Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-09-07
working the Old scare.

Working the Old scare.
The Manufacturer quotes "a journal
in Manchester, n. H." as saying "that
the movement for the reduction of I
wages in manufacturing establishments
is the result Of conspiracy on the part
OF the robber barons to persuade Con-
gress to assail the tariff" We confess
we do not understand the pertiuence Of
the suggestion, taken in connection with
The Maaufdcturer's tariff scare" COM
ments, but we presume the correct read
ing to be persuade Congress not TO as
sail the tariff" However, the anony-
nous New Hampshire papers remark
serves The Manufacturer as a text for
declaring that American labor is
going to the dogs because the
manufacturers fear that they will
be compelled to compete with European
products. OF course this is all bosh,
since everybody knows that no tariff
reduction legislation can be enacted to
go into effect for nearly year TO come
and because the revenue needs of the |
government will for years TO come make
necessary tariff yielding far more than
John Sherman's $3.50, 100000 in gold"
which that able Republican financier
declared would be sufficient to amply |
protect every American industry. But
we can offset The Aanufacturer's anony-
nous authority with an extract from
pretty sound Republican journal of
New England, the Boston Transcript,
which says in a recent issue:
The lesson which has just been taught
as to the certainty with which Congress
can be controlled for the public good
should Inspire even doubling manufac-
turers with q certain degree of courage.
Business can accommodate itself to almost
any conditions likely to be imposed by an
American Congress. The Mckinley tariff
is proof enough of this. Judicious changes
in it would benefit both manufacturers and
those who buy their goods.
And it is not long ago that President
Dolan Of the Manufacturers Club, of
which IheMdRufdcturer is the mouth
piece, warned his fellow Republicans
not to go it too strong on the tariff
scare, and such men as William Wood,
! George w. Elkins, John Naylor and
! others prominent in that association
/ successfully opposed action on resolu-
:. J tons offered at a meeting of the club,
!, which resolutions set forth that no i'm
a provcment of business could be reason
ably looked for unless there was an
!" authoritative declaration that the pro-
tective tariff system will not be violently
assaulted. These resolutions came up
for final action at a meeting held on
August LIST, and, after full and free
" discussion, it was unanimously decided
TO postpone them indefinitely. So that
e the attitude of Tic Manufacturer on,tht
&c tariff scare bugaboo is apparently il
direct conflict with the action of the
club for which that journal speaks.
Since this meeting the House has
n. voted to repeal the silver purchase
mr. clause Of the Sherman bill and it i
he confidently expected that the Senate
Is will follow suit after the opponents Of
IN repeal get through talking. The result
NJ has been seen already in the resumption
10 of many of the mills and factories
NJ which had suspended operations, anC
zee every day brings with it news of NOR
an resumptions-bu enough of them a
do reduced wages to warrant the suspicion
he that, without any hint of icon
M, spiracyn to that end, some at least {
IA these manufacturers have not been slol
his to take advantage of the situation to r,
lao adjust their wage scales downward
ies Obviously, if few manufacturers
mo any line make arrangement to buy the
ues labor on cheaper terms, self-interest wi
the prompt others to do the same-but ii
me limit to which this reduction proce
ion can go is fixed, not by the sma
the minority of American workingmen Ell
ced ployed in the so-called protected indu
10 tries, but by the wages current amor
the 90 per cent, or more, employed
last industries which are not and cannot
ime protected by tariff legislation.
rcb Pertinent to this matter EVERY EVE
bps ING has been favored with the followi
onn extract from a letter of last Saturda
,ere written by one of the brightest busint
. in men in New England and one W
pm- hGepo DO wei pOotCdb tliOuBh pclsOL
oro. observation and otherwise, as to I
ssist condition of manufacturing industri
ard. as any man in the New England Stat
,lov Things are looking brighter up b
nioy now and the Republican manufactur
ople are coming back to work rather shar
rood facedly and admitting that there was
= !, reason. after all, for the wholesale clos
III " of mills and that it was largely the res
SON of some of the more INSCRIPTIONS of
,ow party in New England creating scare
lE, taking advantage Of the monetary depi
py sion, which was real and actual. to
ague credit the tariff policy of the adminsi
such ton. This is as IL wdS actually Gdnlitte
me last Saturday 18th alt. 6y he agent of
mere Of hte largest many actaring concerns IN !
Icted England.
stion The italics are ours. Comment is
sTTE necessary.
these
act The Philadelphia traction compal
on 10 are bending their energies to get Il
a., lines equipped with the trolley at