New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-05
L4EOP BUYING EXPERIENCE.

Labor Day and its demonstrations nave
lesson which many overlook The wage
Garner: rule this country They can make i,S
laws what they please. Many voted against
the Government now in power but even these
now remember To their SIief that the! diu hoc
,lvo,s do what they could 10 secure the tli-
,,nnb of their principles Some threw away
,Lcr VOTES for impossible candidates. or neg
Io,tcd To vote at ALL But the main fact Is that
thc vagc-carncis of the country coulh nave
b,J , different government this year il they
had chosen.
Two ideas Influenced the votes oi man! iaS'
,o,r which il would be well for them now 10
review in the light Of events. One idca' ana
the more common. was that the pl0Spcnl! I'll
the county and their powerful labor ofgahlza
inns secured wagc-carnerS from harm n mat
Ter which pol teal party prevailed. IL WAS
I unnatural In thirty years they hal never
seen any panic or financial or Ihdi>"la ais
tnrh,ncc which had thrown as many rs TENN
# their number ont Of employ ment or leSSened
pr,.luct on in the great departments al INDUS
J. trv ttksn together ~ much tenth Nitcr
/ the manic Of 1873 over 30 per cent of the IRON
rr,ducion ceased within four years. but no
] ~
nc, cent of the boot and shoe industry III any
wear. loss than per cent oil the Wcoileh' ana
H. tb,, = per cent of the cotton industry.
/ and a smaller proportion of the building trade
and minor branches. This year the decrease
IN all the great industries has been greater
within three months. Nh in thirty yeais had
w1gc-earnor, a. a body seen their wages re-
duccd a, much ~ per cent IN any !car' ana
in only two years ~ much a> per cent ana
} ths>e changes were many years ago. Wheh Or
/ carnations were less strong than OF late. ms
wear reductions OF 10 10 30 per cent have been
accepted within three months by vast BODY
! Of the workers.
What wonder is il that worliingmcn believed
themselves defended beyond all serious harm.
first bv the abounding resources and growing
prosperity of the country and second by their
orglnized power? Not onc-SlXth OF the pres
ent voting population was OF age when the
Democrat, lost power IN lSGl ana even 81
that small minority many were then living III
other countries. How should fye-siXthS of the
voters comprehend what a Democratic policy
meant for labor? Experience is good teacher,
but il cost, too much to have a Democratic
administration and Congress for every new
generation Of voters. still. too many OF me
vagr-earners were thinking OF other things,
would not Learn from the experience OF older
men, and trusted in the prosperity OF the Ma
tion and the might of their organizations. They
insisted upon buying experience Tor themselves
and this year it is costly
The other idea which swayed many was that
il would pay t. smash the employers or bosses.
Controversies had occurred in which there was
not always tight upon both sides. some en-
ployers had been unjust or mean, as IN every
station of life some men are. Some had 10
deal with organizations which forgot what was
inst or wise, IS human organizations are liable
+, do when they think they have the power.
Disputes had arisen. blood had been shed and
many men had lost in the strife more than they
were willing TO forget. To smash the bosses,
they were told. it was only necessary to smash
the tariff. and then the worker would get his
right. II is undenabe that good many of
the employers have been smashed, and when
that happens to a man he can employ hands
no longer 4 good many Others have seen
danger ahead, and have defended themselves
h, stopping. A great army of workers are out
~ employment. who can now understand that
labor and capital must mutually consider each
other if either would thrive. There can be
no profitable labor without a policy which
make, employers willing 10 take risks
Il has been a costly lesson already. and all
wish it were over. Yet the Democratic Con-
oress and President have scarcely begun work,
and what they will do is still in doubt. TO
many thousand men who would like to work
that doubt is distressing But men who gov
eru the Nation have to learn that it is easier
IN create doubt than to remove it, To vote
for 4 change takes but minute. 70 get the
change and find out how it will work takes
longer.