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About The Corvallis gazette. (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 1897)
THE DINQLEY BILL AND THE FARMER. the New Tariff Meastife: Will Affect Agriculture. How VIEWS OF THE MEN Leading Statisticians and Agricultural Experts ; Also Commend It. The Most Favorable Measure to Agricultura;,Ever: Presented to Congress. . .,v . The following expressions from leading agriculturists, statisticians and statesmen relative to the Dingiey bill and its rela tion to the agricultural' element of the community and to agriculture itself... WH be of interest to every reader, whatever his occupation. The class of men- select ed forfthis exnrossion of views includes men whose training,-: as J students oi agri-H culture from a practical and statistical standpoint of actual practice in prepar ing the bill itself, renders their consensus of opinion upon this measure- ftreuvlT. valuable. Hon. NeTsoo'lrtn-rJeyi'-v" "There can be no doubt of the marked growth of the protective sentiment in the South." said Chairman Dingiey, -of- Ue ...Ways and Means Committee, in comment ing on the bill. "So far as I now recall, this is the first time that Southern Dem ocrats have voted for a protective. bill or expressed the strong sentiments :n lavor of a protective tariff which we have heard. . in the House, and which are now being presented ar the Senate end of 'he capital in the amendments proposed by S-nators and others, increasing the-protective -ares .of duty in the pending tariff bill. We have had Democratic votes from the North for a protective tariff bill in the past, but this -stipport-for the protective idea from the South is new." "And gratifying, .of course,- Mr;- Ding--le'y?" ' . -. . '- : - - - ""Most assuredly." ' ..' r '"' Surprising, too? " "Not especially " so: rib. " The' development- of -manufacturing "industries in the Sooth n the last few years. b.as created a -protective sentiment. There.are two rea sons for this:-first-, the desire for the in crease of manufactures; and 'the., direct results inereirom. anu secouu. me-aa- vantages to agriculture which come from.! lutr -uuuiv uiauuiai-iinii jiivju?m;.i, uf value of farm products' is largely depen dent upon proxifyity to a mark$t..-..FaMn .'p'rodnets are. bulky a-nd the-eost of traiis - ...-;. ..- i,.....- ,J-.: n-:..tjc ...... i. .. . jA..v..'.-n: the profits to the;(Yarmpr. ff he hag ,a market just alongside his farm or in easy reach ne can njak'e4 good profits out of a business which would not be successful if 'he were compelled to sjhip his. productions a long distance fo find sale for them"' The establishment of manufacturing industries jn the South has tlfus not only increased the price which the farmer gets for his V products, but has greatly diversified these - products and thus further increased nis - profits." : I : . xiitru UU loutw upon lue iun in ui ujc " protective sentiment as developing among the agricujturists as 'well as. among the manufacturing communities ' of --the South?" - . ";:r " ' "Undoubtedly a study of the agricul tural'histoTv and conditions of the various sections of the country shows clearly that the value of the land and of its produc tions averages much higher per acre in the. sections having manufacturing indus tries which afford a home market for the products and : for .diversified productions. The people of the South are realizing this-?' in their experience with the manufactut-".-ing establishments which have been de-; - veloped in that section, in . the last fev years". So there is a groth-of protective" sentiment not alone aincrng those interest ed in manufactures or directry 'profiting-' - , . i , . . . . i i. . i i. . . . Dy toe employ uieut wmuu iut giye,,uui. 'also among the great mass of people of that section whose attention is devoted to -agriculture." - - '' i "Do yon look for a continued growth of -the protective sentiment in the South?" .-j "Yes, the mere effect f this discussion ' and the avowed protective sentiments of men of all parties will have its effect -in still further strengthening and increasing ' the protective sentiment." tc "And does this probably mean an in crease in Republican strength from that section in Congress and in national elec tions generally?" "Undoubtedly. The Republican vote in the South has been largely held in check in the past because parties divided to a great extent on the color line. Now that there is a disposition to divide on-other .'. issues and upon the important issue of protection, it will insure fair elections, and . with' fair elections and increased protec tive sentiment, it will strengthen very ma terially the probabilities of Republican success in many parts of that section. We have seen this illustrated in the recent elections in which the Republican party carried the northern tier of Southern States for the presidency, and elected an .. unusually large number of Congressmen." Hon. J. H. Kriurbnm. -.'