The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-04-11

- shadow ef . Dssbs a. Rsx.sds ~

- shadow q . Dssbt a. Re<ns6s Rpos
oortion.
When the great council Of republicans
comes together to represent the wishes
and the needs of American citizens. its
declaration on ono question win have
supreme importance 70 the people.
Every man has direct personal inter
est In the question OF duties on imports
Four years ago great many working
men were persuaded by leaders and
demngogues that neither their wages
nor their employment would be ma
terially affected by any change Of the
tariff that was possible. Years OF bitter
experience have taught them better.
They know now. beyond all possibility
OF dispute. that reduction Of duties may
and In many branches Of industry actu-
ally does subject them TO an enormous
~ increased foreign competition. which
lessons the number Of persons who can
be employed in this country and the
wages that can be paid to them. II In
no longer q vague theory which they
have to confront but practical expert
ence which viii not be forgotten 80 long
M the workers of this generation live.
They have seen their employment, reck-
oned In days or hours, reduced by q
large percentage In consequence of this
foreign competition. At the same time
they have seen wages Of labor generally
reduced moro than Mt any other time for
20 years.
The wage-earning millions form the
main body of every political party.
Prsctical politicians. who are accus-
toned to run things In villages and
wards, or in districts and states, think
much OF the distribution OF offices and
contracts. But these things interest Mt
the most 200.000 or 800, 900 persons. The
wages OF labor and the condition Of In
dustries directly interest more than TO-
0oo. 900. many OF whom arc voters. II
the convention finds candidate and
adopts platform which expresses In
the most distinct and emphatic manner
the desire of the wnge-earners respect
ing foreign competition and duties on
imports, there will not be very pro-
found interest felt. IL Ia possible, In the
rest OF it's deliverance. The people win
vote for republicanism and prosperity.
implicitly trusting the republican party
to protect the national honor in foreign
Affairs or In monetary matters, ms 1t has
done for many years.
IL In therefore important that tho
convention should be prepared 70 de-
clare it's position on the tariff question
30 distinctly and Enthusiastically that
there shall no longer be the shadow of
nm excuse for any man TO pretend that
he in n republican II he subordinates
the protection of home industries to his
notions about currency, the coinage of
silver, or any other question. IL does
not answer TO be republican provided
one can have his own way. against the
VIII of nine-tenths of the people, about
some question Of that sort The people
need defense of their industries, whethes
they get something else or not. They
need genuine republicans TO make their
laws, not men who have gone so far
I'm their devotion TO the silver interest
or some other that they are ready to
destroy national prosperity IL their pet
theories or wishes are thwnrted. When
the national convention pledges the ut
most efforts of the republican party
10 restore full protection to home In
dustries, IL does not mean thet rcpub-
lican will do this after he has done
something else, or provided he can do
something else. but will refuse II he
cannot. Men of that stamp need to be
told In the most emphatic manner by
fhs nm ttonaI fion thai they muaf
either serve republican principles I'M
conditionally and faithfully OF cease
TO be reckoned with the great party
which hns never yea battered with it's
pledges from the first election of Abrar
ham Lincoln to this hour.
II . man has the notion that labor
cannot be sufficiently protected with
out cheaper money, that Is not an hon
est reason for refusing TO give labor
such protection as he can. IL he finds
n measure pending which Is not half
what he wants, that is not an honest
reason for refusing to do what he can
in the direction of his principles and
pledges. Neither Is II an excuse for
refusing to carry out one pledge of the
republican party that man considers
IL has also promised something else
which nine-tepths of its members never
meant TO promise. The national con-
yention will need TO be decidedly blunt
and explicit, and cannot speak too plain
ly for the 100000 of wage-earners.--
N. Y. Tribune.
Chsudrsr.s rfi.xnh~