Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1908-10-09
TAFT Romanc,n0 Win Figures.


"The Record entertained the highest
opinion of Mr.. Taft, and expressed 1t
at the time OF his nomination. But IL
the candidate were at the outset
better than his party, he is rap
idly removing that objection to his
availability. He has got down about as
low as the rest Of the Republicans.
He shocked us the other day by re-
citing that rubbish about the panic of
1898 as the result Of the Wilson tariff
Of 1894, and the paralysis of business
resulting from the Democratic victory
in 1892, when everybody kno ws--and
there 10 abundant com H ercial and nom
political evidence Of the fact-that
business continued highly prosperous
for six months after the election.
There is no lack of Republican admis-
sions that the panic OF lS43 was the re-
suit Of the Republican Silver Purchase
law ofslS9O which depleted the gold re-
serve acd brought doubt upon the
value of legal tender nJtes, redeemp-
BILE in gold, and plling up silver in
the Treasury had its inevitable effect.
Mr.. Tafts remarks shocked us because
we supposed he was above that sort
of thing
But since then he has made addi-
tional, aud, if not more foolish, at
least equally false, statements regard
ing the Democratic tariff:
Mr.. Bryan has been before the peo-
pie ter the last twelve years as the can
didate o. the party which was respon-
sible for the Germany Wilson tariff
bill that laid everything low, that sent
down prices of " heat below 80 cents,
and that sent corn down to q cents;
that sent oats down to Is cen is, and
potatoes to q cents Where are they
now?
We have rather recently reproduced
from so sterling Protection list publ
cation ~ the annual reports of the
Iron and Steel Association evidence
that there was very marked and
widespread revival of business in the
spfing Of 1895, last until late in the
year, The Wilson tariff was enacted
In August, 1894, SO that MIR. Taft's
statement that it laid everything low
is aStrue. infatuated with his own fol-
ly, the Republican candidate ventures
into particulars, giving purported
prices of farm products. A low tariff
might let ia foreign goods and so op-
crate to reduce prices that is the thee
ry of the Proteotionists. But we do not
import corn or wheat or oats, and very
seldom import potatoes. Does any "a
tional human being suppose that low
ering duties would reduce the prices of
articles our surplus of which we send
sbroad2
Mr., Tsfts statement Is not only ir-
rational, but it is untrue. The Wilson
tariff Was enacted In 1894. The price Of
wheat in that year, according to the
Statistical Abstract, was 81 GEMS.
The next year 1t was 81; the year after
70, and in 1897, the last year of the
Wilson tariff, the price of wheat twas
95 cents. The same;table shows that
during the four years the price, of corn
declined, but the lowest prics it reach
ed was II cents higher than the figure
Mr.. Taft gives. That lowest price was
reaches in 1897, the year the Dingley
tariff was enacted, and we merely
hazard the suggestion 10 Mr.. Taft that
the Republican tariff sent corn down
to 3l.9 cents, just Is cents less than it
was the year of the Wilson tarif. Oats
also declined during the four years,
but in the lowest of the four, the yea r
the Dinglsy tariff was enacted, the
price Of oats was 1872 cents, and Mr..
Taft says that the Democratic tariff
sent it down to Is.
If Mr.. Taft would save what little is
left of his reputation he will throw
away the Republican Campaign
Bock.-Record.