The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-07-07
Current Events.

Current Events.
The most notable feature Of the fourth
was the great re union Of Federal and Con
federate veterans ST Gettysburg, Pa just
% years after that great battle, which
sealed the fate of the cOnfederacy. Much
might be written Of this m0mentOus strug
gle, which was one of the very few In the
worlds records from which new eras begin
and which change the course of history
From Gettysburg is dated new era In
American history. The cOnfederacy and
all the ideas on which It was founded, and
which had for fifty years been a menace Il
the republic, there, twenty-five years ago
came 10 an end and new order began
All since has been but the final burial Of
the corpse of the old order and progress to
complete reconciliation 10 the new. The
reunion of this week, and OF year ago,
when veterans of the Blue and Gray met
In fraternal greetings, marching arm in
arm over the scenes over the scenes Of their
desperate struggle of quarter century ago,
shows that in spite of the effort ef polti-
clans, the day of reconciliation has come,
and as George William Curtis, in his
address said: ION this field we consecrate
ourselves 10 American union. In this
hallowed ground lie buried not only brave
soldiers of the Blue and Gray, but tue pas
sions of war, the jealousies of sections and
the bitter root of all our national differ
ences-humsn slavery Here long and
angry controversies of political dogma, of
material interest and of local pride and
tradition came 10 their decisive struggle
As the fate of Christendom was determined
al Tours, that Of American Independence
AZ Saratoga, and that OF modern Europe at
Waterloo, the destiny Of the American
Union was dedicated at Gettysburg" 1t Is
meet that the past bitterness be forgotten,
and that the needs of the future be the
study of politicians and statesmen rather
than the dead Issues sealed forever on that
fateful field.
If 1t were needed, there could he no
greater proof of the utter impotence If
the tariff as a regulator of wages, than the
monster strike In the iron industries of
Pittsburgh and the Ohio valley. The
strike affects nearly 100000 men, and was
the result OF All attempt Of the bosses TO
reduce wages 10 per cent If II Is true, as
has been suggested by the men themselves,
that the resistance of the mill owners Is
but bull doing scheme tn influence
public opinion adversely To a reduction of
tariff duties on iron, the position OF the
bosses IL AS Cruei rs il Is Cowardly; but
even Mt best, the act Is not consistent with
their propaganda on the tariff question
They assure the world that the tariff ena
hles them to pay high wages that they want
the tariff continued MS II Is or Increased so
they can pay high wages. As the tariff
has not been reduced, and in the light of
the republican platform and the consequent
attitude OF the republican senate, II is not
likely TO be reduced, the bosses cannot offer
any preteXt for making the reduction CON
tended for and be consistent, with their
professions.
But IL is not true that the tariff helps
the men, and this strike proves it 1t Is,
rather, drawback 10 them. The prOduc-
ton is so great that In contracted market
such as ours the demand falls below the
supply, and condition of stagnation comes
with uncomfortable regularity every year
almost Starvation wages now means Il
longer time of distress for the men, for
mil owners can carry over the product
made by low priced men until new de,
mand makes high priced market for it,
So that the only sufferer in the end Is the
labOrer and not the mill owner.
1t Is hoped, however, that the strike will
not continue long Some few of the mills
have signed the agreement 10 continue the
OF wages and their position may force the
rest into doing the same; and this is the
hope Of the men, and their only hope.
On June Seth the President issued
civil service order which made a stir I'm
department CIRCLES, because Il extends that
reform to almost its limits, adding six new
classes Of employees 10 those heretofore
existing. Ii takes In every person in the
the departmental service, except such as
are appointed by, and with the consent of
Senate, and such as are appointed rs I'M
skilled labOrers and messengers. The
Bureau Of Engraving and Printing; the
supervising Architects office, and the Bu-
reau OF Statistics, are included In the civil
service rules, and those who are appointed
In these bureaus at per diem pay, are 20 be
rated with those receiving annual salaries
10 the same amount IL would seem that
the employees Of the Government Printing
Office are included also, although no men
ton Is made of them In the rules as pub.
llsned. The provisions Of this order, II
they become the practice Of the Govern.
ment will place our civil service on high
standard.
The officials of the g., B. Il O. road on
July 9th arrested on an afternoon train out
three men, named Wilson, Broderick and
Bowles, whom they had locked up on a
charge OF carrying dynamite. These ar
rests, IL is claimed, Is the Illustration of a
discovered plot TO blow up" @" trains, the
depot building and the company Office
building with dynamite. With the men