The Tariff And Hard Times

We are told very gravely by goldite orators who wish to keep the real issue between gold monometallisin and bimetallism in the back ground that the Wilson tariff law is responsible for the hard times that are upon os. If it is the Wilson bill that bas stopped the wheels, then it must be that we have been buying abroad what we hitherto purchased of home manufacturera. Bearing in mind the fact that the annual value of home manufactures is estimated at 9,000 millions, let us see what influenoe the importations of the last three years have had upon it. The statistical abstract of the United States treastiry gives the total imports, raw, and manufactured.for the last flve years, covering the operations of both the JVIcKinley and the Wilson tariffs, as follows : Total imports 1S91- $844,91fi,196 189á- 837,4U2,46:2 1893- 86,400,tó2 1894- 654,!94,22 1805- 731,969,965 It will be seen that the average annual imports of all kinds under the Wilson law has been $153,000,000 less than ander the McKinley law. Is there anythitig in this state of thiDgs to suggest the closing of American milis? Is it because they have had too muoh to do that the milis have closed, or is it because tbings have been too cheap that the American people have not purchased. Is it possible that if we bnild up the tariff and make the cost of manufaotured goods still higher that we will increase the amount the farmer will feel able to purchase with 50 cent wheat? Let us be reasonable and oome to the only logical conclusión that the tariff bas had no influence whatever upon the times whioh have ily been growing harder as prices have declined nnder the single gold standard. The prosperity of this country rests npon the agricultural olasses. When the farmer is prosperons all are prosperous. When he getc in a tight place and is uuable to buy, the wheels of indnstry stop. The reason that the milis are ióle now is because the appreciatiou of the gold standard has depreciated the price of farm produots until the farmers' tases, interest and other fixed charges, which have not declined, absorb his surplos earnings and his -capacity to parchase has been out off. Until you restore to the farmer 'his forruer ability to purchase all efforts to reach prosperity by means of a tariff wilí be futile. Until the farmer can get fair prices for his products the milis will remain closed, and the only way by which he can be secured better prices is by cutting off the unjnst appreciationjof the gold dollar.