The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-12-24
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 tho 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 tho 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 ga general cut down" in wages.
(2) The armature winders of the Thorn
SON. Houston Electric Company. at
Lynn, Mass, have struck to resist a re-
du ction of wages (3) Seventy girls at
A shland, Pa, have quit on account of a
reduction of wages. (4) The Cleveland
malleable iron works reduced wages
last week. ~ There are strikes in the
iron mines of Michigan.
This is quite 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 S. 900, 900 to $1,000, 600;
that the last six months have been
the most profitable in the COM
pany's history, and that the profits
for last year were over 30 per
cent (2) That the Etna Iron Com
pany has increased its capital stock to
$500. and declared dividend of
S19S. 00O (S) That the Bethlehem Iron
Company has voted to increase the cap
ital stock from $4,000, 900 to S., 900, 900
and made rs per cent. profit last year.
(4) That the Thomas Iron Company has
declared dividend of 25 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 tie how McKinleyism
works. Protect manufacturers from all
foreign competition and then by means
of trusts and combines the manufact-
urers can easily "protect" themselves
against American workmen and labor
ers, and the gathering of taxes
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 a protest that has frightened
the tariff robbers into some thing 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.