Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-10-26
PUBLIC OPINION.
A CONDITION, NOT A THEORY.

CONDITION, NOT A THEORY.
Pittsburgh Times
We are pleased to observe by the
Leader that times are good, work plenty
and wages rather higher than usual.
We had received different impression
from interviews with such firms as the
American Iron Works, the Carnegie
Steel Company, the Pittsburgh Forge
and Iron Company, P. 81. Laufman Il
Co., the United States Iron and Tin
Plate Company, the Oliver Iron and
Steel Company, Shoenberger & Co.,
Spang, Chalfant & Co., the Clinton Iron
and Steel Company, the A. Garrison
Foundry Company, the CHARTERS Iron
Company, Brown & Co., the Canons-
burg Iron and Steel Company, c. G.
Hussey & Co., the National Lead and
Oil Company. Alex. Speer & Son, Arm
strong Bros & Co., the Marshall Foundry
and Structural Works, Hartje Bros,
James Gallery & Co., and L. Glesenkamp
& Co.
Representatives of these firms said
that they were not employing so many
men as usual, that the wages were lower,
and the prospect gloomy, because the
Democratic party, with which the Leader
has allied itself, had come into power
upon distinct and emphatic declara-
tion. as plain as words could make it,
that the whole protective tariff system
must go. Upon the face of it, these
people would seem to know what they
are talking about much better than
newspaper, because it is their business,
and their interests rre entirely on the
side of putting the best possible face
upon the matter. When they ac-
knowledge gloomy future, it must be
dark indeed Furthermore. 1t seems
reasonable that that if the Democrats
are encouraged by the result of the
elections in such industrial districts as
this to go on and complete their work
of tariff smashing, being assured by the
vote that the people care nothing about
these things, they will do so. If the
coal miners care nothing to sustain the
party that has put duty of rs cents a
ton on coal, why should the Democratic
Congressman care abont it; or about the
duty on wool, or on steel or on iron.
The objec1 of laying these import duties
upon foreign producers, under which
they have been required to pag toll for
the privilege of competing with the
American workingman's product, is en-
tire set aside, if the party which devised
this system of protection is beaten at the
polls, We have believed that the con-
tinuance of the protective system meant
good times and good wages to this
section, in which THE TINES is pub
lished. We easily remember good times
a year ago, before the Democrats began
fooling with the finances and the tariff.
We thought we could realize, in common
with every other business enterprise, the
evil effects of Democratic success last
fall. We felt the "change" as every
body else did. We have discovered,
however, by careful perusal of the
columns of our contemporary, that these
manufacturers must be mistaken; that
work and wages are plenty; that business
is booming; that the change IN our con
dition since last year is matter which
the voter must forget about while he
decides upon the question of somebody's
cousin in a county office; that the thing
to do with ballot is to encourage the
tariff smashers to 60 on and do worse,
rather than to serve notice on them by
the size of our majority, that we do not
like the condition of things which they
have given US. We wish that we could
believe it, and feel so Indifferent to the
result of the elections; for we have no
interest except in the prosperity of this
community, by whose prosperity we
prosper. Nevertheless, when such lead
ing industrial firms as these say that
Democratic control of things has brought
them into dire distress; when the Clear
ing House reports show sixty millions OF
decrease of business this year
already in this community alone;
when the Department of Charities
is working double turn, and the
Society for the Improvement of the Poor
appealing for funds, it does not need the
open testimony of the thousands of men
who are walking the streets in search of
work to fool the people into swallowing
lies for truth, or to convince us that a vote
for any but the Republican ticket this
year is vote against the interest OF every
citizen.
at is a condition, not theory, that
confronts u.s."