Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1892-07-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Figures by the Labor Commissioner
Bearing on the Tariff,
Politics Warming up in the Capital City
Of the Nation.
From our Regular Correspondent


In view of the tariff campaign soon
formally to open, Commissioner Carroll
ID. Wright's figures giving the incomes
of the laboring people engaged in va
rious industries in different countries
and comparative tables showing the
proportionate expenditure of the fami-
lies will be interesting reading. The
commissioner of labor, unlike the super
intendent of the census, is tariff re
former" While Mr.. Porter's figures
have sometimes been assailed as doc
tored in the interest of protection, Mr..
Wright hos been similarly attacked be-
cause he is on the other side of the
economic question. The value of sta
tistics is in proportion to their accu.
racy, and while facts are facts inde-
pendent of the political opinion held
by the statisticians, the public will take
the motives of the latter into considera-
ton and be governed by its prejudices
to great extent in accepting the sta
tistical results. Mr.. Wright's canvass was
among 1884 families of 5.20each, chief
ly employed in the textile and iron in
dustries. He finds the average income
per family in this country 1914. The
corresponding income per family in
Great Britain is S510; in France, $41S;
in Germany, $2S7. How immeasurably
superior is the American laborer's wage
over the European! But the matter is
not clear until it is seen what the rela-
tive expenditure is of these families.
The data is not complete, but Mr.. Wright
discovers what the food expenditure,
the largest and most necessary item, is,
and comparison between the four
principal industrial nations shows the
per centage of the total income to be:
United States, A per cent; Great Brit
ain, 90 per cent; France, 4S per cent,
and Germany, 50per cent. Mr.. Wnght's
elaborate data, soon to be furnished, it
is understood, will deal with other items
of expenditure. But so far as his COM
parison stands it is specifically favor
able to protection.
The Democratic organs, have blown
themselves black in the face somewhat
prematurely. When Senator Vest,
few days ago, arose in his place and re-
ferred scornfully to w. J. Campbell,
the new chairman of the Republican
national committee, the whole chorus
broke out in tempestuous denunciation
of the corporations and their evil influ-
ence in American politics. Campbell
represented the Armours, Senator Vest
had said 80 in speech. And, as every
body knew, the Armours were represen-
tatives of the corrupt moneyed class in
whose interest the Republican party
oppressed the poor and who in turn
contribute thousands to every election
fund, so that the people might be de-
feated and the corporations continue to
despoil them. 1t now appears that the
Armours strongly object to Mr.. Camp
bells accepting the Craftsmanship of
the Republican committee. They insist
that Mr.. Campbell is the shrewdest man
in Illinois and confess that his services
would be of the utmost value to Mr..
Harrison, but they nevertheless urge
him to decline the position and thus to
cripple the Republican party. The sim
pie truth of the matter is that the Ar
mours are ardent tsupporters of Mr. Cleve-
land and intend to exert all their wick
ed influence in his behalf. They will |
no doubt intimidate, browbeat, and
otherwise compel hundreds of their en-
ployes to vote the Democratic ticket |
next November, and, not being able to
use force with Mr.. Campbell, they are
restoring to strategy and moral suasion
as the next best expedient in Mr.. Cleve-
lands interest.
1t is regarded as possible, and enters |
into the gossip of the hour, that when
the time comes Mr.. Miller will be ap-
pointed to the Supreme bench, Mr.. No |
BILE be transferred to the Department of
Justice, and Mr.. Carter be made Secre-
tary of Interior This may have no
more foundation than the inventive
imagination of political spectators
furnishes, but with such program in
contemplation Mr.. Carter could afford
to give up his official position in order
to give his attention to the management
of the campaign, to go into the cabinet
later on. There is no doubt that any
one whom Mr.. Harrison may prefer for
chairman of the national committee
will be selected, and it is probable that
if change in the membership of the
national committee from some State
were necessary to give the right man a
place it could be accomplished.
The retirement of Charles E. Smith
from the position of envoy extraordinary
and minister plenipotentiary to Russia,
which was foreshadowed some time
ago, is an accomplished fact, Mr.. Smith
having formally rendered his resigna-
ton, which has been accepted. In ac-
cepting Mr.. Smiths resignation the
President, through Secretary Foster,
pays high compliment TO the eff
cheney and faithfulness of Mr.. Smith S
administration and regrets his with