The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-23
CAN DEFEAT THE BILL
1t Rests with Labor Whether the
Tariff Measure Passes.
Mr.. Caldwell Says ALI Workingmen
Should Rise Up and Demand Pro-
lection for Themselves.
CONGRESS MAY BE MOVED
Present Distress Merely a Sample
of What Is i'm Store.
Millions Will Be Reduced to Starvation
Wages if Democracy Succeeds in
It's Deadly Work.
Special TO the INDIANAPOLIS Journal

Special TO the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Dec Pour laboring
people last fall in large numbers voted
English conditions upon themselves. They
now see this mistake; but it is not too late
to avoid an entailed condition of these
things. and If they rise up manfully
and demand OF the American Congress the
restoration of that condition of things that
gave them steady employment, remunera-
tive wages and homes of plenty the Wilson
bill will never become law. and doubt
whether 1t will ever pass the House Of
Representatives. for it is within the pro-
vince Of the laboring people OF this country
to mold public opinion in the next thirty
days as to compel Congress to discontinue
further consideration OF the measure and
allow the laws that upon
statute books TO remain in force"
These were the words employed by Rep
resentative John A. Caldwell, Of Cincin-
natl. in describing to the Journal corre-
spondent what he believed to be the duty
Of the hour which rested upon the shoulders
of those who are to be afflicted by the
adoption Of the Wilson tariff bill. Judge
Caldwell is the chairman of the Republican
congressional campaign committee, and he
is not only a practical statesman but the
friend of labor and a practical politician.
He keeps in touch with every condition OF
the country. and probably better than any
other man in Congress, on account of his
position. realizes the disastrous effect upon
labor and the industries of the country
which the operation of the Wilson bill
would have. Judge Caldwell said further:
1T is apparent that a large number of
our people who are directly affected by the
bill are aroused to- full sense Of the stu
the country, the industrial classes, do not
yet realize what this bill means for them.
The capitalists, or the large manufacturers,
have a reserve which gives them some little,
security. but the men whose trade or whose
hands are their only stock or capital stand
in different relation to the bill. The small
manufacturers who compose great army
throughout tho length and breadth of our
land must also suffer beyond anything that
has ever been known upon this continent.
Their business and small investments will
be swept away and they will be added
to the army of the unemployed
IF the mere threat or presentation of
bill which is TO work economic revolution
produces such terrible results as we now
see and hear OF everywhere, what must be
the fate of the thousands and millions
whose only hope is employment? And what
will the conditions be when this measure
Is finally put into operation no one can tell.
The managers of the Wilson bill have
closed their cars to the cry Of the hungry
and have shut their eyes to the sickening
sights presented in all the great centers
of industry. with pinching cold thousands
Of unfcrtunateS without shelter, idle men,
frantic mothers and crying children This
is indeed a picture that the ways and
and whose awful appeals they do not wish
TO hear. 1t is somewhat OF relief TO know
that the State authorities and the great
municipalities are making heroic efforts TO
stay the tide Of suffering. but this is far
short of what is needed in the present
moment. The poor and the unfortunate
may be cared for temporarily in this emer-
Gcncy but there comes a time when such
charity must exhaust me Tesourcss pa eefln
must be found elsewhere and it must come
through the united efforts of those who
arc most interested IN such reilei.
THE PEOPLE MUST ACT.
1.-THE waste, the loss. the suffering that
we see about us to-day" continued Judge
Caldwell. lis unquestionably the result of
an attempted surrender Of our great Amer
lean advantage to foreign competition and
IL our people arc not heroic enough to stand
up untedly to fight starvation wages, to
resist the encroachment of destructive
theories. to strike down this monstrous
Wilson BILL which. bearing the title of a
measure OF reform Is truly measure OF
waste and evastation or happy homes ana
thriving industries which has been the
boast of our proud Nation they must suf-
fer more yet. Individual effort can accom-
pish but little pr dn aoncb IN het fbc
Republicans are in the minority and, there
fore. helpless. The people control; pubic
opinion is the master voice. Let the people
rise in solid phalanx and warn members OF
Congress that this bill means idleness.
M In
"Are the friends of particular or separate
industries going to be able TO take care or
them sufficiently to save portion or our
industries by.ndividual amendments restor-
ing duties?" was asked
mo. think this is the great mistake,
said Judge Caldwell Members of Con
r-ress cannot afford to offer amendments in
the interest OF a particular industry, While
perhaps every. other item In the same
schedule is In just much peril as the one
TO which attention may be called. The sal
walton of our industrial system rests with
the united effort on the part of the indus
trial people of this country. and unless
those engaged in our great factory system.
as Well as the mechanic and the laboring
classes who are dependent upon these In
dustries for employment, move as one body
restoration OF former duties then there is
10 hope in securing relief at the present
rs there apparently, any politics in the
bin?'
at is. in my judgment. purely a political
bill. The industries of the country do not
at this time demand a reduction of the
tariff We have deficit now of more than
sixty millions, and will be confronted at
the end of the present fiscal year with a
deficit OF more than hundred millions. and
without revenue from which 10 build up
our balance in the treasury. 1t looks TO
me a suicidal method Of cutting of the only
hope of revenue we have at this time. 1t
does appear as a political measure from
the fact that the clamor has been for bill
in harmony with the Chicago platform of
the Democratic convention, and now that
the bill IL before the public there is a great
effort being put forth on the part OF those
responsible for IL TO make 1t appear as
though il Is in fact a reasonable keeping
of the pledge OF the Democratic party
do you believe the people are more ~
terested I'm a political measure at this time
than they otherwise would be in a non
partisan measure as affecting our Industrial
SYSTEM
This TO me is the whole question: How
can starving men with their families afford
TO stand upon a political platform and
maintain that IL is a matter of honor the
keeping OF a party pledge which is greater
than that of providing ways and means for
employing the idle and feeding the hungry?
What the people Of this country need to-
day is measure which Will declare that