..' - f .. -"1 think the farmers generally withouj regard to political associations are rather . anxious to see a measnre like the Ding'ev - bill passed, in order to see what the result i will be as related to themselves. Even j those who have not heretofore believed ! "-very much in the policy of protection to ! American industries, want to see this bill put into operation in the hope that it w"i!l afford them relief, and if it does they will .. be very thankful. If it does not afford -the relief desired then they will turn their attention to something else.' So far ' as I am individually concerned. I have always been on advocate of protection to American industries.- As a farmer. I have felt that the agricultural jnterests have not always been fairly treated in tariff re visions. In the MeKinley bill, agriculture received better treatment than in any oth er measure, previous or subsequent, cx- cept the Dingiey bill. I had nnfcli to do personally With the shaping of the McKin7 ley bill as related to the agricultural schedule, being called, upon by Major Me-j WHO FRAMED IT. Kinley, chairman of the committee, to as sist in this work, and I tried to make, it afford' protection to agriculture'. We se cured ibout all we asked for. except a duty npon hides. We felt that as a mat ter of justice and right people who raise cattle are. entitled to protection' on hides Sis well as those who manufacture leather ind shoes have a right to protection on Htheir. products. The farmers .unquestion ably reaped considerable benefit from the MeKinley law. although the apparent re versal of the- verdict of the peopVeTnlSOO and 1S92 prevented them from realizing I he. full advantages - which-. tbe' ;w.on.ld na ve otherwise reaped under the measure. Farming-industries, as everybody Tshows, have ..beeg greatly depressed during the pa lit ws years, and many of .its .attribute th is" In rgely to' the discrimination against agriculture, in the present Wilson tariflf measnre, which placed wool upon tfie free list and' reduced the duty, upon agricul tural products. "We received . great advantages,... we thinks from. the; reciprocity feature of the MeKinley law which has the "endorse ment of nearly every farmer in this cowl try, and we were very "sorry that the treaties were not .carried out by, the.last administration. :We'a'fe very glad to see (hat the niain features, of the. MeKinley law as related to' protection to agriculture are found in the Dingiey bill. There has. been, some improvement, we think. 'in" th'e wool schedule, and we are sure that the prompt passage of this measure wilj af ford some relief which will be very grate ful to the farmers,. They will be very much opposed to unnecessary delay- in itrs; passage, as they wan? relief. "and want it now. They will have little patience with any 4oirg drawn out. action and dglay on the part of Congress in puttiiw this meas ure on the statute books. They want it trf' become a law, The -farmers'are sder pendent largely npon home consnmws forcd the disposal of their products. The pro dffcls sent, abroad are brought.into compe tition with the cheapest" hfbor4 and randan the' World, and sometimes theri' is-iio profit left for the farmer after charges are .paid.. For their other products, however, not "shipped abroad there is a great advan tage to the farmer in having a good sub stantial home market. The opening of factories "and mines and giving employ ment to the vast army of laborers in this country at good wages will largely in crease the consumption o,f those products not considered staple products, such as vegetables, fruits, etc.. and will.be of very great benefit to. the farming class. These laboring classes are liberal buyers when they have the money and never haggle overprices, sot hat we will get. if this bill open's- factories and mines and gives the employment -expected,: great benefits, in this somewhat indirect manner. "It is not to be expected, however, that the benefits will be directly and immedi ately felt to the extent that they wHI later. The bonded warehouses of the great cities are at this time crowded to overflowing with millions of dollars' worth of impor tations witiCKThave been rushed in under thfr .present1 Ta w -in order to escape the higher dsitj Anticipated by the Dingiey MU., It ft'-Hl take some time for the peo p!f to aliSMy-b this vat overstock of clpth ins, and in" the meantime but small de- laaiw" jsvill be.ra.ade upon manufacturers' in tnis country, nor will the custom te-. eeipts show their legitimate strength.'!