The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-08-23
SUCCESS OF DgMocRAcy.
Industrial Disturbances and Business Para.
lyKaei0n


lyzation.
BY the fear of a democratic tariff,
and By the new tariff which lessons
but by no means removes apprehended
injury, all the industries and business
of the country were plunged into new
conditions. The wages of the panic
period are not such as ought to be pro-
longed for American workers one hour
longer than they are absolutely I'M
avoidable. But it is yet impossible to
know. in many important branches of
industry, what wages can be paid
hereafter under the new conditions.
Even If business is not affected di-
rectly by any duties on imports, it
may yet be affected to almost any ex-
tent by the inability OF other interests,
which are directly reached by the
tariff, TO provide materials, to work up
products or to find sufficient consum-
ing demand ia the face of foreign
competition. No one can yet deter
mine what the effects of new eondi-
tions will be upon many entire
branches of industry, or upon part of
the works in industries which as a
whole may not be seriously affected.
The interdependence of industries is
commonly overlooked. Here is a coal
mine far in the interior, where duties
on bituminous coal have no direct in
fuence. Most of it's products were
used by tin plate mill in a different
county, which may now be idle or may
have to stop any day because of for
eign competition. the duties on plates
having been reduced. Thus it becomes
a question whether the coal mine can
work. The iron used in the plates
comes from a Michigan mine, and
when the mills stop the mine may be
unable to raise wages or may have to
stop. The workers in mills and mines
buy carpets, when at work with fair
wages, but stoppage or low wages at
mills and mines must cut down the
sale of carpets, and without large sale
a carpet mill may not be able to pay
good wages and yet compete with for
eign carpet makers at reduced duties.
The miners and the mill workers buy
clothing when they have work and
wages, but if trouble comes to them
the sales of clothing are reduced, and
thus the makers of clothing cannot
tell how they will fare until they know
whether the consuming ability of min
ers ad mill workers is to be increased
or diminished.
On the face of things, it will need
much patience and mutual considera-
ton to adjust all industries and the
wages in all to the new conditions. 1t
is a task that cannot be finished right
ly and safely in an hour Many weeks,
and in some cases many months, must
elapse under the new conditions before
anyone can know definitely what
wages can be paid. 1t is a trying thing
for miners to see that coke has adj
vanced fifty per cent. in selling price,
andN the wages of coke-workers are
raised; that pig iron has risen four
dollars and fifty cents per ton at Pitts
burgh, or more than forty-five per
cent, and the wages of furnace men
are raised; that nails have been hoisted
by n combination much more than one
hundred per cent, and that wages of
Ia Dor in many iron and steel concerns
have been raiseds and yet the miners
do not get their share of benefit. 1t is
so in every other branch of industry. |
The prosperity of which the workers
hear so much has not yet reached a
great many of them. and strikes are
not unnatural But all this disorgan-
zation of industries, with unfair and |
even cruel results to many, is part of |
the fruit of democratic legislation, and |
neither employers not men can yet |
form the least idea how wages can be |
finally adjusted, or how many estab-
ishments can withstand the new con-
litions, or how much strife and suffer-
ing will be involved before the work
srs and employers in various industries
IAN find out what is now possible or
Just. The harvest of democratic sue
cess is trial and suffering even now, as
t was before recovery in business be-
gam. Y. Tribune.