Suggestive Figures

The liilvcnt of a new ai -ion in control of the Rationa! government suggests a few comparisons wïiicti ir may bc profltable to ■ a to ponder. In some respes issues have changed in the past elgbt years, imt one of the maiu issues, and the one most importan! to the permanent prosperity of the eountry, was the same in the campaigna of IS and L896, and tKat issue was whether the tarifï should be establlshed and administered n the tree trade or the protecrive tlieoi-y. in 1888 the bitter theory was adopted, and we had the McKinley act. In 1892 the free trade theory triumphed and we had the Wilson act. In 1896 protectlon agaln prevailed, and we hope for the adoption of another protective mensure and that very soon. If we may judge of the future by the past the fxperiences of the past eighr years ought to aid in bringing abaut that result. The fiscal year of the government is not ths same as the presidential year, yet it furnishes the best basis of compárison that we can obtain, so f ar as the government statistics go. The elect.ion of 1888, by the cholee of a República n president and Republican rnajorities in both houses of eonr -ess. gave assurance of tari ff revlsii on protective lines, and the elfect . on business was immediately benefit 1. In 1892 the eleetion of a Denioer; ie free trade president, with Democratie majorlties in both houses of congress, threa tened a revisión of the tariff on free trade lines, and the effect upon business was immediately Injurioiïs. In Some respects the apprehension of tariif changes and the uncertainty as to what they wmilil be, was fully as harmful as the chánges were when they were aetually made. Eigfet months of the fiscal year 1889 carne after the election at w1!"h Harrison was chosen president, and eight rnonths of tlie fiscal year 1893 came after Cleveland was chosen the second time. These full years and the three succeeding years, in each case, are therefore taken as the basis of comparison. The free trade papers are fond of speaking of the McKinley tariff as a feeble producer of revenue, yet until Democratie success in the electiou of 1892 insured lower duties, and thereby discouraged importation at the old rate.s, the revenue was ampie. The following shows the customs revenue for eifrht years as taken from the StatisUcaJ Abstract of the United States for 1896, page 27: Fiscal Year. Amount. 1889 , $223,832,741.69 1890 229,668,584:57 1891 219,522,205.23 1892 177.4r,-_!M4.15 1893 203,355,016.73 1894 131,818,530.62 1893 152,158,617.45 1896 160,021,751.67 Total four years of Harrison's administration, $850,476,495.64; average each year. $212,619423.91. Total, four years of Cleveland's administration, $647,353,916.47; average each year, $161,8.38,479.12. Average cost of collécting under Harrison, per cent, 3.26; average cost for collecting under Cleveland, per cent. 4.36. The changes in the public debt are equally significant. The increase and decrease for tiie years nained were as follows: Fiscal Year. Amount. 1889- Deerease $87,065;144.51 1890- Decrease 85155,3 96! i 1891- Decrease 38,87 1,618.75 1892- Decrease 10,386,288.18 1893- Decrease 2,55 ,! S ,85 1894- Increase 60,343,904.80 1895- Increase 2,359,586.19 1896- Iuorease 53,624,286.96 This gires a total decrease of the public debt in four years that were mainly under Republican administration of $221,478.431.13; total increase in four years that were mainly under Democratie administratioB, $113,770,790.1;;; showing a Oifference of $335,249,221.26. Our export trade shows similar disastions ïrsults from free trade agitation and'free trade legislation. tfnder the reciprocity treaties that accompai nied the McKinley tariff it reached high water mark in 1892. The total export s. exclusive of gold and silver, for the eights years were as follows: Ye-ir Amount. 1889.' $ 742,401,370 1890 857,828,684 189] 884,480,810 Í892 1,030,278,148 1S93 : 847,665,194 1894 892,140,572 1S!)5 807,538, 165 1896 882,606,938 Thetotal for the first two years of the McKinley tariff. 1891 and 1892, was $1,914,758,958. The total for the tirsi two vears of the Wilson tariff, 1895 and 1S96, was $1,690,145,103. arowing a falling off under the latter in two years of $324,613,850. With the customs revenue diminishing, with the public debt increasiug, and our export trade falling off. it is not surprising that the people last fall demanded another change. The vote wliich they gave then should be contirmed by one equally emphatic this spring.