Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1895-07-12
WAGES ADVANCING,
GOING UP FASTER THY THEY
VERT D0WNIN MCKINLEY TIMES.

Hundreds of Thousands of Laborers
Bcneiited-Republica and Pro
tecuon,sts Dumfoupdou-Rc,mc
family and Sorrowfully Admitting
tile benefits of Free Wool.
The rising tide of prosperity is now
coming in SO strongly that tho Repub-
Leans are compelled to get out OF its
way and III doingso TO admit that bust
ness is rapidly reviving under tho Will
son Free Trade Tariff bill.
As late as the 9Th of April the New
York Tribune was still telling its read
ers that the wage-earners were in re-
volt because they could not get "the
old ratio of wages and that "every
weeks payment brings homo to them
the fact that they have been persist
emily cheated, and that tho Democratic
policy was not Intended to. and in the
nature of things, cannot maintain the
wages formerly paid" "Not only are
wages not being restored" said tho
Tribune, but 'the moro severe COM
petition with the labor OF other lands
only makes it more clearly impossible
to restore them"
But the Tribune could not suppress
tho news of better times and before
the end of April admitted to its read
ers that ''in good many establish.
ments wages have been advanced. On
May I'd, it again admitted that bust
ness wasreviving with surprising vigor,
but expressed great sorrow at the fact
that the wage-earners should insist
nnnu bo, tbo ro,,,r,I
declaring that 'there seems to be
prospect that tho WOODEN mills in
Providence and the neighborhood will
soon be shut down, on account of
controversy with tho workers regard
ing wages" the Tribune continues:
1T is most unfortunate that this
great industry, which has been go
seriously depressed for the last two
years, but has now begun to revive
with surprising vigor and has shown
most gratifying progress in the effort
to compete under new and trying cir
cumstances with wooden manufacturers
OF other countries. should now be ar
restedby serious labor difficulties. It
is to he hoped that better sense will
prevail, and that for the time ques-
tions of wages may be deferred"
The 5000 or $1,000 textile workers
in and near Providence paid no atten-
ton to tho Tribunes advice, but con-
tinued in revolt against Mckinley
wages. Other Republican nowspa-
pers are still asserting that wages are
not advancing and that it is folly for
wage-carners to expect higher wages
xvhil, ncn,nnrnfio
This is the position OF the Philade!-
phia Press and the Boston Journal OF
Commerce. Regardless Of the fact
that several hundred thousands OF
wage-earners (mostly in textile mills)
have had their wages advanced under
the Wilson bill, and apparently in
blank ignorance of the fact that strike
for higher wages were then on in sew
eral scores of wooden mills, the Bos.
ton Journal of Commerce said, late in
April:
''The advance OF wages in one or
two wooden mills. and the advance iu
some OF our cotton mills, gives many
the impression that there is to be !,
general advance all along the line III
these industries. This is great mis-
lake. 1t is folly to presume
that wooden manufacturers can 1.-Two
and operate their mills on T. closer
margin. We have no doubt that on.
WOODEN men would like to pay more
for labor in their mill Ii the present
prices warranted il, but they do not !;
neither will they MS long us we have 50
low duties on goods imported. It is
hoped that the help i'll our wooden
mills will understand this fact, aul
that no strikes will take place in that
circle of business.
AS matter of fact, nearly all of tie
reductions in 1S93-94 have been re-
stored, and often the laborers ara
striking for rs high wages as they
were getting when Mckinley struck
them i'll 1890. Tho Republicans an
protcctionists cannot, with their little
brooms, sweep back the rising tide q,
prosperity. II they wero honest they
would Mt once admit, rs they will 10
forced to do later, that wages have
edynnced faster since this year, than
Mt any time during the last thirty
years.