Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-01-11
Il PRACTICAL DEMONsTRA TON

Il PRACTICAL DEMONSTRATE TON
just now the bituminous coal miners are
receiving practical lesson in tariff reform.
They were assured by Republican speakers
before the late election, as all workingmen
were for that matter, that il Harrison should
be elected and the Republican tariff policy
should prevail work would be plenty and
wages high They were warned to beware
of the Democratic party that would, if 1t
got chance, reduce all workingmen to
beggary. They were instructed that the
Republican party favored "home market
exclusively for coal, that it was all nonsense
to talk about selling coal in other markets,
when we could just go on selling to our
selves and the more coal mined the more
miners who would have to buy things, and
so there would be more store-keepers and
butchers and bakers and consumers of coal
generally, and there would be more work,
the coal market would expand and every
body would be happy. 1t was beautiful
tale the Republicans told the coal miners
and good many of them evidently believed
it,
Harrison was elected, the Republican tar
itf policy has been adopted, but just now
the bitumnous coal mines are either closed
or closing and there are 10000 of these
miners in the coal fields of Ohio and Penn
sylvania out OF work in the mid winter
Why are the mines closed down? "Oh,
the operators and owners explain, 1--WE have
more coal mined than we can sell. The
market is glutted. 1t is useless for us to
keep the men at work mining coal when we
can't sell it,"
Can't sell their coal The miner may well
inquire what becomes OF the Wanted home
market theory OF the Republican party. II
au exclusive home market is all that is
necessary why does it operate so hardly
against the miners, leaving them without
work or wages in the middle OF winter
Why did it not "expand" with the increased
output OF coal AS the Republican speakers
promised il would. The miners will natur
ally want to know why it would not be
better 10 have market for coal as wide as
the world and one that would not gel
clogged and oversuppled every now and
then, throwing them out of work. When
they turn their attention TO thinking about
this, they will not be long in finding GU
that the Republican "home market" is {
preposterous humbug.
For that is what it is, and events so otter
demonstrate il so to be that il does seen
strange how sensible men can still cling to
the delusion that we can increase our ma
tional wealth by buying from and selling
to ourselves exclusively. Of course all men
admit that the widest is the best market, but
the Republican idea that if all outside mar.
kets are cut off the lone market will ex.
pand under increased production ia fal.
lacy. 1t never did and it nsvcr will. 1t is
glutted. There is an overproduction, and
there is no other market. Does the home
market expand under the pressure9 Not in
the least. The operators and owners cannot
sell their oversupply of coal, having no other
market, and therefore as the only thing left
to do, stop the supply and the miners are
out of work.
1t will be so in every case. The high
tariff policy OF the Republican party ant
tue home market theory that forms part o
IL will work hardship TO the workingmel
every time The natural and inevitable re
suit will always be low wages and uDcer
tainty OF steady employment.