Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-12-18
HOW M'KINLEYIsM WORKS.

A Comparison Showing the Effects of Re-
publican Legislation.
Though McKinleyism has been routed
horse and foot its evil effects will be
felt for months to come in lower wages,
higher prices tor necessaries of life.
especially clothing, and in straitened
times generally. In the matter of
wages. Republicans were assured by
Reed and Mckinley, and even by Ben
Harrison, that protection meant more
work and higher remuneration and
cheapness was sneered at as the
peculiar bane of American life. Now,
however. the workman finds that there
is less work, lower wages and higher
prices for the necessaries Of life.
Of the truth of this assertion most
laborers are unfortunately painfully
aware and those who. owing to special
ly favorable conditions, have not yet
felt the evil effects of the ill-considered
and dishonest measure known as the
Mckinley bill, have only to turn to the
news and editorial columns of Repub-
llcan papers to find abundant confirma-
ton of the unwisdom Of the chief
measure of Republican legislation.
Thus the Chicago Tribune, which
lacked the courage of its con-
victions or convictions for its
courage. and thus gave its usual half
hearted support to the Mckinley bill,
the other day had half q column of
news headed Developments of the last
few days." Some reductions of wages
under the Mckinley bill" From the
dispatches given we learn that: ~
The spoilers in the Merrimac mills
have had their pay reduced Is cents
per day, the wages of the drawing-in
girls reduced, and there is apprehen-
sion of ''a general cut down" in wages.
(O The armature winders of the Thorn
on-Houston Electric Company, at
Lynn, Mass, have struck to resist re-
du ction of wages. (s) Seventy girls at
Ashland. Pa, have quit on account of a
reduction of wages. (4) The Cleveland
mal1eable iron works reduced wages
last week. ~ There are strikes in the
iron mines of Michigan.
This is quite a respectable list and
could be indefinitely increased by GULL
ings from other Republican sources.
On the other hand. from the same
sources, we learn: ~ That the stock
holders of the Pennsylvania Steel Com
pany have voted to increase the capital
stock from So. 900, 600 to S., 1000. 600;
eiAf4t 1u0 AaSG SAA uOntuS nave OScA
the most profitable in the COM
pany's history, and that the profits
for last year were over 80 per
cent (2) That the Etna Iron Com
pany has increased it's capital stock to
$500. 900 and declared a dividend of
$685. 600. (S) That the Bethlehem Iron
Company has voted to increase the cap
ital stock from 5000. 600 to SIS. 600. 600
and made 25 per cent. profit last year.
"a That the Thomas Iron Company has
declared a dividend of % per cent.
+ The comparison between the results
to the laborer and the manufacturer as
shown in the above ought to be suffi-
cient to convince even the most pur-
blind high tariff to how McKinleyism
works. Protect manufacturers from all
foreign competition and then by means
of trusts and combines the manufact-
arers can easily protect" themselves
against American workmen and labor
from sixty-three millions of peo-
pie will go merrily on to the
music of McKinleyism-or would have
gone on, so far as the Chicago Tribune
is concerned. had not the American peo-
pie uttered protest that has frightened
the tariff robbers into something resem-
bling political honesty. For the first
time in many years Republicans after
an election are learning some whole
some truths in their own papers, and the
political infallibility that has hereto
fore invested its leaders is departing.
let us hope, never again to appear
Chicago Herald.