The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-23


a number Of the largest milling eomra-
MES Ii this state have lssued circular 10
their various employees rsczting the rea-
sans whsea irspei the managers OF these
companies. a. a business proposition. 10
support the Republican national nomi-
rees In this coming election. The circular
IL perfectly plain. straightforward. buss-
nsss-iike document. showing hox the luns-
bering business has been injured By exist
sfs conditions Of the tariff and now IL viii
se benefited by a return to the policy OF
Protection ard a cessation Of agitation for
change In the standard Of coinage.
Among other things in the circular ID
the statement that "the interests OF en-
psoyer and emp!oye are absolutely identi-
cal IA this matter Nothing could be
more obvious than this. Any improve
ment IN the condition % any industry
which Increases the demand or the price
for the product. Of necessity must be OF
benefit to sii classes employs In that In
dussry. whether employers or employees
Everything which tends TO depress the
pr.ce or the demand for the product neces-
sagisy tends 10 reduce the opportunities
for employment or the wages OF those en-
pioyed. These are economic truisms.
They have never been disputed until this
campaign. Yet Populissic newspaper at
tempss now 10 present . theory to show
that the interests of employs and en-
pioyer are not Identical. in the following
language:
Suppose the business which these en-
p'oyers are carrying on Ia SO connected
with the money ioaners OF the country
that 10 enables the employers 10 grow
rich. while by reduction OF wages and the
reduction Of the number employed the re-
suit TO the employees IL one-haif what 1t
was ten years ago. would the interests OF
the employer and employe be identcal?'
That's precisely the situation today"
Can any one analyxe this and tell what
IL means? The only manner in which the
business Of milling Is connected with
money lending is that milling men az
rule have been obliged TO borrow money
to tide over the hard times under which
the industry has been suffering since the
markets of this country were thrown open
TO the free entry of Canadian lumber. II
any Of the miImen have grown rich out
Of this connection with the money lend
ers." they have very successfully con-
cealed the fact. IL the employers can also
get rich by reducing the number of en-
pioyes. and thus reducing their output. 1t
would seem they would get still richer by
shutting down altogether. It Is quite
probable that some would have saved
money by this process within the last few
years. but they could certainly have made
nothing BY II.
The whole attempt 1T argument IL typi-
caliy Popuilstir. 1t denies matters as OBJ
vious as the daylight. for the sole purpose
OF attempting to persuade employees that
1t 10 . bad thing for them to have their
employers do a good business. get good
prices and keep their mills running on full
time. and thar In some unexplained man
ner the employees would find some better
ment to their condition IL the business OF
their employers was injured.
The Popallstic argument In general ie
that prices are too low: that free silver
Will raise prices. and thus bring a return
TO prosperity. The men who are engaged
In the creates, industry Of this state al
most 10 man refuse to believe In the
Popullstle logic. They do not see In the
proposed free coinage of silver any pros
pee; for return TO prosperity. high val
ues for their product and an increased
demand. On the contrary. having broad
business experience. they believe that the
panic and the general unsettiins OF VAL
ues which would follow the proposed ex-
pertinent would be absolutely ruinous to
them. II they believed that the Popu,istic
predictions as 10 the results of free sill
YER would be realized. they would support
that policy with anan.mity. and would be
equally active in eaieavor!ng 10 secure
their employees ;c vote In that direction.
The claim that there could be any con-
fies OF Interests between employers and
employees on a matter affecting the prices
and marke, demand for product In
which all are Interested In producing Is
the most ridiculous position YET taken By
the ropulists In this campaign.