The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-06-15
Current Events.

promises made prior to the last election
day of continuance, they said "a return, v
of industrial prosperity II the policy OF
protection should be endorsed at the polls
That was ante. election bancombe. But II
is fair to ask II protection Is or can be
help 70 laboring men. Any stagnation that
appeared prior to election was charged to
the "free trade" agitation, which unsettled
business" Protection was apparently ap'
proved by the voters, but II has not "qui'
eted" manufacturers; or, at any rate, the
return of prosperity has not yet come. Re-
ductions In wages and failures OF protected
concerns have been more numerous since
the 4th OF March, 1889, than they we're In
1888. During March, April and May there
were % strikes and lOCkOuts; In the same
months Of 1889 there we're IS, II not more,
all In the protected industries. 1t may not
be fair to attribute them all 10 protection
but since we have protection ~ and there
is no prospect for anything different for
years to come, II Is fair TO charge the sys.
tenn with failure TO redeem the pledges
of good works" Its friends have made for
II. The question will be argued again,
however, and soon. Already demand Is
heard for tariff Legislation, and the signs
of the times point to calling OF congress
10 meet In October. The wool gang have
already been heard. In spite OF the enor
nous protection they already have their
industries are dead. Wool Is still low,
though perhaps mere point or so higher
than II was year ago at clipping time, but
the Industries themselves are In stagna-
tion. Though for years, under high tariff
the business has been going back, In spite
of the too apparent fact that the tariff Is a
damage to the industry, the wool gang
have begun Its howl for more tariff-the
louder and more imperiously since they
remember that the Republican party has
never yet failed to comply with their de-
mands They have begun the cry for an
early session and new tariff. II remains
10 be seen If the Republicans can agree
upon a bill any more readily than the
Democrats did. There are some men In
that party who do not favor III Increase In
the ,tariff-who do, In fact, favor reduc
ton, but their Importance Is slight In the
midst of the whole party In congress,
which is Numerically opposed to their
views.
The work of rehabilitating Johnstown
has begun cgain and will progress rapidly
now that the survivors are recovering their
mental balance and self.control The great
Cambria iron works has resumed and that
has brought men back TO realizing
sense of the present, however agonizing
their sufferings of the past two weeks.
Thousands of men have been at work
cleaning up the city and removing and
burning the debris, with the bodies Of dead
men and animals it contained. The city
is In charge Of the State auth critics, who
keep out vandals and sight-seers. A meet.
ing Of business men was held Thursday,
when IL was announced that wholesalers had
offered the old houses all possible aid In
the way of credit, and mercantile business
will be soon resumed, and the rebuilding
of the washed-away fortunes will begin
10 Is now believed, from comparison OF
more careful estimate of the previous
population with the registry of the living,
that only from 5000 TO 1000 lost their
lives.
The coroners jury's verdict puts the re-
sponsibility for the disaster upon the South
Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, for the
reason that the dam was found to have
been too weak, and because the club was
responsible for Its condition. Should they
be indicted and found guilty of criminal
negligence, they are guilty OF man
slaughter.
The meeting of the National Democratic
Committee held In New York on Wednes.
day, passed resolutions on the death of the
late chairman, Hon. VIM. II. Barnum. The
Hon. Calvin =. Brice was elected chair
man. The election of Mr.. Brice may be
said 10 be an approval of the Cleveland
policy, though there was, In fact no open
opposition to Mr.. Brice for chairman
There was little "prospec ting" but what
little there was was unanimously In favor
of Cleyeland's nomination In 1899.
Attorney General Miller made his lndi.
annapolis home visit this week and the
colored men of the city, who have been
waiting for the official platter to float
around In their direction, sent Mr.. Miller
notice that they would call on him on
Wednesday at 10 a. m. probably with a
view TO hasten the progress of the perslm.
mon pile In their way, and the call was
made, promptly 20 the clocks tick; but
the Attorney General lodged, They waited
and kept on waiting, but no Miller ap-
peared until they had disappeared. The
cOlored men are reported to be mad--very
mad but Mr.. Miller returned to Washing.
ton on Thursday In very good health. The
weather since March has been much more
chilly for the "man and brother" than he
had expected. He will probably need
a fur coat before long.
The town OF Grinnell, Iowa, destroyed
by cyclone some years ago, was ruined
by fire on Wednesday, $l5O.0OO worth of
business property having been destroyed.
The breaking OF a canal bank at Holyoke,
Mass, on Tuesday night wrecked the |
Cabot mills, with loss of 100000.
At a meeting of the furniture manufac.
turers at New York on Wednesday, which
was attended by over 300 delegates from
all parts of the country, Pres. Sigh said
the trade embraced 5000 establishments,
$4,000 hands and producing
thirty million dollars worth of goods an |
nually, the profits on which were only
about per cent. He was In favor of a
reduction Of the Tariff on raw materials.
Leonard SWEET, the well.known lawyer,
and the friend of Lincoln, Douglass, David
Davis and others of the great men Of the
past forty years, died suddenly OF Bright's |
disease, at Chicago on Saturday night last,
aged 65 years.
Two new trusts have been formed this
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