New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-23
MICS FOR WORhERS.

Tbero are three questions involved in me
enactment OF the Democratic tariff when cios''!
concorn the great mass Of American WorkihS
mon The first is the effect on employment
VIII II he AS easy TO obtain work when the
German bill is in operation ms 1t was III lo'-.
whom every factory wheel was i'll motion anu
evorv industry was in a prosperous condi'ioh!
1Iupdrods Of thousands of working people are
NOW ont of employment in every section OF Inc
country Will there be work for all, as there
was In 1892? Or will employment be scarce anu
uncertain. MANY factories running on hall 'iIhe
or NOT at all? These are practical questions
which will determine hundreds Of thousands OF
yo,os in November and two years hence.
Then there is the effect of the Democratic TAR
;T ON wages In 1892 wages were go0d ana
tandinq higher Factory operatives ana lpeh
omnlovod in every Industrial occupation were
NOT mcnacod with wage reductions. The cohdi-
fans oro now reversed There has been ire
,,endous shrinkagc in wages in many branches
If i,dustrv already and the natural effect or
thc revision of the Mckinley tariff Will be
,hooncninc of labor How successful the labor
unions will be in arresting and counteractlns
This tendency no observer ventures To forecast
but i, is evident that while strikes were ordl-
nurpose Of raising wages. the resources OF organ
tied labor will be concentrated upon sysl'n'oc
otten,pts 10 prevent further reduction. Workers
will keep watch Of this matter during the next
two wears Every voter will know what are the
facts in his own case, and his judgment OF me
volue Of the Democratic tariff will be deter
mined by practical experience
FINALLY there IS the effect upon the purchas'hs
tt.:it
rc,luce the cost Of living expenses 10 such IN
extent that workers may find themselves p'''''
Of than they were In 1892. when the country
deliberately voted 10 reverse the hep"oi'ca"
no,icics which had been in operation for a gen
Grafton? This is Il complex question wHc' can
only he determined two years hence for the
whole country by as scientific an ihVeS's''o'
of prices as was conducted few years ago ny
the Senate Finance Committee POLITICIANS may
iuggl,. with the figures. but every worker VIII pe
able 10 make n rough estimate for hlilS'li Oh
the comparative purchasing power or his wages
In 1896 and In 1872 and to convince himself
whether the Democratic party by It's tarih "sls
lation has be,tered his condition
The chcapcnng Of prices will have To be very
noticeable in order to make favorable I'm
prossion upon an average workinginah mhu'
especially II employ be scarcer auu ""E''
less remuneratve than they have Deen niid'r
Republcan tariffs II a man who once earned
81 n day finds himself unable 10 make NOR"
than s. he will inevitably have Il strong con
viction that the times have changed Tor Tue
worse and Democratic economists VIII not ma
II easv 10 induce him To believe that he Is better
off with the lower wages because he can buy
more with them. As for the man who cannot
obtain employment al any wages, he VIII not
have the patience 10 listen 10 sophistries Dasei
ON purchasing power. What does 1t matter
he will ask IF prices Of woolcns or co'tons or
pearl buttons are a shade lower, or II can
"save penny on a dlnncrpail, when am
out Of work and can earn nothing! You Demo
"crats promised TO make the conditions OF me
"workingman's lot easier and more comfortabie
"and there is less work than there used 10 De-
"woecs have fallen. and as for prices well, they
"were low enough in 1892, when we all made
fools Of ourselves.