The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-08-09
TIE BOOM or BUSINESS.


A Indepsn emit Newspapers Review OF
the situation.
To estimate the extent and meaning
OF the present revival we must take
glance backward. When the Mckin-
ley tariff became law, In October. 1880.
disastrous results soon followed, es-
pecially in Pennsylvania, Ohio and ILL
uois. In December, 1890, mt Bethle'
hem. Pa. 1000 iron workers were
thrown out Of employment. In jan
uary. 1891. wages were reduced per
cent. mt the large steel works ut Home
stead, Pa, and In the following Feb
ruary 1000 men were thrown out ct
work-reverses followed in April by
second reduction Of wages q per cent?.
and in July. 1899, by the great and
bloody strike of $500 men against
wage reductions On January 20, 1891,
AT Youngstown, O.. 10000 men were
thrown ont OF work and the wages OF
5000 were reduced at Johnstown. m
In less than year after the Mckinley
law took effect $4,000 mill hands were
thrown out Of work or their wages cut
down. In March. 1892. one western
steel company had $500 men idle, and
in July OF that year ordered rcduc-
ton of As per cent in wages. Strikes
shutdowns, working on short time, re-
duction Of wages we're quite In order
these times from 1890 to 1909 OF hum
ming" activity and booming Mckinley
prosperity of American industries.
"Nothing succeeds like success" and
the success of ''protectionism" and
tariff taxation for the alleged benefit
of American wage earners was SO tre'
mcndous under the republican high
tariff that the labor element OF the
country Tin November, 1892 wisely
concluded that they had had quite
enough of the American system (so-
calied), and hence they voted for tarin
reform and Mr.. Cleveland.
The present Improvement has come
TO stay, and the new Tide Of prosperity
can be heightened and broadened II
the American export trade in manu-
featured products is vigorously pressed
Relieved by the Wilson law OF a con
sidera BILE portion Of the vast burden o.
protective" taxation imposed for the
benefit of monopoly "A taxation
amounting to many hundreds Of mil
lions OF dollars every year-the people
are beginning to taste the sweets o.
liberty and to profit by freer trade
The enormous benefit derived from TIT
new tariff is, however, as yet only II
the bud.
Even the manufacturers have begur
to scent prosperity in the "free trade
tariff, and to see that 1t is for them
blessing in disguise. Every day make
It clearer that it is not to their int res
to revive McKinleyism. With free raw
materials-the very likelihood Of manu-
factures-and with a reduction in tn
expenses of manufacturing, both o
which inestimable booms the Wilson
law gave the mill owners they canno
fail to see that the brightest era OF In
dustry ever known in America ha
dawned uponthem.
The Gettysburg of the great wa
against the slave power Of protected
monopoly was won when the Wilso
law triumphed. That victory. 1t
true, was not exactly Waterloo. Blu
like the union victory at Ceincter
Ridge, it was decisive. Many repul
lican journals are now crying out r.
enactment of the Mckinley or som
other high tariff, and are bent on mai
ing this the foremost issue OF the da
But the country will not brook ar
/, moro republican tariff tinkcring. an
public opinion demands that the splc
did results which the Wilson law is a
complishing shall not be frustrated
adverse legislation Y. Herald.