Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-01-18
PROTECTION IS CRUEL.
The Terrible Straits Into Which McKin
leyism Has Brought the Country.

The Terrible Straits Into Which McKin-
leyism Has Brought the Country.
Bradstreet furnishes the crushing in-
formation that there are eight million
Of our fellow citizens out of employ
ment and that nearly two million de-
pendent upon them are subsisting
upon the precarious supply afforded by
public charity This is the result of
three years of McKinleyism preceded
by long-extended era of high protec-
ton. The radical partisan organs of
the opposition declare that the Wilson
bill has already closed scores of facto-
ries. The falsity Of this claim is APP
parent to all who give the question so
much as passing attention. Since the
bill was reported there has been a re-
sumption of work in hundreds of man
ufacturing esta bIishments and that the
country is headed in the direction of
restored prosperity is assured by the
best fnanciers and business men of
the country. With the promise of re-
lief from the publican tax on it's
materials, industry sees brighter out
look
Such relief is at hand if the people
will only reach out and secure it before
the inevitable and most ruinous results
of McKinleyism are upon them. 1t IS
not time for delay or vacillation.
There is too much at stake for the peo-
pie to wait patiently while politicians
in the temporary role of statesmen
talk for buncome or for mere sectional
interests What the people should in
sist upon at the hands of their repre-
sentatives is a prompt passage OF the
Wilson bill. Discriminate action upon
the matters which it places ill contro-
versy is necessary that the great indus
trial interests may know their exact
status in the world of trade and with
out uncertainty as to the future condi-
tons which they must encounter.
Mills that were forced to shut down
during the era of over-production in
duced by McKinleyism would prompt
ly resume when relieved of the crush
ing burden of war taxation. Scores Of
others would spring into existence to
meet the demands of an open market
and the great boon Of steady employ
ment would be assured to the working
men of the country. The special priv
ileges secured to such states as Ohio
and Indiana will be withdrawn and
the resources of every section of the
country will be made available. The
manufacturers Of New England say
that they stand ready to give employ
ment to thousands of men as soon as
the tax on coal and crude iron is re-
moved, and in the south and west as
we'll the very interests in which the
ultra protectionists are making their
plea stand ready to commence active
operations SO soon as a new tariff law
is given effect.
But the republicans propose to delay
this measure of relief. They cannot
but see into what terrible straits Nc
kinleyism has brought the country.
They realize, despite their assertions
to the contrary, that in the brief space
of three years the republican war
tariff has reduced the wages of labor,
closed mills, factories and furnaces and
brought about a depression more ter
rible than has been known in this
country of munificent resources for
many year. Yet they say that the
present tariff system must be main
tanned and that there must be no
change in the conditions if they can
prevent it by obstruction and f1libus-
tering in congress. Never was there
an example of more heartless or cruel
hostility to the interests of hungry and
suffering labor, even on the part OF
the party which is pledged body and
soul to monopoly. Detroit Free Press.