New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1892-09-07

memorable sscampagn Of education fol-
lowed during the ten succeeding months
of 1888. It is not the province of the
undersigned to here discuss the merits OF
a s.protective tariff" or to pronounce for
CT against the public policy Of a s'tariff
for revenue only" A majority Of the
American people declared by their votes
in 1883 in favor Of the latter policy, and
yet their candidate was defeated by rea-
son Of our electoral system, the minority
candidate and a Congress in sympathy
with the Chief Executive being
elected. The canvass was carried
on with reentness vigor by both
sides, and public interest was unusually
aroused in a question of great public
policy, rather than to the personality of
candidates. The selfish business inter
ests of the manufacturers and their en-
ployes were appealed to; larger produc-
ton, wider markets and increased profits
were promised the employers. More
work, higher wages, shorter hours Of Ia
Dor and unexampled prosperity were
among the inducements held out to the
wage learners by the advocates OF >tPro-
tection.' On the other hand, the adVo-
Gates Of the policy Of /; ''tariff for rev
cnue only" contended that only through
Il reform" of our tariff laws, i. G., q re-
! duction Of our revenues to a basis Of
raising just sufficient money to detray
the expenses of the government, honest
~ and economically administered, could
all Of these desirable results be OBJ
taiEed
It may be urged by some that an in
vestigation made has not been broad
enough or of sufficient scope to fairly
warrant the deductions arrived at, by
reason of the fact that the cost of living
including the necessaries that 60 to make
It up, have been given no place in the
work It should be borne in mind, how
ever, that it has been my endeayor to in
vestigatc only that phase of the subject
which relates simply to the increase or
decrease of production and the rates of
wages paid.
The period covered by investigation
includes the year immediately prior to
the enactment Of what is termed the
mckinley bill' and the year iminedi,
ately following its becoming a law. That
is, tie data upon which the report has
hccA made was for the year commencing
September /, 1889, UP to and including
the Dist day Of August, 1890, and the
year commencing September lst, 1890
up to and including the 3lst OF August,
1891.
The report here embraces {; lengthy
table Of figures carefully arranged and
then continues:
It IS needless to comment upon the
separate figures or the totals included in
the above table; they tell their own
story simply and with absolute truth
It appears that there was net increase
in wages of $6,377 $500 in the veal
1891, as compared with the amount
paid in 1890, and a net increase OF pro
duction of S31 ,315, 1868 in the veal
1891 over that Of 1890. A simple anal
ysis Of this table further demonstrates
the interesting fact that of the sixty
seven industries covered, II per cent. OF
them show al increase either of the
wages or product, Or both, and that
there were no less than S9,717 instances
Of individual increases cf wages during
the same year
It has been my experience, as, I doubt
not, it has been that of every statistician
more or less, that one often finds himself
tempted onsciously, perhaps tc
pursue an investigation with view tc
establish preconceived theory. How
often failure and positive discontinue
follow, can safely leave to those who
have engaged in the fascinating study OF
statistics. To the true statistician, how.
ever, uninfluenced by social or political
considerations, the profession is an envi.
able one, and carries with it duties and
responsibilities Of the highest order. TIC
! him theories are as nothing without facts
to support them, they become mislead.
ing and therefore, worthless. Facts and
truth are what he seeks; and having pos
sessed himself Of them he places them
hard and cold as they oftentimes are, be
fore the public, satisfied that he has done
but his duty and thereby attained hi,
HIGHEST ambition.