Little Falls weekly transcript., 1894-07-13
ONE DOLLAR PER DAY
THAT is THE PREVAILING PRICE PAID
TO UNSklLLED LABOR.
The Promised Good Pay of tho Democratic
Orators Of 1892 seems to Have Como An
other Way-Hardship For the Poor-Re-
publican Prophecy Fulfilled.

Z :
other Way-Hardship For the Poor-Re-
publican Prophecy Fulfilled.
The following public announcement
from the commissioners of the District
Of Columbia is but one of the many
proclamations against which the Re-
publicans warned the labor people Of
America in the campaign Of 1892. From
every stump and platform and through
every Republican newspaper of the
United States the Republicans empha-
sized, with all the power Of logic they
possessed, to the labor people Of the
United States, that if Grover Cleveland
was made president of the United States
and the two houses Of congress became
Democratic labor would drop from the
wages maintained by the Republicans
for number of years to less than 81
per day. Here is the fulfillment:
"That On and after June II, 1894.
until otherwise ordered by the commits
sioners, unskilled laborers employed by
the District of Columbia shall be paid
at the rate Of 81 per day for eight
hours"
In justification of the righteousness
of this reduction the commissioners say,
''There is no reason why the District
should pay 81. so per day for eight hours
when contractors all over the country
are paying 81 for 10 hours.
To the laboring people these words
will fall with pail heavier than hu-
man 1anC oor ovr-ooo ov,1 +bo 80.
told suffering and deprivation that such
reductions Of wages must carry to the
homes Of the unskilled laborers of the
District of Columbia no one mind is
able to comprehend. Of the persons
employed there at unskilled labor
threefourths Of them are living in rent
ed houses. These houses belong in a
large measure to people who always ad.
vocated the doctrines Of the Democratic
parry. The question now to be dis
cussed is, Will these same Democrats
make reduction of one third of the
rent formerly demanded by them fron:
these same laborers? Will the market
man, the grocer and all others from
whom these people purchase the sup.
plies necessary to meet their daily
wants deduct from the former price one
third of that formerly demanded? II
not, then let US for moment try tC
figure out how the laboring man, with
a family dependent upon him, who, in
the language Of Grover Cleveland and
all the Democratic orators of America,
is the most burdened and tax ridden
and oppressed Of all this land of ours,
is to better his condition with only 81,
where before he had ST.. So?
1t may be possible that the wisdom
Of Democratic statecraft may be able tc
SO multiply the food and the raiment
that go to these struggling, suffering
homes in some miraculous way that The
multitudes may be fed, but we fear that
the cry of despair and the wall of suf
fering women and children will bt
heard from many homes where it was
possible under former conditions te
maintain fair condition of comfort
How many labor unions, how much o5
organized labor in the United States is
there to rise up and rebuke the Demo
cratic party in power today for the lay
ing of the foundation which is to strike
down and destroy forever the possibility
of unskilled labor in America from
maintaining that rate Of wages which
shall even allow it the commonest com
forts Of life?