The Globe-republican., 1894-08-17
A SHAMEFUL SHOWING.
ne Disastrous Results OF Demoefati<
Mlsmauageme0t,

A SHAMEFUL SHOWING.
ne Disastrous Results OF Demoefatie
MismanAgement
LET US have peace!" is now the fer
vent cry of business The same prayer
comes from the west and east, from
the homes of millions of wage-earners
and from the offices of half . million
manufacturers and as many merchants.
The rich and the poor join in one
prayer: LET tariff war end and let us
have peace" Then may the wheels
start again. and idle hands find work,
and plenty come in place of want to
millions of homes Surely congress
men cannot be aware how much their
weary strife over this question has
cost the people. In the one month Of
July the difference between this year
and last in payments for products and
for labor will be about $1,000, 600, 600.
But this is the fourteenth month OF
continued and sore depression. In
these fourteen months the actual pay
ments through all clearing houses
have been SIS. 500. OOO. 900. and in the
gate was 81. 900, OOO. OOO-a decrease of
el9, 400. OOO, 600. The business done in
cludes profits for traders and manu-
facturers, for transporters, farmers,
miners and lumbermen, and wages for
all the hands they employ. The enor-
nous loss represents decrease in wages
and work and profits for all concerned
more than &c per cent. of the entire
business for the fourteen months.
The wage-earners. or rather those
who would earn wages if the demo-
cratic party would let us have peace.
being IS per cent of the people, num-
Der "a, 900, 900. The wages at the rate
of 1890, reckoning about a third at the
farming and the rest at the average
rate for all manufacturing hands ac-
cording to the census, were $500 year
" for each. But instead of Zoo, O00.-
600, these people are probably earning
at the rate of 81, 400. 100000 less. part
being unemployed and part working
at lower rates. The great iron indus
try, which should employ in all its
branches 600, 900 men, as it did in 1890,
with yearly production of s1,aoo. 0Oo.-
600, instead Of a full consumption of
8, 300, 900 tons of pig actually consumed
in the last twelve months about $780,
OO0-less than SIS per cent-which
would imply a decrease OF 100000
hands, and $40. OOO,O0 in value of
yearly product provided prices had
been unchanged. But prices of iron
at
per cent, or nearly 100000. 900 on the
reduced output. The textile manufac-
lures, employing half million per-
sons, have reduced hands and output
somewhat less, and yet very largely.
In many other industries the mere loss
in value of products must be reckoned
by hundreds of millions.
Do democrats mean to say that the
frightful losses result from the pres
eut tariff, and not from their attempt
to change it? Very we'll, give us peace
and let US test it. Let the country
have a chance to find out whether the
claim is false or not. Stop agitation
until next January, and see whether
industries will not revive and business
Instant and full recovery could not
be expected, of course. Complete re-
covery with the threat of change still
hanging over industries could not be
reasonably expected. Yet the demo-
Gratis dare not face the test. They
dare not let the working people and
the business men of this country see
vAlI of
come if democratic agitation would
but take itself out of the way. even
for q few months only.
They do not dare. or they would have
tried it long ago. 1t is almost a year
since this congress met in extra ses-
sion. Before that its chosen leaders
and treasurer and other experts had
to frame a tariff bill. After more
than a year of incessant labor and agi-
tation and shameful humiliation the
party is disguised to find that it can
not agree upon or pass anything that
looks like a democratic tariff. Its
wrangles, its amazing corruption and
shameless bartering, its contemptuous
disregard Of public opinion. of decen-
cy, of pledges and of principles, made
its respectable leaders long for an ad-
iournment months ago-Only they did
not dare to let the people see what the
maligned Mckinley bill would do for
then industries if they let it alone.
But think once more, democratic
friends Would it not pay better to
let the people have little taste of
prosperity before the next presiden-
tial election?-N. y. Tribune.
CURRENT COMMENT.