TURNING TOWARD PROTECTION AND MCGRAWVILLE POST OFFICE

Wilson-Gorman Tariff cartoon.

Cortland Evening Standard, Saturday, June 19, 1897.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

Turning Toward Protection.

   There is every reason why the old time southern free trader should feel discouraged. Right in his own section he sees the strongest evidence of a radical change in public opinion concerning the tariff question. His representatives in congress are voting for protective duties, and newspapers which for years supported tariff reform merely because it was Democratic policy are not only wavering, but many of them are openly proclaiming their acceptance of the principle of protection. The American Tariff league finds that its literature is in demand among the southern Democratic newspapers. It has requests from 2,537 Democratic and independent journals which formerly opposed protection. In every southern state there is a constantly growing list of newspapers which receive and publish the statistics prepared by the league. The same is true of Democratic newspapers in other sections than the South, and the change in sentiment is confined to no one locality. In this revolution of public opinion is to be found the greatest hope of taking the tariff out of politics. When free trade ideas are confined to a small minority of theorists there will be little chance of tariff reform planks being incorporated in Democratic platforms.

   ◘ Every available steamer in Chinese waters is being loaded with tea and rushed across the Pacific in order that the cargo may be landed in this country before the new tariff bill goes into effect. If the senate should now strike out the duty on tea, as it is quite likely to do, the smart importers would find that they have overreached themselves. With their money tied up in an immense stock for which there would be no immediate demand and with prices unchanged, some of them at least would regret their precipitancy.

OUR CUBAN TRADE.

Trade Relations Have Received a Decided Setback by the War.

   WASHINGTON, June 19.—A significant report on our trade with Cuba from 1887 to 1897, prepared by Chief Hitchcock of the foreign markets section of the agricultural department, has been promulgated by Secretary of Agriculture Wilson. The statistics show clearly the effect of present hostilities in Cuba upon the commercial intercourse of the United States with that island.

   During the last fiscal year, 1896, the total value of our Cuban trade amounted to only $47,548,610, as compared with $102,864,204 in 1893, the year preceding the breaking out of the war. This was a falling off of more than 50 per cent in three years.

   Returns already available for the current fiscal year indicate a still further decline, the records for the nine months ending March 31, 1897, placing the total value of that trade for that period as low as $14,926,817. At this rate the figures for the fiscal year 1897 will hardly reach $20,000,000, or less than one-fifth of the value recorded for 1893.

   During the early years of the present decade our Cuban trade had received a material impetus, the years 1887 to 1893 inclusive, showing uninterrupted gains, and but for the opening of the war a still greater expansion, it is predicted, probably would have followed. As it is, however, commercial interchange between the United States and Cuba has been very largely abridged.

Gen. Juan Rius Rivera.

Will Proceed Against Rivera.

   HAVANA, June 19.—A special dispatch from Madrid says that Senor Canovas del Castillo, the premier, the Duke of Tetuan, minister of foreign affairs, and General Azecarraga, the minister of war, met to consider the question of future proceedings as to General Rius Rivera and Colonel Baccalao, who have not yet been brought to trial by courtmartial.

   Captain General Weyler informed Consul General Lee that on the 14th he gave orders to the military commander at Cardenas revoking the previous instructions under which Joseph Duenas, an American planter, near Quintana, had been ordered to abandon his estate.

Consul-Gen. Fitzhugh Lee.

Spaniards Dislike Consul Lee.

   HAVANA, June 19.—A morning newspaper, which is the organ of the Spanish admiralty here, contains an editorial strongly censuring the American government for retaining Consul General Lee, who "unworthily fills a high position of almost diplomatic rank." It says he must surely be retained because he has the full approval of the government, for he is opposed to it in politics.

BREVITIES.

   —At the First M. E. church to-morrow Rev. W. E. Doughty will preach in the morning. There will be no service in the evening.

   —Nearly one hundred sixty people went this morning to Cascade on the annual excursion and picnic of the Presbyterian Sunday-school.

   —Rev. W. H. Pound will preach the baccalaureate sermon before the graduates and friends of the Homer academy in the Congregational church at Homer Sunday evening. There will consequently be no services at the Congregational church in this village in the evening. The morning service and all the other services of the day, except the evening, will be held as usual.

AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY

To Secure a High Grade Bicycle at Actual Cost.

   The Cortland Wagon Co. are making preparations to close out their bicycle business for this year. They have about 100 wheels left, men's and women's patterns, finished in plain black and in colors. The New Diana, 1897 pattern, is a strictly high grade $100 wheel and is spoken of in terms of highest praise by a large number of Cortland riders. These wheels win be closed out at actual cost of production. The prices are so low as to be irresistible. Samples can be seen at the Cortland Wagon Co.'s showroom. This is the greatest opportunity yet offered to secure a first class wheel at than manufacturer's prices. (613-tf)

McGRAWVILLE.

Crisp Local Happenings at the Corset City.

   Clarence D. Mitchell of DeRuyter is a guest of Mr. and Mrs. M. B. Howes.

   The item in Friday's STANDARD should have read Mrs. E. B. Goodell is visiting in Syracuse, etc., instead of Mrs. E. B. Wood.

   R. B. Dibble has been in Binghamton for a few days.

   Mrs. Mary Hughes of Utica is visiting at William Martin's.

   Glenn Walters and Miss Agnes Bergett of Cortland called on friends in town Friday evening.

   H. W. Hall of Whitney Point was in town Friday. Mr. Hall, who is now engaged in the glove business, has many friends here who know him as Captain Hall of the Christian Crusaders. Mr. Hall has nearly recovered from his injuries in the railroad accident as reported in this column at the time and had sold out his store in Whitney Point before the fire.

   Frank Griffin of Cortland called on friends in town Friday.

   Chief of Police Linderman of Cortland was in town Friday.

   Frank Webster would like the person who took the plant from his yard Friday night to return it and avoid trouble.

   The postoffice department has authorized the postmaster in this place to lease the building of Dr. H. C. Hendrick, formerly occupied by P. H. and D. McGraw as offices, and Dr. Hendrick is remodeling the same for postoffice purposes. The partition has been removed making a room 16 by 36 feet, the chimney will be moved to one side, new floor laid, an additional window placed in the rear and the whole newly papered and painted. This will give nearly double the room of the present office and will be much more convenient for the work as well as the patrons. The office will be changed as soon as possible.

   L. O. Phelps and Layton Webster took a fishing trip to East River Friday. The fish must have grown since your reporter was there, as it is reported that there was one large enough to pull the former into the water from which he was rescued by his companion, but too late to save the fish.