New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-02
COLORED SPECT4CLES.

Business as seen through political spcctacles
differs materially from the business which Is
seen by the men who earn wages and The men
who have bills TO pay. The political spccfaclcs
furnished by The tariff reform shop have the
interesting power Of impartng n rosentc hue
10 all things They also possess magnlfying
power for certain facts. but. curously enough.
they reduce other facts In size, as II they were
seen through the wrong end of Il telescope. The
wearcr Of these SpectaclcS can see with ease N
n distance Of thousand miles the resumption
Of work by a factory employing half dozen
hands with an aggregate payroll Of 500 a
week but is quite unable to detect the stoppagc
Of concern employing several thousand hands
within sight of Liberty light or the reduction of
90 per cent In wages paid 10y concern whose
payroll Is $4,000 a week 1t has not been cstab-
lishcd As vet that these spcctaclcs will incrcas"
the balance in the pocket Of any wage-carncr at
the end of the week. or the bank account of any
merchant. though such results are earnestly
desired.
II is a fine thing To be- able to see a boom Of
prosperity rising. and glowing, and all The Will"
rising. and some good men have been watching
that brilliant spectacle ever since Congress
passcd the Silver bill last year. They privately
state that they have not made very much money
personally meanwhile. perhaps because they
have been doing business on an cl"cmosynary
basis caring only 10 record larS" transactions
with no regard 10 profits. But most men ar"
not satisfied 10 face the unavoidable risks OF
business unless they can max" something. ana
fail To enjoy IN occasion which yields IN" max
imum Of hazard with m" minimum II gain
That business done on such narrow margins aEd
at such prices ~ now prevail i extra hazardous
and not extra profitable, every man in business
knows.
II may also b. set down ~ solid fact that
the average workiugmln does not prefer wages
which lcavs IN" narrOwcst possible margin Toe
tween him and starvation. II he used 10 be-
saving a tenth 81 his earnings, ana his wages
have been cui down a nth. Ii" does not con
slider that To- b.. prosperity. and all ih" tariff
reform editorials ever written will not satisfy
him that il is Particularly il. after thirty
years Of glowing promises that tariff reform
would enormously reduce his cost ~ living. he
finds that II costs him within ) per cent rs
much 10 live as it dill before. So that II" has 10
pay more than $50 for the living which used
10 cost him 500. while getting $50 In wages
where he used 10 &c, 500 he regards tariff re-
form as Il fraud. and Democratic prosperity ~
A thing to be- abolished ~ soon aS possible
That is precisely the prcdlcamcnt In which n
great multitude ~ wagc-carncrs find themselves
and they know that much Of The business that
Is being done Is virtually made possible by tax
Ing away part Of their livelihood
TO the men who have not the advantage Of
Democratic spcctacc> the great revival of trade
is nothing but partial recovery from the pros
traton into which prolonged uncertainty about
the tariff plunged the people when Democrats
began TO work for "a change" The volume of
all transactions through the principal clearing
houses OF the country l. trilr more than
thrccqIartcrs Of a normal busincss-1j.G per
cent now. against l.j2 in July, 80 in June. and
The records Of railroad earnings and railroad
tonnage tell substantially the same story. Glad
as all are to see every indication of Letter
things, II requires political spcclaccs ~ yet 10
perceive gain enough 10 outweigh the cutting
Of wages and the destruction Of profits. In part
because wages are SO low and men In business
are making 50 little, prices are 50 far depressed
that neither the farmer nOr' the manufacturer
can prosper, and with only hrecqnrtcrs Of thu
normal business doing. there Is not enough for
the hands now employed. But there Is hope
that the election. Ivy giving assurance that the
country will get rid Of Democratic tariffs and
Democratic agitation, may help 10 a better con
dtion before another trying winter begins