The Portland daily press., 1892-09-12

strikes We tell them there are twice
as many
Strikes in Free Trade England
as in this country but it doesn't make
any difference to them. When man
wants to find fault, the last thing in the
world that he desires is to be set right,
because when he is set right his griev-
ance is gone and the state of mind that
he glories in is vanished. What the
Democrat wants today is to sit in the
corner and be melancholy and sad and
have the country go to ruin. That is
what he wants. Then he plumes him
self and his oratory for tremendous
flight He is at his best when he can
picture disaster. When the late Home
stead strike occurred he said, "Here is
my opportunity. What q great thing
this is going to be for us. Let us send
committee to investigate it. They sent
a committee, and among other members
of the committee was one from Louisiana
a country where they do not have any
strikes, a country where, if a laboring
man strikes, they shoot him down in his
tracks or hang him to the nearest bridge.
They went out there, and what do you
suppose this gentleman 5 amazement was
when he found that some OF them were ac-
tually fighting as to whether they should
have thirteen or fourteen dollars a day!
| tell you that the "poor laboring man.
vanished from that scene. We have had
here Just what the scripture tells us we
are sure to have, and it seems singular
that the translator should have gotten
hold of such modern phrase. Ii you
WILCOX at Deuteronomy, XAAlL 10,
YOU will find this sentence: But Jeshu-
run''-that is Israel-"waxed fat and
kicked Great laughter and applause.
This was not when Israel was poor; 1t
was not when they were struggling Tor
the necessities of life; but it was when
they were rich and succulent with fat
ness. Laughter. 1t was then that they
began to make fuss. Men do not
strike on falling market Men strike
on rising market, and when you see a
series of strikes inaugurated IN coun-
try, or threatened, you may be sure mat
period of prosperity will follow. NOT
that strikes are a condition OF prosper
ty, but they are indications of the fact that
the great body of the working men, close
to production, close to machinery and close
to manufacture. feel the approach of
period of prosperity. This rise of wages
all over the state of New York and all
over the country, isaan evidence of that
prosperity; but it is'a prosperity thank
fortune, at this time inaugurated with
out great series of strikes, for both
working men and capitalists have be-
come more sensible and reasonable and
agree to share that prosperity with each
other i'll manner so satisfactory that
there is little occasion for striking. The
Republican party can give you such
prosperity. 1t has given it to you in the
past, and it will give it to you in the fu-
ture. Applause.
Now, while the Democratic party have
in their platform declared for free trade,
and are bound to carry it out, am not
utterly sure that they will do it, or that
they can do it, for whenever they come
into power, which | hope may never be,
they will be sureato find that the princi-
nile of protectionSis so interviewer with
the business prosperity of this country
that thew cannot meddle with
it except to their own de-
struction. Nevertheless this they can do,
and any business man will tell you that
it is absolutely the worst they can do,
they can paralyze business If the Re-
publican party goes into power the ship
will continue to be headed as she is. Ii
the Democratic party comes into power,
the ship will be turned, and then we
shall see what will happen. In other
words, the Democracy with their trial
will bring the greatest curse that can be
brought to the Business man, and that is,
the uncertainty of the laws under which
he is to act. Suppose you were manu-
facturer, OF that any one of you were,
and you did not know whether the tariff
would be repealed or whether it would
stand, or how it might be modified, what
would you do? Why, you would stop
buying raw materials. You'd would stop
hiring workmen. except just enough to
keep your organization good. You would
stop producing, except the most limited
amount, and if you did it every other
manufacturer in the country would do
the same. In other words, this uncertain
ty would cause
A Pause in usiness.
This uncertainty would make us doubt
full of what to do. Now if you and all
other manufacturers stop buying raw ma
terials, if you stop hiring men, and if you
stop producing, what is the result? The
result is that the working man has less
moneyin his pocket; the result is that
you and I have less things that we can
buy: the result is, in word, what we call
''hard times Now suppose, on the other
hand. everybody knows that the future
will be as the past has been. What