The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-12-21
DISRsPUTAgLe TACTICS.
Employed by Protected Manufacturers 70
MAKE Republican Notrs-Numsrnus In
stanccs 81 Mills Closed and Wages Re.
ducrd for Political Effect.

1
stances 81 Mills Closed snd Wages Re
dacrd for Political Effect.
III - almost inconccivable that an
considerable number Of well know
business firms would resort 10 IN,
shameful cxpeaicnt. 10 produce rcpub
lican votes, OF closing their factorie
for several weeks before election an.
abnormally depressing wages for .
year or longer; yet there il cvidenc.
That many Of the selfish. unpasriotis
ana uprincipled protected manufacture
crs who have been living off of hon
est, self-supporting industries. during
the past thirty wears. have disgraced
themselves ny resorting IN these shame.
ful practices Indeed il seems quite
probable that this was an important
factor IN many congressional districts
during the last election. The New
York Herald of November II. presented
two columns of evidence against such
manufacturers.
The firm of Selburv & johnson.
Spoil Maiden Lane. New York. are
manufacturers OF medical. surgical
and anti>eptic specialties. ON Novem-
Der 10. 1895 this firm issued a circular
which begin, in this way:
TO Our Employes-A reduction in
wages took place in 1893. soon after
the election of President Cleveland
the apostle of theories and misery. the
nation was plunged into commercial
and financial depression. Bankruptcy
was the order of the day. Two years
experience under the present admin
istration has cured the people of their
commercial heresies and delusion.-
1t then tells Of the return of the fool
ish voters to 1.-THE party of patriotism.
protection and prosperity" on Novem-
Der .. which will restore public conf
dence and revive trade as if by magic"
Therefore. II tells them. your former
salaries will be restored. beginning the
week from November H."
One of the firm told Herald report
er that wages were reduced from ten,
hfteen To twenty per cent" in lsg3.
lie admitted that neither the Wilson
nor the Mckinley bill made much diff
ference 10 them and made the aston
lShinr statement that during the panic
they had bought more cotton goods
cotton is used in plasters-than they
had done before or since. Seen in this
ight. their circular is a piece of po-
itical ouncomb and the lnanufactur-
RS are rank partisan bi-ots As
he Mckinley bill was in force
or nearly two wears after the
lection of is9s. ware reductions in
SOB should be credited mainly 20 the
Mckinley bill. just as wage advances
low should be credited to the Wilson
Ill. which will probably be in force
or the next three years The attempt
4 political manufacturers tn credit
wage advances to higher duties. which ,
vii most certainly not come before .
-J'-and probably not then-is a pal
able fraud. The present advance in ,
ages j. probably made. because. un- !
er the improved conditions. il IS the ;
My way for the firm TO hold its best !
'or<crs. If il could again reduce
ages. as il did last year. and keep its 7
mployes Il would do SO. Probably /
inety-nine per cent of wage rcduc- I
ons or advances are made for bust i
ess reasons, though a considerable 5
ercentage is credited 10 sentimental I
nd patriotic motives. The rise or fall d
wages is accounted for by general n
iuses. Individual manufacturers. q
)wevcr much they might wish to 10 n
}. cannot raise or lower wages at will. Y
The Herald mentions many other h
who have been engaged n
the disreputable business of closing
ills and temporarily reducing wages a
r political purposes. member Of a b
hitting firm says that what the
want is the restoration d
the MckiNley bill. and admits that n
; own and many other factories. all e
cr the country, remained shut down q;
evious to election day to induce the d
lployes to vote the republican ticket, q
ID. he says. they have done it, ii
On December 20. 1898. every employee II
the Soathington. Conn. Cutlevv CO.. k,
IS told. in his pay envelope. that r.
wing to the prospects of the Wilson ell
riff bill we are compelled to reduce 81
2 price Of labor on January ~ r
lthout waiting to see what would be II
c outcome of the debate on the Will "
q bill wages were reduced from ! 10 b,
per cent
The Atwater Manufacturing Co. and th
e Peck. Stow 4 Wilcox Co. both in tr
explained their reductions pl
the same way. Hundreds of the T"
ployes in the Clark thread mills in
wark' Harrison and kearncy. y. j.,
re forced to protest against the Will st
l bill and probably advised" to III
te the same way. The Firth in
rpet 80. Of Cornwall. n. Y. it,
the Roxbury carpet mills in be
Issachusetts behaved in a SINH de
manner. Thousands employed ii,
the hating and carpet industries in m
mixers. y. ", and in New Jersey and ar
nnccticut were bulldozed by their ch
'tccted employers 50 that meetings m;
re held to denounce the Wilson bill. tn
Nearly all of the refineries Of the tic
yar trust were closed for several on
eks before, and started up within a IN;
elk after. election. Legitimate CO.
'iness reasons probably accounted tn,
the closing of an unusual number ge
refineries in September and October. lie
II is not improbable that il there IL
! been no election the re.incries We
uld have been opened about Novem- du
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