Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-07-25
Conditions for Prosperity.

extent that there is no longer fear of
a debauched currency. A feeling is
rife that our money is sound; Euro
peans and Americans alike believe
that one of our dollars is as good as
another, and will continue to be.
The passage of the tariff bill, mis-
cradle hodge podge that it is, tends
to allay fear and furnishes the condi-
tions under which our producers may
work. They will soon know along
what lines effort may be proftably
expended. Uncertainty is removed,
and Democrats and Republicans alike
agree that nothing can be more OPP
pressingin the business world than an
ignorance of where the tariff shoeis to
pinch.
1t is a good thing to have some sort
of bill enacted. Moreover the stocks
of goods on hand are about con-
sumed. For months in many lines
there has been no production. The
limited call for goods has been sup
piled from the accumulated stocks,
and these are now exhausted. Man
ufacturing must be resumed.
Finally this country is putting it
self on legal record as to obligations
Of organized labor, whereas hitherto
all the talk has been about it's rights.
OF course there can be no rights for
any one class of citizens unless ''obli-
cations" are equally sacred and ur-
gent. The people, too, better under
stand the more subtle phases of the
labor question and are insisting on
obedience to law even at the lannon's
mouth, whereas formerly they were
in doubt how much obedience could
be demanded. Ten years ago the
boycott was an enigma. People did
not know whether it was permissible
or not. Gross injustice ran rampant
for while and very respectable peo-
pie were afraid to buy salt and sugar
from the grocer who had been put
under the ban. Bus the courts have
set US right In this matter. Boycott
ters are now promptly locked up and
we all understand that the boycott is
a crime.
So, too, we are making Roadway in
regard to strikes. The recent Chica-
go experience has thrown into the
courts number of questions hitherto
unsettled. What authority has the
federal government? Is labor lead
er a conspirator and subject to pen
atty when he projects and executes a.
strike? May number Of employees
secretly effect tyingup of commerce
and block Uncle Sans mails May
a striker induce an employee to leave
his work and so cripple public insti-
tuition? Must an employer agree to
an arbitration These questions
and others have never been settled.
1t will take years to adjudicate them
all and long time to crystalline pub
lie sentiment; but the American peo-
pie report progress in this year of
1894.
When we think how absurd even
such questionings would have been
twenty years ago, when boycotters
had free run and the strike with it's
concomitants Of terror, intimidation
and lawlessness was regarded as a
necessary incident of our ripe civil
zatlon, the sky is Sull of promise.
Our theory is that labor viii in the
future organize even more than in the
past, but it will be a reasonable, in
telligent union, and the best men, not
the loudest takers, will dominate it's
counsels.
The conclusion for to-day of this
whole discussion is that conditions
are present for "better times in the
United States. Silver, tariff, labor VS..
government. We all understand each
other in these matters better than
we did six months ago MADISON Jour-
nal.