The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-04-01
HERE ARE THE FACTS.

4t#-t
There appear to be just two meth
DDS by which the republican press
can make capital out Of the business
situation: by judicious suppression
and by straight misrepresentation.
When the two arc combined We get
something like this gem Of purest
ray, brought up from the dark. un-
fathomed caves of the republican po-
litical consciousness and set in edi-
torial by stand-pat local contem-
porary:
THAT industrial depression had
struck this county long before the
European war began was matter OF
general knowledge. In the
great industrial centers the situation
was so marked that it was reflected
in the election returns in November.
The great agricultural sections of the
country had just begun to feel the
effects of home market which had
been hurt by reduced buying power
and also by importatiOns from other
lands, when the war created de-
mand which counteracted these ten
dencieS.'
Now what happened in the very
period claimed as their own by these
journalistic ravens, with their voices
croaking "Nevermore"-the period
lying between January l and August
|31, 1914? The government statistl-
cal summary for August, page 93,
carries the facts so set forth that he
who runs may digest them.
During that period we exported
S2O4,0OO,O00 less than we did in the
corresponding period of the year be-
fore and bought abroad $114 100000
more
With the first of these two facts
our politics and policies had nothing
to do. Times were hard in Europe
and money was timid and high. Our
overseas customers quit buying to
the extent, as we have said, of $2O4,-
100000. If our esteemed stand-pat
contemporary wants to know Why,
let him look at the discount rates
prevailing in European money CEN
tiers from August of the previous
wear and he will find abundant ex-
planation. Europe was economlZlng
and liquidating There is no known
prescription for warding off business
depression when ones customers lose
the power to buy, and that is what
happened to the foreign customers OF
Uncle Sam during the period in ques-
ton.
Now as to that STA, 100000 in
crease in imports The summer be-
fore our principal grain crops had
shown a deficiency of 100000, 900
bushels by comparison with the pre-
vious year. 1t is therefore not sur
n0n
the excess was caused by food impor-
tations Importations OF manufac-
lures showed net falling on OF 81
coo, 900, the increase in import2tlons
Of finished mannfactures-$2 OO0,-
OOO-being more than offset by the
reduction in unfinished manVfac-
lures, which was 33,000.000. An
increase of $2,OO0,O0O in miscellan-
eous importations and of $34, 100000
in importations of crude raw mater
ials for use in manufacturing COM
plete the story.
1t is interesting to observe, in view
of the gloomy prophecies OF ruin
to the protected industries through
democratic "tinkering with rate
schedules which were not repealed.
but only changed in amount, that the
total importations of dutiable goods
were actually $54,O00,000 less in the
January-August eight month period
OF 1914, under the Underwood tariff,
than in the like period of 1918, under
the Payne-Aldrich tariff. The food
ins of the market with foreign manu-
featured goods on which the rates
had been changed by the "blundering
democratic hands did not material
ize; the stream actually lowered in
stead of rising.
Gentlemen of the republican party,
when YOU charge the American bust
ness depression before the war TO
democratic policies you dodge some
facts and misrepresent others. What
actually happened may be summar-
lied thus:
The last half Of 1913 saw a gener-
a; drouth in the United States and a
severe stringency in Europe. AS
result, in the first eight months OF
1914 foreign nations diminished
their purchases from us by the enor-
nous sum of 100000, during
period in which, though we reduced
our importations of manufactures by
S4,0O0,0O0. we increased. our pur-
chase of food by $S2,OOO,0OO and OF
raw materials for our factories by
S34 100000. During the period we
bought less dutiable goods Of all
kinds and less dutiable manufactures
than we did during the correspond
ing period of the year before.
Those are the facts. They may be
verified by anyone who cares enough
about the matter to spend 80 minutes
at any library over the Monthly Sum
mary of Foreign Commerce for Aug
usu last, page SO, pencil in hand and
pad on knee. 1t is striking proof
of the low state at once of republic
can political morals and the republic
can political ammunition chest that
such lodging and twisting should be
resorted to in SO plain rnatter.-St.
Louis Republic.