, 1892-10-24
MR.. PECK Is ON TOP.
Failure Of Democratic Howlers
to Secure His Conviction.
He Told The Truth About the In
crease OF wages Under the NC
KtnIey Act.--PartIsan PersOn-
atOrs Appointed TO Prosecute Him

crease OF wages Under the NC
KtnIey Act.--PartIsan Person
atOrs Appointed to Prosecute Him
New YORK, October 24.-Labor Commis-
sioner Peck has been under hot fire from
the free trade democracy since the appear
ance Of his annual report showing that
production and wages in New York state
largely increased during the first year un-
der the Mckinley tariff. Hitherto this
gentleman's reports-and there have been
eight others-have been received with great
respect by mugwumps and democrats.
There is no earthly reason why this one
should be assailed, except that found in
the rage of baffled conspirators who see
their fabric Of falsehood toppled over by a
blast of truth waited against it by an
honest democratic official.
Let it not be forgotten that Commissioner
Peck is democrat. He had heard his party
leaders and party organs "whooping it up"
about falling wages, strikes and lockouts
caused by the new tariff, and he believed
them. DESTROYS of promoting the interests
of his party, he undertook a little cam
paign work on his own account. If these
calamities have come upon us as conse-
quenee of this Mckinley law, he reasoned
why would it not make a powerful cam
paign document to gather statistics of these
wage reductions, these strikes and lockOuts?
Then the republicans cannot deny them.
and the iniquities of the republican tariff
will be proved before all men. Surely it
viii help to elect Grover Cleveland who
stands as the aYOwed enemy of that robber
system. Besides, Mr.. Cleveland is deserv-
ing of this much from me, for did he not
appoint me to the very Office which l now
hold2
Thus argued Mr. Peck, and he forthwith
proceeded to investigate the question Of
wages in New York state.
As he says himself, the first partial re-
turns which came in seemed to bear out
the assertions Of the democratic editors
and orators, and he was accordingly iubi-
liant for the moment. His Joy changed to
surprise and disappointment, however,
When subsequent returns told a different
story. The final results showed that the
alleged general fall in wages was a hum
bug, the reputed increase in strikes and
lOckOuts pure "fake.'
1t is right here that his party associates
begin to find fault with Commissioner
Peck. If he lacked the ordinary penetra-
tion to see that the talk about falling wages
and discontented labor had no further
basis than the fertile Imagination and cal
lous cOnsciences of democratic partisans,
and that it was intended purely for politi-
cal effect. he might at least, they argued
have held back his report and allowed the
democratic conspiracy of falsehOod to con-
tinue to its fruition-the election of Grove
Cleveland.
But Mr.. Peck was too honorable a man.
too honest an official to lend himself to
such plot. he had facts gathered ex-
pressly for the information Of the people
which had a powerful bearing on the issues
of the pending campaign. These facts he
determined the people should have, and
be gave them out. For this he has been
branded as traitor and exposed to public
scorn IN the mugwump pillOry.
The national democratic committee has
been so disturbed by Mr. Pecks report
that they have appointed a special sub
committee composed of unreasonably par
tisan individuals to investigate it. They.had
him arrested on an apparently trumped up
charge and have instituted other legal
proceedings against him. But at last ac-
counts they had made no headway in cast
ing doubt upon the correctness of his fig
ures or the authenticity upon which they
were based. However, Mr.. Peck snaps
his finger at them and invites them TO do
their worst. He asserts that he has thous-
ands upon thousands of individual cases
of increased wages, each supported by an
affidavit ready for his interrOgators if they
want them. Altogether this Investigation
of Mr.. Peck's figures promises to do about
as much further good for the cause of pro-
lection as the original investigation has al
ready done