-': -V J. II. BUIGHAM. Assistant Secretary of Agriculture.. ;, v Pon. Georce W. Steele. Major Steele, Congressman from In diana and a member of the Ways and M eans Committee, discussed various top ics of the pending bill, having looked care fully into the features of the Wilson law as compared with the MeKinley law. up on which the Dingiey bill is very generally based. '; Especially with reference to live stock he shows by his remarks in the Con gressional Record that the decrease in the values of horses, cattle and sheep in Indiana .alone have been enormous, in some cases over (ill per cent. In the case of cattle and jshoep this decrease in value is directly attributable to the pperation of the Wilson law Cattle were brought into-Ahjs country in great numbers from Canada and Mexico. Mexican cattle were brought in across the border at a total cost, including duty, slightly in excess of $S per head." and were driven in great droves eastward, to be -Jinally fattened in the great corn areas of the West and then placed upon the Chicago and ether Western markets. By this methoif of driving, the buyers of herds escaped the necessity of winter feeding, and they were thus brought into competition with the cattle raised by our own fanners at a cost of about JF'iO per head. Vast areas of If he grazing lands of the West are now idle by reason of this competition. In addition to this, infectious diseases f- ft-cting cattle have been largely spread among our own herds by these passing droves, the Western cattle raiser never knowing when his herd would become af fected and depleted. Continuing, Mr. Steele ,sa id that there has been" an un doubted evasion of the law in the payment of duty and that great numbers of cattle have been, brought in without the payment of auy tariff whatever. The farmers of the middle West, Mr. Steele says, are well satisfied with the re turn to $4 per ton duty on hay. This will shut out the great quantity of Canada hay which has been brought into the northern central section of the country by reason of the "short haul, selling in our markets there, while the hay of the farm- ers of this country rots in the stacks. Ue indicates a general satisfaction with the wool schedule, and has not received a sin gle complaint in regard to the bill gen erally from the farmers. - "It cannot be expected," continued Mr. Steele, "that any genuine prosperity and stability will come to' the country until this tariff matter is settled and rates on. all articles adjusted permanently. -TUe trouble was after the enactment of the MeKinley law, that the people dH not al low sufficient time for conditions to prop erly adj.ist themselves and to allow the law to show its full power, before they overwhelmed the country with ah adverse criticism and demanded a trial "of low tariff. The people of the country have had opportunity to see the free trade the ory put into practical operation and have found it wanting, and now we hope that when, this present bill is enacted into law they will be patient and allow the new law to thoroughly adjust itself to the con- final judgment on its merits, we conn- ut-iiiij preuiciiuac it win iniug iv' ity to the country, but it .is not reasonable to' suppose that it can work miracles, or that it ran immediately place the country upon the footing and prosperous basis .which we had worked np to and enjoyed through many years of continuous protec tion prior to the advent of the Wilson law. The country has demanded a return to the protective system, and no class has made the demand stronger in this line than the farmers. Now when the system is put into operation. .leT us give it the necessary time, after- the past years of tearing down the protective walls of the country, to gradually bring confidence and the hum of industry, which has been through his tory the accompaniment of a protective tariff. 'v 5 "Under free trade. pr a low tariff, the producer or manufacturer has no assur ance wha the prices for his products will be.' The prices' 'are regulated by the-.floods-. f; material and manufactured ar ticles which are' unloaded upon our shores, the products of the pauper labor of-Europe; he is" thus timid about pursuing this Jin of industry to his full capacity for fear it will leave him in debt by finding his markets occupied by foreign .goods; thus his operations are circumscribed and his purchasing power reduced to a mini mum and many of the people who sold him their products find themselves with out. customer. Sucb--fl instance, multi plied by thousands largely-1 accounts for the loss of the home market in this coun try." f '--- " Hob. Walter Evans. "The agricultural interests of "the country-are very comprehensive and include subjects of vast extent apd importance corn,' whe'at, sugar, rice, tobacco,; cottort, fruits, horses, mules, cattle, sheep, wool, etc., are probably those that first strike you. The farmer needs that a demand should be created 'and sustained for all farm products at good prices. Without an active demand that is reasonably continu ous and permanent