The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1895-08-14
TWOLAWS COMPARED
A STUDY OF THEIR EFFECT ON THE
NATIONS INDUSTRIES.

Nearly Twenty-Five Thousand Mill Hands
Thrown Out of Work on Wages Reduced
In tho First Year of the Mckinley Law.
Results of tho Now Tariff.
There is nothing moro instructive,
Ind for that matter it would be impos-
sible to conceive of anything more USE
full to the AM erican citizen than a care
full study OF ,he effects upon the indus
tries Of tho country of the new tariff
law, as compared with the Mckinley
law. IF the Republican newspapers are
to be believed, the tariff question will
be the issue Of the next presidential con-
test, and if that be true every voter
ought to be able to pass upon it intelli-
gently. A great many men support ono
party or tho ether because the success OF
the ono to which they attach themselves
will put some friend in Office, and they
feel that they haven tmuch personal in
terest in the matter beyond that. But
there is less of that kind of voting every
year, and tho time will soon come, il it
is not already present, when men will
vote according to what seems to them
best for tho interests Of the whole conn
try. This being the caso any reliable
data which will aid them to l1nowl-
edge of the effects Of high protection as
compared with reform tariff must be well
come.
In this connection the New York
Herald recently presented to it's readers
some interesting facts and figures. 1t
says:
"When the Mckinley tariff became
law, in October, 1890, disastrous results
soon followed, especially in Pennsyl.
vania, Ohio and Illinois. In December,
1890, at Bethlehem, Pa, 1000 iron
workers were thrown out of employ
ment. In January, 1891, wages were re-
duced per cent at the large steel
works at Homestead, Pa, and in the
following February 1000 men were
thrown out Of work. Reyerses followed
in April by asecond reduction of wages
70 per cent?, and in July, 1899, by the
great and bloody strike Of $500 men
against wage reductions. On Jan. %,
1891, 1t Youngstown, o., 10000 men
were thrown out of work, and the wages
of 5000 We're reduced at Johnstown,
Pa In less than a year after the Nc
Kinley law took effect 24,400 mill
hands wero thrown out Of work or lad
their wages cut down. In March, 1892,
one western steel company had $500
men idle, and in July Of that year or
dered a reduction Of do per cent in
wages Strikes, shutdowns, working on
short time, reduction of wages were
quite in order in these times (from 1890
to 1899 Of 'humning' activity and
booming Mckinley prosperity Of Amer
ican industries"
The results which followed the opera
tion Of the new tariff law arc so recent
that it is scarcely necessary to enumer-
ate them. Almost instantly there was q
revival of activity in all branches Of
nufactures. First, mills that had
been idle for several years began prep
aratlons to resume; then railroad earn
ings increased, and after that old mills
were enlarged and new ones built. FL
nally wages began to increase, first in
one section and then in another, and
first slightly and then in greater
amounts, until now it may be safely
said that industrial prosperity is entire
ly restored. The Republican papers have
resisted the improvement at every step
and to y considerable extent retarded its
progress. But they We're unable to de-
feat the effects of the improved eco
nomic conditions. If the people will
carefully examine tho facts, they will
have no trouble in determining how to
vote when tho question to be determined
is tho preservation Of the present tariff
law on the restoration Of the Mckinley
iniquity. ---Kansas City Times.