Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-05-13
Always Count the Cost.

This is the caption of the leading ar
ticle in the Philadelphia Times of May
4th. There Is more truth than poetry
in it, as the current events of the day
show. #
1t Is always wise to count the cost of
any movement or enterprise, for where
there is cost, somebody must pay.
The wages earned by the working
men now on the strike throughout the
country, would foot up not less than
two millions of dollars each week. Up
on whom must the loss fall? Some
body must pay the cost and suffer the
loss. Will it be the employers, or en-
ployed, or both?
The Industrial enterprises of the land
have all been paralyzed; their employ
ing power diminished; their business
rendered unstable; their future opera
tions limited by doubts, and lessened
labor and lessened profits are the result.
| Upon whom must the loss fall? Who
must pay the costs?
Millions of dollars would have been
expended in Philadelphia this year in
new buildings, factories and other inn
provements, had not labor disputes
stopped investments and forbidden con-
tracts. And what is true of this city is
equally true in every section of the
country. Capital is thus forced to idle
ness and labor is unemployed, and who
must pay the cost?
Every building erected disburses
four-fifths Of its whole cost to labor.
From the lumberman in the forest, to
the raftsman, to the millman, to the
transporter, to the lumber yard, to the
plaining-mill or shop and thence to the
building, all is labor.
| The brick comes from the clay-dig-
| ger to the brick-moldes and burner, to
the transporter, to the hod-carrier, to
the brick-layer, and all Is labor. Every
| thing that goes into the improvements
| is nearly wholly labor; that labor has
been stopped, except in cases Of abso-
lutte necessity, and who must pay the
cost?
Business confidence had become gen.
orally diffused throughout the country
with the opening Of the year, and capi-
| tai gave every indication Of diffusion
into new Industrial enterprises. Every
such new enterprise is simply new
field opened for labor; multiplies de,
mand for labor, and increased demand
ever advances wages; but capital has
not only been driven from new indus.
tries, but is tempted to withdraw from
established enterprises, and the loss
must be incalculable. Who must pay
the cost? X
There will be contraction Of not lese
than one thousand million dollars III
/ the Industrial business of the country
this year. 1t must fall somewhere
somebody must pay the cost; by whom
| will its severest blows be felt? a5
i Who must pay the cost? This ques-
tion is one that every employer and ev.
cry workingman should grayeiy con-
lsider, for the loss must fall somewhere
and the debtor must pay to the utter
most. It may seem to be a question oil
comparatively little moment to saloon
agitators, but it is grave question for
Eevery honest workingman and every
honest employer who must face the In
exorable consequences of the labor dis
| putes. The land Is now sunny and
green with the promise OF plenty; but
when the frosts of winter come there
will be cold and breadless homes, and
then the cost will be reckoned by tens
| of thousands who now bid defiance to
| fate.
Let none forget that the loss Of the
present labor strikes must ba counted
| by hundreds Of millions, and it must
fall somewhere. Those who must pay
should now soberly countlthe cost.
W yxyt,ot 10 that xvt,i,t tl,o,,r.I, o1xvo ~,