in character agricui- 'iiTrnl -itffferests languish. If there is such a demand th.eT flourish, and that is. p.re-cAsolyr-e5uivalent to prosperity for the fj)ngr: ,( jrhe tariff bill aims at two things in this connection, naipety, fifsti:ttf) -guard ,onr. .faxaisrs and farm labor -against" the. Lkiwe? wage conditionsojf-,bfr-tnue-s. sncn.as Mexico, tanaaa ana many orners more remote, and, second, to sq stimulate Ethel geifcral'' 'industrial energieiVtif the whole country as to give all the people work at , fair compensation in one form or dh other.' aho in that way togain- fhem the'power to buy what. the farmers have, for sale, and as a consequence -to create and ustain'the demand of which I have spoken; ' No class of our people arevmore. dependent .than are the farmers upon the successful operation of the doctrine of pro tection to home industries, for, -if those industries are prosperous the great labor ing. .classes W'll have moue(, and will therewith:buy freely and pay liberally .antl promptly for what the farmer' has," but if the laboring classes are out of employ ment they cannot and do not buy , what the farmer must sell.!' The last four years have demonstrated this.aod it seems to. me that the people will not forget it. Speaking generally, 1 may say that no class of our people were more thought of by the Republican members of the Ways and Means Committee in preparing the bill than were the farmers, and I believe the provisions of the bill will show this to be a fact. We tried to do what was need ful to re-create our sheep flocks and- the wool clips that would follow. We esps-, cially endeavored to encourage the pro duction of sugar, feeling sure that our farmers could produce -all we require if they would go to Work at it. So with all the other great agricultural products I have named. And in my judgment if the. planters of the South will-only address themselves to it there are other crops than those now raised there which can be cul tivated with great profit notably, for in stance, jute." WALTER EVANS, Member Ways and Means Committee. ' Hon. Pobert P. Porter. The tariff bill is now before the public, and it is easy to make a comparison, item by item, of the proposed bill with the present law and the MeKinley law. The opposition plan is to attack the new bill in detail, as they did the MeKinley law, and make all the political capital out of these attacks. It is well for Republicans to" be on guard against these misleading and in sidious attacks. They should recall -the fact most potent at this time that the sec tions of the MeKinley law which were most bitterly assailed are the very sec tions that subsequently proved of most" benefit to the American producer and the American wage earner. The agricultural interests of the conn try have been well cared for. directly by the increase of duties wherever necessary, and indirectly by the provisions for recip rocity, which are sure to increase our ex ports of agricultural products. Our free trade friends have shown, great anxiety over this reciprocity feature of the new bill. "With sugar on the dutiable list, what have.we got to trade with?" they in nocently exclaim. The answer is: "Lots ! of things." The new reciprocity will au- 1 . . . r- :j . j ... tnorize ine nraiucn io reuuee unties in cases where other nations are willing to reduce duties on our commodities. For instance, an eighth of a cent reduction per pound on refined sugar will be an impor tant club to hold over Germany, and may make that naf'on hesitate to prohibit our grain and flour and cattle and meat. The changes in the mineral water schedule will have the same effect. So in the case of silk and wines from France. This pol icy should be extended much .further than the committee has gone.. In addition to sugar, the President is authorized to put a doty on tea and coffee: but the rate is not high enough to have the right effect And in the case of the countries which should make reciprocal arrangements for oiir agricultural products the duties should be placed high, and the right invested in the President ' to reduce, if , by so doing Germany and France would make similar reductions - on commodities we sell to them. It is, therefore, to be hoped that Congress will not nibble at reciprocity, but give the country a strong measure, even more far-reaching than the committee pro poses, that will give us new markets for ourvagrieuitural .products in Europerand our machinery and farm implements in Sonth America. We have been doing very well in our exports of manufactures during the last few years.