The herald., 1894-04-12
THE LABOR CRISIS.

What will be the end of this great
crisis which the country Is going
through2 Will it lead to greater and
more widespread distress than we now
endure, or is there some balm in Gilesd
which we cannot yet discern that will
bring the country back to it's pristine
industrial health? The early passage
of the tariff bill would at least relieve
the people OF the uncertainty which now
lowers over everything, and enable the
active men Of brains and energy to
know what they may depend upon and
arrange their plans intelligently. There
is immenee idle capital in the country
which could be placed in active use if
all doubts about legislation we're settled.
This would reopen the channels of in
dustry and relieve the terrible strain
which is now distrscting the country
with whole armies of men who are
suffering for the want of work.
But, however the crisis may termi-
nate, we lear that the condition of things
in this country is such that We shall
only come ont OF this dark experience 9
with a material reduction nearly all
along the line OF American wages. It is
difficult to see how it can be otherwise.
The operation of high tariff and the
importation OF cheap labor from all
parts of Europe for many years, has
flooded our country with a surplus Of
workmen, the great bulk OF them not OF
a very desirable class. They have served
the turn OF the coal and iron barons OF
Pennsylvania to make protest against
starvation wages Intellectual, and have
filled our factories to the brim
with class OF alien labor which can
underbid our own. The result OF all
OF this, and the improvement in labor
saving machinery in every avenue of
employment, has been to burthen our
country with tremendous surplus OF
idle work-people.
1t will be natural for the capitalist
class to take advantage of this peculiar
situation, and to insist on the lowering
of the standard of wages. If organiza-
tion and strikes cannot successfully re-
sist this, there is nothing in the m oral
makeup OF the capitalist employers
to prevent them from taking advantage
of the condition of the labor market.
There is only one argument that weighs
with them. Is it possible to reduce
wages II it is, they will, as they always
do, consult their own advantage. Wages
depend on supply and demand as much
as any commodity that is for sale. High
tariff and free immigration have flooded
the labor market, and the supply of Ia
Dor being largely In excess OF the de-
mand, the tendency OF American wages
must be hereafter in accordance with
the conditions that exist and the newt
able principle that governs them.
This is what the American working
man has accomplished by supporting
the Mckinley and its congener prohibit
i've policies. Those policies have worked
out their natural results, and now not
only the idle toilers underneath are
compelled to suffer, but by the sympathy
which subsiets between all industries.
the lower employments cannot fall
without measurably pulling down and
affecting all callings above them. The
pretended economist who claims that
we can establish a prohibitive tariff
without protecting labor from the free
invasion OF operatives from abroad sets
up false and dangerous theory. This
country has tried 1t, and where is it
now? Let the millions Of mployed
answer-let the terrible wave OF distress
that is passing over the land tell the
true story.