The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-09-21


have had time enough to determine
from personal experience how far the
change has helped them IL Is qucs-
tion they cannot Answer, as by this
time they have learned without look
ing about 10 see how it has affected
their ncighbors. for Il Is the corner
stone OF the protective policy that
genuine and lasting prosperity cannot
be realized by any class or body Of PEG
pie. IL thereby the rest are impover~
ishcd or degraded. The free trade
policy, essentially selfish la It's blind
indlvidualism. puts out OF mind tho
question whether industries will be de-
stroyed or depressed. whether works
will be closed and American workers
driven from employment. and seeks
only the satisfaction Of personal wants
At the lowest cost
We have not had experience OF that
policy, nor OF any consistent approach
20 II, But enough OF change as to
many important industries has been
made 10 give the people practical ess
perience OF its effects SO great has
been the depression OF industries
that defenders OF the new tariff would
one and all angrily protest X the vol
ume of business during the past year.
or the production OF industries. or the
earnings OF labor for the year, should
be compared with those OF any previous
year Of prosperity. They would de-
clare IL unfair 70 take the past year as
n whole, when there has been improve
ment toward the close. IL Is equally
unfair 10 take for comparison only tho
past few months OF recuperation, since
II was settled that no further change of
tariff would be made by democrats.
and that the republicans wonld here
after control the work But yet, taxi
ing the best results attained since
democratic defeat brought this re-
covery rs measure Of the improve
ment made possible by that defeat,
and assuming that these best results
will be maintained in the future. what
do the people think about it2
They have seen a great many lido
works started again since a democrats
&c congress adjourned. But they also
see In every county and almost every
town many others which are still idle.
IL Is not matter about which COM
pletc statistical accounts are possible,
but it is known 10 every voter and
every business man what the facts are
within his own personal observation.
Not only are many establishments
idle. their former hands having been
forced 20 seek a livelihood in other oc-
equations. but OF those In operation
comparatively few are yet working
full time with full force. 1t Is cause
of glad rejoicing. and the good news
Is quickly sent by wire all over tho
land. when this or that establishment
finds its business sufficient TO warrant
working AS many hours and with as
many hands as in prosperous years
How far recovery has advanced, taking
nll kinds OF business together, may
perhaps be inferred by the pay
ments through clearing houses, which
ia August, with unusually large de-
ferrcd settlements from previous
months because OF the great delay last
spring, and with extraordinary specu-
lation In progress here and at the
west, were nevertheless nine per cent.
smaller than in 1892.
Another fact Of which people will
judge from their personal knowledge
is that the wages OF labor and the
profits OF business are not what they
were in days of prosperity. That
something like half a million OF work
ers have received some advance In
wages SINCE the time of greatest de-
preston is most cheering. and yet
every body knows that within his per-
sonal acquaintance most wage-earncrs
are still receiving less than they used
to receive. The great strikes ia
wooden and carpet mills which have
failed. the strikes OF iron miners and
OF clothing workers, and the threat
ened strike Of cotton workers, with
many others OF less importance, all
bear witness 70 the same fact that
labor Il yet receiving much less than
In 1902. before the country chose to
have change" II the twenty mill
lion wage-earDers cannot earn as much
money as they used 20 earn, neither
can they spend as much, and thus
some shrinlSage in the volume OF BUSH
ness Is unavoidably felt even by those
whose conditions are most fortunate.
Nor will merchants or manufacturers
hesitate 20 admit that their profits In
almost every branch Of bnsi1css have
also been cut down.
These arc the facts which will
govern the action Of intelligent voters
In great number, They were promised
better times II they WOULD give the
democratic party trial aud see tbs
practical results. They have tried II
a year, and II may be seriously doubted
whether one man in hundred, In any
part Of the country, imagincs that he
has been benefited BY II In the least.
But there are millions who know that
they have been injured. IN. Y. Tribune.
Ex-senator Bricc. In his speech To
the Ohio democratic convention.