-but the gain in that direction has not made up for the Joss in agricultural products.' We have plenty of articles to trade oh in the man ner suggested, if Congress only shows the courage of its convictions and invests the President with the widest possible lati tude. The proposed legislation to give'us rev enue, increaseu home production, give employment to American labor and in crease our influence in the world's mar kets is not going .to glide through Con7 gress without Opposition. The free trad ers will put up a strong fight against it, and they propose to make all the capital possible out of it, even if there is no fac tious opposition. ROBT. P. PORTER. Ex-Supt U. S. Census. Hon. Martin 3tt Johnson. The main advances in rates have been made in the agricultural schedule. We have- given everything that we possibly could in the way .-of direct protection to the farmers. I do not think there is an exception. In every instance where we I found that;-we couid benefit any agricul tural products directly by a tariff, we have done so, but the main advantage which the farmers expect to get, anxJ will get from this protective tariff is in increasing their home markets, the best in the world. The sugar, and - flax 'schedules' were made with a view to creating or establishing two distinctly new and great sources of agricultural wealth. -We have passed be yond Jhjs experimental stage in both these ' items. "We know' now that our soil and climate are the best in the world for the growth of flax fibre and sugar beets, and now all we need is protection. Cause and effect will be as cleaj cut in the natural ization of the sugar and linen industries under the Dingiey bill as was the tin plate industry under the law of 1S90. By so :,a4jtin:'aHlf.'s.-t61frtt-ect and en- "courage the manufacture and production of everything tifati-we' can produce or make to advantage- tn' this country, we create a home market for home products. Xext to that market we expect to reopen foreign markets ifor- flour, meats 'agricul-' tural and other iaahinery which we pos sessed under ourjsfittkneJ reciprocity agreements-with the- West - Indies and jCentral and South Amerfeafn States,' and also ith Germany and Ffanper-In my judgjrient those markets fartvheaf -.and flour wilf .make, an ,a6UIftl4"''r-demand for sixty million bushels" o1fwbeat a year, and - the restoration of acffitii'n the mining, man ufacturing and jgliex industries of; this country, such as-s'e enjo.yed under, th tariff of 1S90 wjlig: I "think, increase the. home consumptift&Sto' what it formerly was per capita, t"u padding about -.120-, milliojj Jinshels aiaSygjfttijS present ipine onsumDtion'-a,nSSihlswill, I. think iter W e find that jjip "Wo.oten sckedHleij. meeting with, gefieial approbation aniohg the "farmers. I ajJi'ln-Tec"e'ipt of a letter from the secret a ISJjoi the Wool Growers''' Association of Xqth Dakota with refer ence to.ih'e propoBeawool schedule of the Dingiey ''"bin. stajGftg that" the same is thoroughly satisfary to the North Da kota association. s !f he woolen schedule of the present bill is 'marked improvement over that of the Meifialeyrlaw.. The rates, on the firsthand ;.;s(hpnd class-wools are the sarh.e as 'under -the MeKinley law, but the advantage of thej schedule in this bill lies in the fact ttiattthe coarse so-called jj'fcarpet .wools" .frouiChina, Bagdad and Kgj pt prmcipaIly."Tyin: under the Me Kinley -law "si low.vate of duty, are now rated us first-class, w-cjols. At least thirty million pounds of tjitse wools were im ported -as earpet wool annually, but were converted into garjnints and cloths, instead-of carpets, and jto meet the require ments of the niamfftiqturers, the fashions were actually-changed, cloaks and coats possessing a very roajgh . fibre and finish being worn by all classes. - h ?' The protectionist farmers of the coun try with 'whom I';hair.e talked or corre sponded express themselves as thoroughly satisfied with the present bill. : They not 6nly believe that it will help them directly by reason of the rats levied npon agri cultural articles, 'but have great faith that with its enactment will .come increased activity and good business times, and that there will be a ready and satisfactory home market, for their products. Former ly there was little need of direct protec tion to farm products as few were im ported. Now all that is changed, as over fifty per cent of our total imports for the last five-years have been agricultural pro ducts. M. N. JOHNSON, Member Ways and Means Committee. Hon. J. R. Dodsre. Free traders are apt to sneer at the idea of a tariff on farm animals, wheat, barley, eggs and other products of the farm, and call attention to the limited amount of such imports. It they are intelligent, such sneering is insincere; "if impracticable doc trinarians, -they know no better. Without a duty on wheat,it can be brought from Argentine to New York at less expense than, from Nebraska; barley is brought from Canada in spite of ordinary duties, and cattle from Canada and Texas. Wool was brought from Australia, Cape Colony and several South American States when the duty was' 12 