The Louisiana populist., 1895-12-20
THE PASSING SHOW.
A Few Snap Shots at an Endless Pro-
cession.

cession.
Jeffersonian simplicity is no longer
good form" in America. Presidential
etiquette is daily becoming more and
more like that of the royal court of the
little island which dictates the finan-
cial affairs of all the vast continents
of the world. Our president has been
guarded day and night by soldiers ever
since the day that his election was an
nounced. He is never seen walking out
side of his castle. Detectives are by his
side even when he condescends to al
low the people who have him hired to
shake his f1abby fat hand in either pri-
vate or public receptions. He and mis-
cabinet have at their disposal free of ex-
pense all the vessels of the United
States feet, and right royalty do they
spread it on" cruising about the
lakes on government vessels. An IRON
clad battle-ship may yet be converted
into their private use for a duck-shoot-
ing excursion.
Sugar is now handled by wholesalers
on commission only. No wholesaler can
buy sugar. He takes it, pays for it, sells
1t at the price the trust dictates, sends
In the money, and If he swears he has
not cut the price, gets 3-16th cents a
pound rebate at the end of the month
If he refuses to do this, he can't get
sugar at all. Coffee is also thus
handled. o, we've lots of liberty in
this land of ''competitionr'-Appeal to
Reason.
Washington, ID. c., Oct. 20.-In his
tenth annual report, devoted to strikes
and lockouts, which has just been COM
pleted, Hon. Carroll d. Wright, COM
missioner of labor, computes that the
loss to employees in establishments in
which lockouts and strikes occurred
during the thirteen and a half years
ending June 80, 1894, amounted to $780,
493, 1882, and to employers to $94, ,S25, 1897.
The loss to employees on account of
strikes was $163, ,SO7 ,S66; and on ac-
count of lockouts, $26,6S5 SIG; to en-
ployers on account Of strikes, So, $780,
3S6, and on account of lockouts, $12,-
235,451. The number of establishments
involved in strikes in this period was
9,167, and the number of persons
thrown out of employment by reason
Of strikes 3,714, ,406, making an average
loss to the employees of each establish
ment of $2,36S, and to each person of
$44. The number of establishments in
volved in lockouts was 6,067, and the
number of persons locked out $50. $50.
These persons lost an average of SIS
each. The assistance given to strikers
and the subjects of lockouts during the
period amounted, as far as ascertain
able, to $13, ,438, ,704, or a little over Z per
cent of the total loss to employees.
These figures are taken from an as
sociate press report, and of course they
are intended as an argument against
strikes. 1t is true that the employees
nearly always lose more money in a
strike than the employers-but the mil
lions of dollars lost every year by work.
ingmen for not striking at the ballot
box are ten times greater. The strike
may not appear on its face to be sue
cess-but who knows how low wages
might have been but for the efforts of
organized labor. Perhaps millions of
dollars have been gained in keeping up
wages through strikes and other means.
But greater gain has been made in the
education of laborers to the necessity OF
uniting at the ballot-box. Let US all
strike together, and the contest Of a
thousand years will be settled.
Ubv ;c N that unrn who ara ahoru IN