Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1892-11-24
JOSEPH MEDILL'S OPINION
The Veteran Editor Of the Chicago Tribun.
Has Gloomy Forebodings.

Joseph Mediil, the veteran editor of
the Chicago Tribune, was interviewed
recently by II Chicago News reporter,
on the causes OF the recent land slide
and the probable result. Heexpresses
his views at length. As Mr.. Medill has
been a low tariff man for several
years and as his paper has been ac-
cused of leanina toward free trade
pretty strong, the great editors views
are the more surprising When asked
what was the outlook for prosperity
during the next administration Mr..
Medill said:
.'The prospect Is not "a bright one,
and although IL Will take some time
for the new machinery to be set in
motion there will be an almost imme-
date taste OF hard times before the
winter is fairly upon Us. Let me ex-
plain why. y he Democrats, according
to Their policy. are inclined toward n
low tariff and u larger free list. This
means the country will bp flooded with
imported goods, for which We will have
to pay. Cert linly we can't, in return,
send any more goods out OF the coun-
try. The other nations are using as
much of our stuff as they want. Very
well, what is The result? The balance
of trade being disturbed, and more
goods coming in than VI can pay for
i'll goods goin. out, we must send them
the balance in hard money. Finally,
all of our haIl money il gon and we
send them orr notes. Finally they,
too, are gone. our credit is gone. and
the country IS in financial distress.
You see this IS n bad outlook, but !
have passed through just such a period
before. At that time We had Just
opened up our great gold and silver
mines, and while we were sending
money out of the country ut a great
rate, we had some sources to keep us
going.
Now. what will be the most nat
ural result in the world which the tariff
is cut down as low as the Democrats
promise it shall be? These great
manufacturers figure closely to COM
pete with each other, and becoming
alarmed at the great influx OF foreign
goods, will make a new and lower scale
OF wages for their employees. The en-
pioyes will not stand il and the en-
ployers will think they can't afford to
give in. The employee will say: You'll
not turn a wheel until you give me my
old scale of wages and all over the
country there will he labor troubles,
dynamite and bloodshed. Remember,
that many of the laboring people of
America are half-socialistlc in their
views and in the nearfuture l see riots,
strikes and all the evils that follow in
a. 4,, &c 90 4,a-Z-al ,u-xI--
class at war with their employers.
s'The merchants, another great class,
who represent two billions of the
wealth of the nation, will, the more
cautious ones first and those who
follow their example a~fterward, begin
quietly hedging On expenses, sooner
or later. Those who carry great
amounts of stock will begin disposing
of all but the most necessary lines.
Fearful of impending financial trouble,
they will reduce expenses and will let q
man 90 here and a book-keeper there.
and a cashier i'm the other place, until
not an extra man will be used. The
evil effects of this will fall directly on
the poorer class. III a merchant snot
increasing his stock from home manu-
facturers and is not buying, the manu-
UNI w tllN btl-lItSS.
Then these great manufacturers will
begin reducing their working forces,
such as dropping out all but the very
best men, and in the way of cutting
down wages. Throw one man out OF
work and you will have two idle men;
put one man TO work and you give
employment to two, for the one plays
to the other as from the left to the
right hand. The laboring man gives
up his years salary to the merchant
and the merchant gives mp his goods.
Throw the laboring man out of EN-
ployment n the merchant can't sell
his goods. Well, now, this brings us
around to where we started. If these
men who control others begin trim
ming their sales for the impending
storm. and they certainly will, the
poor man will first feel the effects of it
and the other class afterwarh."
"What will be the plan of the Demo-
crats?"
Il don't think they will he in any
hurry to give that relief which they
have promised to the poor man in
this country, who il dissatisfied be-
cause he can get only twice the salary
he got in the old country and wants
three times as much. Cleveland could.
of course, call an extra session imme-
diately upon going into Office, but ]
think the Democrats will wait until
the regular session, a year from next
December. One issue they cannot
DODGE, and which, 10 tell the truth,
the Republicans are not sorry to be
rid of, is the silver question. 1t had
to be settled, and the Republicans
were anxious to stave it off until after
election. New the whole responsible
ity is shifted upon the Democratic
party and it cannot escape this. This
great financial question, if not settled
properly. may throw the country into
ruin, destroy credit and make the
poor man, who has the savings of a
lifetime invested in banks, a beagar.
Banks NAV fail and great hardships
follow. The Republicans were both
cred how to settle the matter, as /
have said. and the only solution they
could find for this problem was to
make a silver dollar worth 100 cents.
The chances now are that we'll be
having n Mexican dollar, one worth
about go cents. Well, the democrats
are running things and it is one conso-
lation to know that il they are hav-
ing the rations they have also to do
the steering of the boat, handling the
sails and all the work, while the Re-
publican party will sit in the stern and
look on"
"What will be the attitude taken by
Republican leaders. What will you
do?"
al think the Republicans will stand
quietly by and watch the workings of
the rev power. Everything is now in
the hands of the Democratic party
and we shall see how successful they
will he. That is the attitude which