The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-16

ley tariff law, two years before, giving ad-
ditional employment to capital and labor
to supply our wants, aud keeping large
sums of money in the country to be spent
among ourselves, which had before been
sent and spent among workingmen and
people abroad. Labor was so fully en-
ployed that few were idle to compete for
the jobs and pay OF those at work, and In
some branches and localities O scarcity
existed; while wages, from the increased
demand, and few idle workingmen to be
bad, had reached higher rate than ever
before known.
But with your election the situation be-
gan to change, industries to droop, and
business to go downward. Before that
event every man in the country was MADE
fully acquainted with and had reached
decision regarding your process and in
tentions. st the election the bject was
in everyone's mind and each citizen then
gave his opinion of the result from their
adoption. One half the people, including
most OF our merchants, manufacturers,
and men with business interests at stake,
expressed by their votes their decided be-
lief that your success would result in the
positive injury of themselves as we'll as OF
the nation. Your election removed all
doubts of trial OF your process, and was
| accepted by at least every other man in
the country as a notification that busi-
ness was certain to be revolutionized, and
that soon; that such goods or property as
each had on hand, as well as those after
ward made or produced, were 10 be cheap
ened; and that only four months Ito
March 9 could be fully relied upon be-
fore the process would be begun.
In consequence, these people began
to consider their own future. Just
where the blow would strike and in what
way or how much each one would be
hurt, no one fully knew. Many were
sure OF being badly injured, perhaps
ruined, for you had told them so; large
numbers looked for considerable loss,
for he same reason, ana the Others
expected their intrcsts would be
more or less harmed. Nearly half
the nation, seeing business and
property threatened, felt sure there
would be hard times, and began quietly to
get in out of the wet before the storm
should come. Those having things to sell
| wisely wanted to get rid OF them while
| prices were good; those wanting to buy,
either gave 1t up or postponed doing so
them cheaper; those on wages, concluded,
| as did the sensible ones in our shop, to
| buy only daily necesssries and to hold on to
what money they could for use in case Of
| idleness or a reduction; those having
money due fastened to collect while there
was chance of getting it; while those
| owing money were led for safety to put
off paying as long as possible. The other
half of the people, noticing the way
things were going and having been
| told to expect it, also began TO
| economic and quickly followed
in the same course. Money carry
| ing the seal or stamp of the Government
on 1t was the only thing that the people
felt sure would not be chespened, SO all
wanted it, and held on to what they
could. In this way the wants OF the
| whole people suddenly fell away and busi
ness rapidly decreased. Merchants early
found themselves selling less, and stopped
ordering new goods except as neces-
| sary, in order TO avoid loss and
| perhaps ruin when the cheap
goods-time should arrive. Manu-
facturers in turn getting fewer orders
| from merchants and likewise expecting
trouble, bought less raw material, stopped
making more than enough to meet the
Elesscned demand, and reduced their labor
ing force accordingly. Workingmon thus
thrown out of work and pay and forced to
live upon their savings or borrowed money
bought only food and necesssries, and of
these less than before, while others still at
work on reduced time or pay, lessened
their purchases and, in common with
all classes, boarded their money for use in
case of need. The demand for goods from
| the working class, who together are the
buyers Of the greater part OF those made
and the frcost spenders Of money, thus
became further reduced, and still less
were sold, less manufactured, and more
men turned adrift. SO il went on, until
finally business everywhere became
PROSTATE, thousands of mills, fac
tories, workshops and other indus
tries closed, over 100000 working
men and women became, and are
mostly still idle, with over 100000 more
partly SO, through reduced hours, and
wages, through the competition OF the
crowds who must have work or starve.
have been reduced i'm the neighborhood
| OF a quarter, with a prospect of a further
and permanent reduction hereafter. Want,
suffering, misery, and at least part starva-
| tion exists in tens OF thousands OF work.
ingmen's homes; and the charity soup
house, which for over thirty years had
been almost forgotten, has been revived
and become promising business all over
| the land.
a Rad Job.
Such Is the work which you have done,
and your process has turned out to date,
and which find charged against you as
ruined material in your account with the
| xsht N n. al
where ought to be found continued aud
increased prosperity" Industries in tu,l
or fuller operation" "labor as well CT
better employed" and "ruling wagts
equally good" which you gustsnteoo.
and for which you were psid--is an ent re
blank, not n single one OF these promis,
having been even partly fulfilled.
A WoRKINuMAN.
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