The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-03-14
NOT DUE TO TARIFF,
HARD TIMES AGGRAVATED Nv TIE
SCHEMES OF THE MONEY SHARKS.

SCHEMES OF THE MONEY SHARKS
Inc Colorado Chairman of the People,s
Party State Committee Clearly Refutes
the Arguments of an Eastern Prots.t;on
ist Manufacturer.
Copies Of an address bv Mr.. Alfred
Dodge of Dolgeville, N. Y, having been
distributed in this state and widely else
where, and marked copy cf the Dodge
vile Herald of Feb. /. containing II
having been forwarded to me, evidently
Tor criticism and comment, some reply
seems to be called for. Mr.. DOLCE. it
should be explained, is large MANN
facturer of wOolens, felts, shoes. piano
sundrles, ETC., and like the many other
manufacturers who have been compelled
to close their factories by the stress of
hard times naturally seeks for the causes
which have brought misfortune upon
MIN. The address in question explains,
or purports to explain. the existing de-
preston in all lines of manufacturing
and business generally, and it is hardly
necessary to add that the explanation
ID given from the one sided point of view
taken by SO many persons in the east.
In short, according to Mr.. Dodge, there
are just two causes for present troubles
silver and the proposed reduction of
the tariff.
My attention having been especially
directed to the matter by some of the
readers of the address-it having been
widely circulated here through dealers
in Mr.. Dolge's goods-permit me to
avail myself of your valuable space to
discuss it in some detail, to the end that
those who look upon the utterances in
question as sound arguments may not be
misled, as their author himself has been.
Mr.. Dolge's factories have been oper-
ated on an earnings sharing plan, which
Is to be commended It has been the
custom for the employees at Dolgeville
to hold an annual meeting, at which re-
ports for the year are presented. 1t was
on the occasion of the twenty fifth an
nual reunion that this speech was de-
ivered. Instead of the annual dinner
the proprietor assembled his workmen
around empty tables, made them a
speech, telling them why-in his opin-
ion-the factories had to be closed Dec.
10 last and why they should have to
look for reduced wages and less work
in the future
The speaker said that in reviewing
the business for the years 1891 and 1892
he had been able to report that they
were the most successful years ever had,
and that these years will be known in
the history of our country as the two
years of sound economic rolicy-em-
bodied in the Mckinley tariff law, of
course" Of course. Unfortunately for
this explanation, however, it happens
that the general business depression
throughout the country began during
that very period-began while the Nc
Kinley law was in full force and long
before it was supposed that the elections
in the fall of 1892 would bring low
tariff policy to the front. True, the
full force of the panic did not come un-
til June of last year. when sudden
break was precipitated by the action of
the India council in closing the India
minis to silver. Yet Mr.. Dodge, because
his own factories were enabled to show
profit for 1899, assumes that the whole
country was then equally and greatly
prosperous, and that "all the factories
throughout the land were busy every
working day of the year, that "the
lea could make,' and that all were
making money and happy"
And now, he says, all this is reversed
and he is compelled to offer aid to men
who have worked with him, who can
and are able to work and yet are forced
to the level of mendicants merely be-
cause supreme ignorance and conceit
reign in Washington. Well, we in Col
orado are quite willing to unite with
Mr. Dodge in ascribing our troubles
largely to vicious legislation, but so far
from this being due to ignorance we are
ready to give full credit to the represent
atives of the money power in congress
for having very shrewd idea of what
they were and are doing.
1t is all the fault of the Democrats,
according to Mr.. Dodge, who speaks of
them as 1.-The party now in power, true
to its old time hatred of industry and
thrift" 1t is only natural that he,
speaking not as philosopher taking
judicial, dispassionate view of the stu
alton, but as an extreme high protection
Republican politician, should pitch into
the other side and call names. But this
ifs not argument. Those of us who are
neither Republicans nor Democrats, but
can regard the actions and records of
both parties impartially. see that both
of the old parties have alike sinned in
their dealings with the peoples inter-
ests.
The first year of the reform era,"
says Mr.. Dodge, is the darkest page in
the records of business. Does he then
forget that we are still living under Re-
publican laws; that the Mckinley tariff
il in full operation; that the Wilson bill
has not yet passed the senate; that even
If it is not Indefinitely postponed by
honconcurrence on items it cannot take
effect for many months to come, and
that so far as the business of the year
1898 is concerned, which is the period
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