Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1894-10-05

NEW YORK s OPINION.
HER CONGRESSMAN REVIEW THE
<"sPLENDiD NOTHING" TARIFF.
Payne, Ray and Sherman Score the Dem
ocratic Legislation-A Surplus Of Labor
Must Result In Lower Wages-The Pricee
Of Farm Products Must Be Lower.
The advocates Of the new tariff bill
have made two claims in its behalf
They have asserted that it would great
ly facilitate importations, and that this
would result in reducing the cost of
goods to the consumer. It does not re-
quire prophetic eye to discern that
their claims are the strongest indict-
ments that can be brought. against the
''splendid nothing" Here is the logic
in the case: The greater the importa-
ton, the less the demand for home prod
ucts. The less the demand for goods pro-
Iduced at home, the smaller the amount
manufactured. The smaller the amount
manufactured, the fewer working
required or the less the aggregate paid
by manufacturers.
The more workingmen out of employ
ment the harder the times and the
harder the times the less money is cir
culated. Therefore what will it profit
the man out Of work in this country if
England and France and Germany are
the more prosperous by reason Of in
creased expectations, even if as the re-
suit there is decrease in the cost of
goods at home?
JAMES S. SHERMAN, M. c.,
Twenty-fifth District, New York.
It is difficult to forecast the farreach-
ing effects Of the new tariff law. It is
certainly to be hoped that some of its
disastrous results have been discounted
in the past Is months. Ever since Dem
Ocratic control Of the senate as we'll as
Of the house and the executive became
apparent the universal prosperity then
existing has given place to universal
disaster and distress such as no pen can
describe. This was largely due to the
threatened assault upon American in
dustries. Now that we can see the ex-
tent Of those attacks under the new law
we may at least hope that for the next
Is months distress and disaster will not
be SO universal
Under the new law it is painfully
evident that wages in many branches of
industry must be cut down from 10 to
so per cent, while in other branches the
trainers of the bill have blundered into
fair protection. That this cutting down
process will be attended with wide
spread strikes is a matter Of the most
serious apprehension. Strikes are disas-
trous though the striking workmen are
in the right. They are doubly disastrous
when, as sometimes happens, the work
ingman is in the wrong. There is
abundant reason for the fear that the
strikes in the cotton and pottery indus
tries will be followed by still others.
The mischief of the reduction in a
few industries is that wages will go
down in sympathy in other branches of
labor.
For example, if wages are higher in
one industry, those following less re-
munerative calling will offer their serv-
ices at a lower rate, and SO the rates
reach a common level. Under the census
of 1890 the total wage earnings of our
people reach about $40, 900, 900, 900 al
year: An average reduction Of 20 per
cent means loss of $4,000, 900, 900 an
nually
Taking into account the reductions
made in the last IS months and the fur
Their reductions manufacturers will be
compelled to make under the new bill,
20 per cent is a low estimate of the re-
duction of wage earnings sure to follow
Such a reduction would take away one
fifth Of the consuming power of our
people, would destroy one-fifth' Of our
own markets and one-ffteenth of the
markets Of the world We cannot esti-
mate the loss of our own markets under
this bill. 1t has opened the door to for
eign importations Foreign goods will
crowd out the American from our own
markets. We cannot see the end, but of
one thing we may rest assured-pros-
perity will return again only through
Republican success and Republican leg
islation. SERENO e. PAYNE.
Washington.
The effect of the German Wilson bill !
cannot be otherwise than injurious to
all industries in the United States un-
less it be that Of sugar refining and
most harmful to all Norkingmen and |