The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1892-09-07
PECK'S LABOR REPORT.
DEMOCRATIC TARIFF SPEAK
Frs ARE IN ERROR.
The Results OF His Work Tell Their Own
story-Like All True statisticians He
Was Governed by Facts as He Found
DemOcrnt I'm Trouble.


The Official summary OF the ninth
| annual report OF Chas. +. Peck, New
York Commissioner OF Labor Statistics,
has just been issued. Commissioners
Peck is a Democrat OF Democrats. He
holds his position by the apo. ntment
of David b. Hill, lately Governor OF
New York, and Tammany's candidate
for the Presidency. Mr.. Peck says this
concerning his report:
Now am Democratic Hill Democrat II
you willard began this inquiry with she be-
lief that the result would vindicate the Demo-
cratic tariff position. The first returns came
from the silk industry, and were pleasing to my
way OF thinking. But / am free to admit that
the report, as a whole, Is not In harmony with
the Democratic platform, so far as the tariff IL
concerned. However my duty as a State ofi-
ctal Is to report things as find them, not as a
reckless partisan would like to have them con-
strued.
Mr.. Peck's report is not as he wished
TO have made it. 1t is as he was forced
to make it. The evidence came to him,
and he could not suppress ii. 1t is evil
! dence that shows an increase OF wages
| or OF production, or of both, in n per
cent. of sixty-seven OF the chief indus
tries OF the State OF New York, the
period of increase being the first year o.
operation of the Mckinley tariff, and
the time with which this period Of in
crease is contrasted being the last year
of operation of the Old tariff.
AS TO the methods pursued by Mr..
Peck in his investigation, they were the
only ones that could be used by an OF
fetal who had not power to compel evil
dence under oath. He sent out 5000
circulars Of inquiry to wholesale dealers
and manufacturer in all parts Of the
State OF New York. lie received 5000
replies to his 5000 inquiries; n per cent.
OF the replies were in the nature OF
evidence in favor Of the Mckinley bill.
The fact of his being a Democrat, u Hill
Democrat, Bourbon Democrat, was
| assurance 10 those to whom his circu-
| lars were adire 5sed that no fact adj
| duced by them in opposition to the tariff
would be suppressed. But it seems that
| few facts, or even opinions. in opposi-
| ton to it were addressed to them; II
| per cent. of the answers were favorable
to it. Commissioner Peck sought for,
| and expected to find. evidence to prove
| that the Mckinley bill had not increased
wages, but he found the witnesses whom
he had summoned testifying that the
| wage list of New York was greater by
| $6,377, 925 during the first year Of the
Mckinley tariff than during the last
year of the tariff which it supplanted.
He could not suppress the evidence.
| Commenting upon it, the Democratic
Labor Commissioner of New York says:
The result shows me the leading Democratic
| speakers the tariff are in error as 10 the
effects OF the Mckinley bill. The figures in
| my report speak for themselves, and there is
| no getting away from them
This is the comment OF Democratic
official, who is in possession Of the facts
Of the case. upon the bloviations, argu-
mertations. and prevaricatons Of the
Democratic press and speakers who are
not in possession of the facts, and who
do not want to be in possession of them.
The lamentations of the Mugwumps,
says the Chicago Inter Ocean, are as
unseemly as the attempted sophistry of
city contemporary is ridiculous. Toe
wise to attempt to break the force oil
this terrible exposure of free trade
falsehood, the Mugwumps complain OF
it's publication. Why was it not sup
pressed till after the election?" they
ask. These are the men who have been
prating Of their own integrity and OF
the trickery of the Republican party!
These fellows, who'are complaining be-
cause a Democratic official did not aid
in the suppression of evidence that is
vital to the just determination of the
cause at issue before the people, are the
same who turn up their eyes in horror
when a Republican official contributes
to a campaign fund, and who wiring their
hands in anguish whenever a man who
has been active during a campaign is
appointed to place OF trust and honor.