Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-12-03
WILL CLEVELAND'S ELECIlON
RESTORE PROSPERITY?
To the Editor of the EAGLE:

fore election told the working men OF the
country that if the government was handed
over TO the Democrats it would result in the
permanent reduction Of the wages oil the
producing classes. This prediction is COM
ing true much sooner than those who utter
ed il anticipated. Almost every daily paper
published now contains reports o. reduc-
tons in wages going on in different depart
ments of business. Many manufacturer
are furnishing work for their employees on
liz part Of the time, and others are closing
up entirely There is large proportion OF
the manufacturers Of the country who have
been carving on their business without
profits for some time, and many of them at
least during the last wear or two, have kept
running under the impression that the cleo
ton would decide the question rs TO whether
we were TO have any further reduction OF
duties on foreign imports or not. The cleo
ton of Mr.. Cleveland is n practical endorse
ment by the majority of the people of the
country, of reduction of the tariff policy;
Mt least the manufacturers regard IT as leav-
ing the question still in doubt AS to what
policy is to be pursued in regard to our pro-
,ective system. The high rate our manutac-
turers are paying their employees renders 1t
impossible for them to come into COMPETE
ton with foreigners without high tariff.
Therefore they say if the tariff is to be redu-
ced, they can only keep their facto ries gong
by reducing the wages of their employees
For n week or two after election the impress
sion went abroad that the next congress
would be SO organized that there would be
no further reduction of duties. But Is l.
now sscertained that such members OF con
gress as Morrison, of ILL.,, Hewitt and
Cox. of New York, are determined
10 push through Il scheme for "A further re-
duction of duties al the coming session OF
congress. The reports coming from Wash
ington Indicate that the feeling amongst
members of congress who have already ar
rived a, the capitol is, that there will be no
further legislation on the tariff question
during the present session. The disastrous
effect Of this tariff tinkering policy on the
part Of ths Democrats is being exhibited in
all parts Of the country by n general sup
preston Of our manufacturing industries.
In the iron industries here in New York the |
firm of ]. b. Il J. NJ Cornell usually employ |
from 1000 to 1900 men. bu. they have re-
Gently reduced the force TO 500 men. c. II. |
DeLamater & Co, another of our large |
iron manufacturers that usually employ |
from 900 To 1000 men, have reduced their
force to GOO men, The Singer Sewing Ma
chine company, which has its factory In
Elizabeth, n. j., giving employment to
abou: 1900 men, have discharged GOO of
them. They have recently built a large new
factory in Glasgow, Scotland. where they
employ laborers a. 81 per week who will
turn out as many machines as the employees
in this country who are paid Sl2 per week.
The White Sewing Machine company, of
Cleveland. O., has closed its factory until
after January !, and will give work to less
number Of employees when they start again.
In Pittsburg the iron and glass industries
are both in depressed condition, and a re-
ducton of wages of from 10 TO % per cent
is taking place in many OF the establish
ments. The editor Of the Pittsburg Iron
Age says:
Business men now fear uncertainties since
Mr.. Cleveland is elected. The country is
unable to look for fixed policy directing
the financial and commercial interests of the
country. The interval between now and the
winter of lSS5-s6, in which new congress
will be organized. viii be filed with doubt
Capitalists will be timid until the
policy OF the Democrats will have been
more fully developed. Business will suffer
do not apprehend further reduction of
wages. but fear in few months there will be
no wages at all paid to the operatives in the
iron producing districts in this country.
There is no over production to-day. The
The demand has fallen Of, because cloud
of doubt darkens the future. The present
dizziness will grow. The numbers Of unem-
ploved men are increasing and their tempers
are becoming more unhappy. shall es-
teen the country fortunate If this enforced
idleness does not breed serious mischief.
"These indications are but drop in the
bucket as to wha, will take place if there !.
any important reduction of duties as provid-
ed bv the Morrison Tariff Bill. II seems
strange that Americans should think that
manufacturing industries can prosper hore
when English manufactures are able to OBJ
tain the money which it costs to establish
their business at three per cent and their
laborers at IS cents per day, while Ameri-
leans engaged in manufacturing have to pay
: per cent for money and Sl.oo per day for
labor. Our Democratic friends inform MS
that Americans can compete with the world
in manufacturing. 1t is very true that they
can. but this can only be done after they
have reduced the wages Of the working Gas
,es down TO level with the wages OF the la
borers in foreign countries, and when they
can &c, money p. about as low rate of IN
tsrest. America can undoubtedly build up
her manufacturing industries on the free
trade policy, but it will only be done over
Tho supnression of the present manuiactur-