New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-24
S7RIKEBREEDING thrift.

Tho Domocratic party may not know IT, but
tho hill which It is shaping in the Senate IS
nre-eminently n tariff to produce strikes. III
almost every department OF industry 1t would
croote conditions which must intensity TO the
utmost tho unrest and dissatisfaction of labor,
and mu,tlply struggles for higher wages. What
,h roItticol effects will be II the next Congress
eioro, election finds the whole land boiling with
angry strucgles between workingmen ana en-
p,overs Democratic leaders may not find 1t hard
70 cuess But they have gone so far that 1t
sooms 70 them less dangerous to push on than
TO draw back.
Tho one fact which cmboldens men to urge
reductions of duty is that prices are now phe-
romcnollv low. few lots Of certain qualities
~ American wool have been sold In England
Prices OF iron and steel and their products are
ca low that rs was calculated in the Senate on
Tuesday. many such products could not now De
irnortcd with proht even II the duties proposed
uora in force SO II is with part Of the products
or many other Industries; they nrr selling al
randy NJ prices which seem to render the duties
of tho nositlycly last final or OF the pos'-ilnal
revision quite high enough to exclude foreign
connctition. Selecting these particular prou-
ucts Of each industry. Democratic statesmen
toction. and that prices Of other producers OF
those industries can be reduced 10 the S''i'
level If manufacturers please Thus. they say
vc can show our people a great reduction Oh
drtics and vet will not destroy any Industry
Under the same impression Senator IcIicr says
that thc latest revision seems to him nigh
enough for protection what these puplc NV"
hc,ova and declare many worlngmen are sure
to credit.
prices have been lowered by means OF an OK
,roorl,norv reduction Of wages When thou
sands Of establishments stopped last summer
and hands were left for months without WORK
thcv consented TO extreme low wages ~ tom
norary device In order to enable employers -
star, works. ANY wages. they reasoned, were
better than no wages NJ all, Tor 'h' UNIV i"'
cnnlovcrs also. In order to keep their WORKING
forces together and avoid permanent loss -
husncss consented 10 operate without any
chance of profit. Accounts Of corporations NV
now chewing that n great many Of them have
been operated for months ~ loss iI'''S W
rrodrcis. nj each step from mine ana farm 10
final forms for use. were cut down 10 me io"'H'
possible point. nobody expecting 'hat TIC S''''
Of things could be permanent
The Democratic tariff Is bill 10 make that
~
hov.n ,bo WAGES that have been reduced. and 10
force reduction ~ other wages ID '"c In
love, NAM products have not been lowered IN
nricc so much rs others IN the same depart
mont Of Industry. aud these. the Democratic
statesmen reason can also be reduced II INC
manufacturer pleascs The way 10 chcAp'h
those IS 10 cut down the wages PAID Tor pro-
drcing them. and that IS easy because vaS'
ff.tf n tfKIf u
~ manufacture Thus IN iron and steel even
,-l;h thc great reduction u wages effected Only
ryo-thlr,ls - the worl,lu. force Aayr bc'A "n-
n,ovoJ ., any time since last summer; The ont
nut Of mig iron rose only for short time 10
zoo 731 TONS April |. against lSl.55l year ago
ard the guanilty uScl In al branches ~ inc
manufacture was relatively about The same.
with a third Of The workers and hands IDLE
f., como crco, branches more IN others AMI n
quarter In some. Tho progress of recovery was
orrcs,oI IN April hy great strikes. Naturally
tho difficulty began with the cheaper labor IN
or1cr 70 cnabl, even two.'hlrls u The IRON
works 70 Pm at ALL coke had been selling M
On cents instead Of 81 - last year. AMI LAX"
iron ore 81 s. 81 at Cleveland Instead ~ - -
Ios, vcor Iron miners and coal miners DO
cor,1 that the temporary arrangement mnH'
he temporary: that they could not Us" on '"'
wages paid II they succeed. Tho cost OF '''n
must 20 NJ. and the cost 81 all pr"dn'S o..
iron Then The furnace men In their tnrn VIII
demand the old wages. and then men III r'llihs
mills. and all the time n Democratic congress
is lcCisla'ng on the theory that ne cN''''ls
scale Of prices aud wages IS permanent a""
that proposed duties are enough for prot'cuoH.
So they might be II American workers woui'
take British wages. But as they VIII not VINO
con fell how many strikes the first half year OF
n Democratic tariff would producer