu SlB1tu ny u DNno-
cratic president.
Truth TO tell, II may be said to have
been passed by common consent of all
parties. and II was so passed. because on
the Sd day OF March, 1887, the country
was enjoying unbounded prosperity. and
there was full treasury. Among hands
they cut the rates too low for good
revenue measure and when the evil days
cpme in the fall of 1857, produced. as the
Globe Democrat says, by wild specula-
tons in western lands and in building
superfluous railroads. II did not bring In
enough money to run the government.
How any we'll informed or candid person
can claim that that bill of 1857, non-Demo-
cratic though 1t was. produced the panic
in the autumn of 1857 Is a puzzle for hard
times extended at that time over the face
of the entire civilized globe, and certainly
no man who has any reputation for Wis
dom or veracity to lose Will jeopardize
II by asserting that any tariff law passed
by us can create hard times all over the
world.
The only difficulty about the tariff bill
of 1857 was that, hard times coming on un-
expectedly, it did not raise revenue
enough to pay the expenses of the gov
ernment.
The Balance Of Trade.
Colonel Hepburn interrupted TO as
sert two propositions-(D that the bal
ance of trade in our favor is the best
indication of prosperity and that the
balance of trade has been generally
against us under Democratic tariffs
and in our favor under Republican
tariffs; (2) he contended that the Mex
lean war, Crimean war and the dis
coveries of gold in California and Aus
tralia were the main factors in the
prosperity from 1916 to 1857. Answer
ing both his contentious at once, said:
Now. to answer the gentleman from
Iowa Mr.. Hepburn, whose question is a
serious one, the balance OF trade may or
may not be test of prosperity Holland
is one of the most prosperous countries
under the sun, and the balance of trade
is generally against her. Germany pros.
pers like tree planted by the rivers of
water: nevertheless there is a large bal
ance of trade against her. | will put Mr..
Blaines statement as to prosperity of
! these years as a fact that cannot be con-
tradicted. There are two universally ac-
cepted standards OF prosperity-increase
! of population and increase of wealth; not
| in the aggregate. but by percentageS-and
| the statistics show that Judged by per-
! centages of increase of wealth and popu-
! lation, any one of the eleven years of the
| Walker tariff bill was more prosperous
| than any one of the nine years of the
| Dngley tariff bill. In no one of the eleven
| years of the Walker tariff did we increase
/ in population as much in the aggregate
! as we have in sny one of the nine years
| of the Dingley BILL simply because 10000
| 900 of people do not propagate as many
children as SO00O,0O0 of people. In no one
! of the eleven years of the Walker bill did
we pile up as much increase of wealth In
| the nnQrRPatp In of the nina
| years of the Dingley bill. because 30 900, 900
of people cannot make as much wealth as
| S3O00.0O0 of people, and we now have all
! of these labor saving devices which SC
| much multiply the wealth producing ca
| pacity of a people. But judged by per.
| centage in increase of wealth, we increas
ed as much in any one year of the Walker
bill as in any one year of the Dingley bill
Tariffs and Prosperity.
But what I started to say was that
granted the Mexican war and the Crlmear
| war and the discovery of gold helped
| along the prospsrity-and l do not desire
to deny it-how does that apply to tht
present situation? Now, the gentleman
| from Iowa MIR. Hepburnl is no ordinary
congressman. He is veteran statesman
He is one of the three or four great Re
publican debaters in this house. He claims
that there has been greater prosperit,
|
was before. Every Republican claims
that and that the Dingley bill produced II
But, if the Mexican war and the Crimeal
war helped to increase the prosperity II
1876 and for the eleven succeeding years
how does it happen that the Spanish wa
and the Philippine war and the Boer wa
and the Russo japanese war and tn
greatly increased production of gold II
recent years should not be credited with
part of the great prosperity that has com
to the American people under the Dingle
tariff bill? Why sample. when tn
Spanish war began the very best mules Il
Missouri were selling for s75 to SIC
apiece. These wars consumed the world
supply Of mules The consequence is tina
good pair of mules in Missouri now sell
for $500 to $500, and yet that according t
the Republican logic, Is credited up TO tn
blessings of the Dingley bill which didn
have bit more to do with 1t than had tn
Ten Commandments. Every man from tn
south who raises sugar and cotton know
that mules have gone up from the day
when the Spanish war began, and IL W
had that great European war they ar
talking about the price of mules would x
soaring out of sight.
Another thing about It: Suppose tn
gold production did help to bolster u
prosperity from 1S4S to 1S47-and a ma
would be an idiot to deny it--what ha
I
the new discoveries of gold that hav
brought $500, 900, 900 of gold into this cour
try? That is how much more you hay
now than in 1896 Also discovery of
new and cheap process of extracting gol
out of the ore which brought in anoths
! third of it, in round numbers. When ths
! process was discovered 1t did not pay
, work gold that did not run $40 or SIS
ton; now you can work 1t with prot
where it produces less than a dollar
ton. Where does the other third CON
from? 1 will tell you. In 1897 and 1893 an
1899 and 1900 we had the finest crops thi
ever grew out OF the ground, and the
had a crop famine in Europe and Au
, tralia, and those hungry people had
pay our farmers practically what the
wanted for their products, 80 that 1t aei
stream of gold like the river Pactol,
flowing into this country, into the arteri,
OF commerce, quickening and fructifyir
the whole American commerce. And 1t
! poor rule that does not work both way
No Duty on Necessities.
!, l quoted from President Roosevelt
Z Life of Colonel Thomas II. Benton"
e which he paid high tribute to Bento
for his great fight to place salt on Il
|. . free list. General Grosvenor Clipped
. to argue in favor Of protected salt. I
: his perfectly pertinent remarks, whiC
. wish l had space to quote In full,
! replied as follows:
$ When God created this world, in benel
3 cence he made salt nearly as plentiful
-