cents per pound, and since it came in free, with free shoddy in its'wake; an amount in a single year, equal to the entire clip of the United States, has flooded the country, sending prices below sost of production and a fourth of the flocks of the country to the butcher's ; block, to exportation and to death by. neglect; reduced the value of those remaining and almost eliminated value from the pasture lands. of farm and range. The manufacturers who were promised so much benefit from free wool, greater variety, cheaper cost, a larger out put and a fpreign market, have been over run by enormous quantities and depre ciated qv'.ities of manufactured foreign goods, not admitted free, but at lower duties, and the result has been the shut ting down of mills until at one time three fourths of the factories were inoperative, artisans and laborers out of employ, con sumption of farm products reduced, confi dence destroyed, panic intensified and ey-. ery interest of the country affected. The wool growers and manufacturers alone ime lost -more by this experiment of free wot'ls and lowered woolen duties than the an represented by the increase of the na tional debt during Cleveland's administration.- And who haa gained? Nobody. The quality of clothing is reduced more than the price, and it was never so hard for the laboring -man or the farmer to bny a new suit. How can a laborer be benefited by -a reduction of $5 per annum on his clothing and ?100 on his income? Of what advantage to a farmer is cheap shoddy if he cannot sell his products ex cept at prices below cost? A silly pretense and generally a dishon est one, that should be everywhere expos ed, is the contention that duties increase invariably and permanently the. prices of similar domestic production. This is neither the object nor effect of duties. It is to exclude excessive foreign competi tion and hold the home market for home enterprise and home labor, both in indus trial and in rural lines. And this is not a theory, it is an accomplished fact, the inevitable result of which is assured in a very brief period with our abundant cap ital and superabundant labor, the latter increased by 300,000 to 500,000 immi grants yearly who cannot be kept employ ed while our food and clothing is made in Europe and elsewhere. This is a proposi tion which is readily admitted by anyone not an idiot. In this connection cannot the farmer see how he is benefited by pro tection? The day has arrived when the farmers must hold the home market or stare ruin in the face. Ten years' increase of our population requires half as much wheat as we export and our exportation is threatened with decrease by Russia and Argentina, with no prospect, scarcely a possibility of Increase. We import half as much food and drink as all our agri cultural exports, and our entire consump tion already almost equals the enormous farm production, much of our exports go ing to offset the cost of our agricultural imports. What folly, then, for farmers to seek to destroy their own market by free trade competition. It is not the dan ger merely of imported farm products, but of imported manufactures which make labor idle, non-consumptive and paralysis of all industries,;-and that of the farmer with inevitable certainty. Even a blind farmer ought to be able to see this point distinctly in the record of four years of a semi-free trade administration.: J. R. DODGE, Ex-Statisticiah U. S. Department of Agriculture. A VERSATILE AGRICULTURIST. Secretary 'Wilaon look'ne Oat for Vartons Farm Industries. Secretary Wilson of the Department of Agriculture, learning incidentally that corn was being shipped from the United States to Denmark to be fed to cows, whose butter is marketed in London, at once conceived the idea that . American corn should be turned into butter by American cows and marketed in London by American farmers. -'' ' . .Upon inquiry at the .Treasury Depart ment, Mr. Wilson learned that he had power and authority to spend the Gov ernment's money about as he saw fit. He had a .purpose in view in. making the in quiry, and at once issued orders to his as sistants to buy several hundred pounds of the- best creamery butter made in Illi nois, Iowa and one or two other States. This wijl be shipped to the Government's animal industry agent in London, and placed -upon the market. The butter will be-sent in various packages, and the agent wUl.be.jnstriicted to report what the ma'r 'ket. wapis in.jthe way. of package, color .of butter, salt, flavor, etc. It is expected that in this way a knowledge of the -wants of the English markets will be obtained, to the end that the farmers of the United States will soon be getting a fair share of the English butter tr&de. :.