The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-28

recent report OF tue Penssy.vania labor
board shows that not single recent ssraNe
In that state for the Yesention Of the exist
ing scale Of wages has succeeded Inc
: 900 miners vho struck ~ Birmingham
Ala, on April Il. FOR q 45-cent rate have
sxreed 20 return 81 the old rate Of SI1s
cents.
The Pullman strike is completely over
and the company can get al the men
wanted. The strike Of the miners OF the
Tennessee Coal and Iron Company mas
failed. There 10 a great strike OF cotton
nil operatives at New Bedford against the
reduction in wages from 70 I'D per cenl
like reduction at Fall River has been
accepted, aud the New Bedford strike mast
fail, for no other course was open 70 the
New Bedford employers. Northern mis-
ia the past year have taken oaly Los1slo
bales Of cotton TO date. against l4Isooi IN
1913 and 2. is. 257 In 1892 This IS redue-
ton Of 5 per cent since last year and Of %
per cent since the last prosperous year.
1892. In spite Of this great reduction IN
output stock of /. l69, 90 pieces OF print
cloths have accumulated, full months
manufacture and ten-foid the stock In
prosperous years.
In cotton goods prices are down 20 to 30
per cent. and consumption has shrunk 80
10 IS per cent The mills have begun to
pass their dividends or reduce them In
spite Of the conservative New England
policy which carries surplus so as to
keep up dividends in all years, good and
bad. Moreover, the cut made By the DEM
ocratic tariff in the finer goods made at
New Bedford renders a reduction of
wages inevitable. In wooden goods. glass
ware, pottery. and iron and steel NJ the
various centers Of production wages are
sure to be reduced as the result of the new
tariff bill.
The situation with which the labor OF
this country is to be confronted un-
der the new Democratic tariff recalls fa-
nous prophecy uttered by James G. Blaine
while the Republican party was stin in
power. but not too early for that great states
man to foresee the triumph of the Demo
cratic party and to foretell exactly what
would follow. Mr. Blaine said:
81 shudder. however, at the thought
that the time must come when ali this Will
be changed. when the general prosperity
Of the country will be destroyed, when the
great body of workingmen in this land,
who are now 50 prosperous, will hear their
wives and children cry for bread: that the
day must come when the great factories
and manufactures of this land will shut
down, and where there Is now life and
activity there will be the silence of the
tomb. And the reason why this must
be is this: The great Southern wing
of the Democratic party are deter
mined to established the doctrine OF
free trade in this land. They will be
assisted by their Northern allies. There
is a great body of visionary but educated
men who are employed day by day in
writing free trade essays and arguments in
favor of the doctrine, which find their way
TO every newspaper In this land. The
great body of our people have never eI-
perienced themselves the sufferings which
always result when the protective princi-
pies are laid aside. Poisoned and excited
by the wild statements of these writers
and the demagogic appeals of the Demo-
cratic speakers the result will be that in
the very near future these forces which
are now working will be strong enough to
defeat at the polls the party advocating
the doctrine of protection. IL must in
evitably follow that uncertainty and doubt
will ensue.
"The business men Of the country, fear
ing the destruction of the principles of
protection, will decline TO engage in bush
ness. consequently mills will shut down
and the workingmen will be thrown out
of employment. The people will then see,
as they have never seen before, that they
can not be prosperous and have work
while this principle is threatened. In the
midst of their sufferings they will learn
that the only way they can be prosperous
and happy is TO vote for the party that has
built up the industries by which they have
gained a livelihood, because they will then
see clearly that when the mandatory is
shut down there is no demand for the only
thing which they have to sell, and that Is
their labor -