Some Famous Blunders

Doeskever happen tliat the öeraocratic party chooses a "modera instaace" tö exemplify one or the other of its tlieories or wliim-whams but that fate nstnntly makes the aforesaid ' " i 11stance" exemplify sometliing exaotly to the contrary of the party's averment? Forexxinple, during the Presideutial campaign the Democratie party took Japan f or its "modern instance," and hade us observe liow the empire was dourishing by and because of its adoption of asilver policy. Wliereupon fate instantly moved the imperial Government to reeur to a gold standard and to afflirin that the conditions of tiade made this necessary. In the last campaign but one the unfortuuate Democracy chose the tin plate as its "modern instance." It swore its experts in the open court of debate and made theui give evideuee that tin plate never could be manufactured with profit in the United Slates, and that the sole effect of the McKinley duly on imported plate would be to lacrease the prioe of all articles of tinware, and espeeially of "the poor man's dinner pa.il." Wliereupon things went thns : The oulput of tin plates in the United States prior to the enactment of the McKinley law had been practieally nothing at all; in the I year 1SÍK, when the Democratie experts were swearing that they could not be made in this country, 13,646,716 pounds of tin and terne plates were made here ; next year the ainount rose to 99,819,202 pounds ; next year to 139,223,467; next year 193,801,073; and in 1890 to307,228,(521 pounds. And at this point even the Democratie leaders had sense eiiough to cease from denying the seli-evident. Nor has this magnifleent develcpment or rather creation, of au American industry been accomplished by an iucrease of price to the consumer. In July, 1889, the year before the imposition of a duty upon imported tin plate, the "poor man's dinner pail" gold at $6.50 per gross; in July, 1895, the price was $5.50, and in July, 1896, it was $5.40. In 1890 the price per box (108 pounds) of charcoal tin plates in New York was $6.05, and of coke tin plates $5.15; in 1895 charcoal tin plate was $5.39 per box and coke was worth $3.66. In 1889 we imported 331,311 long tons of tin plate, worth $21,726,707; in 1896 we imported 119,171 long tons, worth $6,149,161. That is to say, we kept at home rather moretUan $15,500,000 that we had been accustomed to send to Great Britain in payment for tin plates. In 1892 it was the fashiou for every smart Democrat, orator or writer, to speak of the ínter Ocean as "the tin plate advocate." In 1897 it may be well to refer these gentlemen to the Inter Ocean's columns of the campaign year of 1891', and to read in the light of today's achievements the predictions then made. There is provocation to say "We told yon so." But it is useless ti) teil the Democratie party anything. When it is nut blundering about one thing it is blunderiug about another. In 1892 if blundered about tin plate, in 1R96 it bhmdpre-d about "1( to 1," and it loiiks as thoftgh it re going toblnnder about govprnment by injunctiim in 1900.- ínter Ocean.