- . ' Secretary Wilson-says scientific work is 11-right, but he wants scientific work that, has a practical value. "The trouble with many of our scientists of the Agri cultural Department," he says, "is that they-work for the delectation of other sci entists, for the approval af their fellows in the-scientific world. I want them to work for the farmer." Currency Reform Sot "Shelved." The assertion which is made by some of the sound money Democratic papers that the Republicans have "shelved" monetary reform is a little, too precipitate. Presi dent MeKinley gave a prominent place to this subject in his inaugural address, and suggested, the appointment of a commis sion to go over the whole question and re port a plan which would bring our diverse and illogical financial system into approx imate harmony with the requirements of the time. A bill 'to carry out the Presi dent's suggestion has been introduced in the House. ' It would, be unreasonable to blame the Republicans for giving precedence to the tariff question. A .deficit of something like $70,000,000 a year in the revenues is to be provided for; and this necessity is far greater than that of reforming the financial system, urgent as the latter re quirement is. The condition of the cur-rency-wilr not get worse, for the assault on the nation's monetary stability and sol vency made last year has been repelled, and it cannot be repeated until three years hence at the earliest. On the other hand, the necessity for immediate action on the question of the revenues is imperative. St. Louis Ulobe-JDemocfrat. . Bryan's Case Hopeless. If these immense crowds which greet Mr. Bryan wherever he speaks mean that he is likely to be nominated in 1900 they indicate that Providence is going to stick to the Republican party. Mr. Bryan is an eloquent and picturesque man, but his popularity does not grow on close ac quaintance. He will never be as strong again as he was last year. Despite his ravings in 1896 that his defeat would mean national bankruptcy and general disaster, and his silly flings at the Kepub Iican party since the election, a majority of the people probably think he is sincere, but a majority of the people can never be led to think he is the sort of man this country needs for President. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. . Steady Business Improvement. A good many , people are complaining that business is no better than it was be fore the election. There has certainly been no boom, and men of small means find it about as difficult to get money as before; but there is certainly an improve ment in financial conditions, and people with good collateral and gilt-edged credit can secure money for legitimate opera tions at a lower rate of interest than ever known before in- this country. . If people will exercise a little -patience they may yet witness a marvelous busi ness recovery, as the result of the health ier political and industrial conditions brought about by the inauguration of a Republican President and the passage of a protective tariff. Minneapolis Tribune. The interest on our public debt increas ed 50 per cent during Grover .Cleveland's second term in office, but the interest in Grover Cleveland and his party during that time decreased more than 00 per cent THE SILVER COMMISSION. President's Appointment of Com missioners Generally Commended. President MeKinley, by his appointment of commissioners to an international mon etary conference, has given another strik ing assurance of Republican good faith in dealing with the silver question. The pledge of the St. Louis platform to pro mote an international agreement in the in terest of bimetallism and the cordial sym pathy of the Republican party for every practical movement in that direction are forcibly demonstrated by the President's prompt and statesmanlike action in th present instance. New York Mail and Express. President MeKinley has acted wisely in making the bimetallic commission a radi cal one. Two of the members are for free silver without any qualifications, and can be trusted to do all in their power to bring about international bimetallism at tfife ratio of 16 to 1. The other is a gold man who favors bimetallism, and who, of course, will not place any obstacles in the w;ay of his colleagues. . There can be no complaint hereafter that the bimetallists have not been giveji ample opportunity to achieve their purpose. Baltimore Ameri can. .President MeKinley has very properly naajed commissioners' to represent the United States at the international mone tary conference. Atlanta Journal, Dem. The platform of the national Republican convention advocated an international conference upon the free coinage of sil ver. The Republican Congress carried out the proposition by appropriate legisla tion and authorized "the President to ap point a commission. President MeKinley shows his intention' of obeying that legis lation to the best of hfs ability by the se lection' of Senator Wolcott of Colorado, ex-Vice-President Stevenson and Gen. Paine of Massachusetts as the members. These gentlemen are all bimetallists. Sen- ator Wolcott is one of those radical silver men who can be respected for his honesty of purpose. He is, first of all. a Republi can, and refused to desert the party along with Teller and Dubois and the rest of them. The commission is" a strong one. Philadelphia Inquirer. President MeKinley is working in good faith to carry out that declaration of the St. Louis platform which pledges the Re publican administration to do all in its power to promote international bimetal lism The last Congress having provided the necessary legislation whereby either a monetary conference might be called or special commissioners be appointed to sound foreign governments on the ques tion of bimetallism, the President has adopted the latter course. Chicago Times-Herald. ' President McKiriley's appointment of a commission to an international monetary conference demonstrates anew his loyalty to the best interests of the currency and his desire to carry out the declaration of the national Republican platform in re gard to securing such larger use of s'ilyer in the moneys of the world as may be made with safety. The commission an nounced is representative and its person nel could hardly be improved. It covers all phases of opinion on the silver ques tion; Ohio State Journal." ' '-. . - The "silver .Democrats have persistently maintained that the Republican party was not sincere when it declared at St. Louis that it was favorable to the largest possi ble use of silver as.a mjjney metal, and was further favorable to a bimetallic cur rency based on an international agree1 ment. Since the election these same peo ple have stubbornly insisted that Presi dent MeKinley, nor the Republican party, would do nothing favorable to the restora tion of the white metal as a primary mon ey. Our dispatches this morning are a sufficient answer to such assertions. Pres ident MeKinley has already begun the good work of getting ready for an inter national conference with a view to secure an international agreement for a bimetal lic currency that will be acceptable to the great commercial nations of the world. Dubuque Times. ' If anything can be done in favor of in ternational bimetallism this commission can accomplish it. "If nothing an be done, and the indications are not flattering, we shall know the truth about the matter. If an. international coinage ratio cannot be established, it is possible that the re mark of Senator Wolcott, one of the com mission, to the effect that financial men in Europe are eager to arrest the depre ciation cf silver bullion, indicates that an effort may be made to come to an agree ment "by which nations may absorb and use more silver as money. Indianapolis Journal. President MeKinley has taken the first step towards carrying out the pledge of the Republican national platform to pro mote international bimetallism, by ap pointing three commissioners to an inter national monetary conference, in accord ance with the act passed at the last ses sion. The composition of this commission is certainly favorable to the silver men. The expectations of the country as to the success of this commission will not be raised too high: but if it fails it will be a satisfaction to know that a sincere effort has been made by able representatives of the United States to fetch the leading European nation into line. Minneapolis Tribune. Wilson's Winning Ways. Secretary Wilson has adopted a most effective way of disabusing the minds of farmers, particularly in the West and South, of the delusion that the coinage or currency question is at the bottom of their troubles. It will take time, of course, to carry his project fully into ef fect, but it marks a decided step in ren dering the Department of Agriculture one of the most practical and useful branches of the Federal Government. The public will heartily sustain him in his efforts'to enable American farmers to better their lot and to free themselves from the pesti lent influences of political mountebanks and fakirs. New York Commercial Ad vertiser. Southern Farmers Prosperons Hon. J. Pope Brown, president of the Georgia State Agricultural Society, is re ported as saying that "the farmers of the State are in better condition than they have been, in twenty years." Mr.-Brown is a farmer, progressive, successful and prosperous. He" ought to know and we btl'.eve he is very correct. Houston Home Journal. gijjns of Better Times. While the revival of industry from the depression caused by the Democratic tariff is slov,as was foreseen by all intelligent men, it is. nevertheless, progressing stead ily, and in no part of the Union are signs lacking that the bard times are passing away, and better couditioas returning to all classes of trade and industry. San Francisco Call.
