Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1896-10-20
LlAIB|0R'S ). -. =. !
OPPORTUNITY IJIy :.
Silver Means an Era of
Higher Prices.
And Rising and Well Sus-
tanned Wages.
While Gold Means Cheap
Commodities.
With Less Work and Dimin-
ished Pay.

. One of Detroit's largest manufacture
ers assures The Tribune that his COM
pany makes nothing by keeping its
works in operation, but simply holds
Its trade together, hoping for better
times. Suppose times do not improve,
as reason teaches they cannot if present
monetary conditions continue, but, on
the other hand, grow worse from year
to year, how long can manufacturers be
expected to carry on their works at
loss?
Will the time not come when wages
will be cut to the level of the "pauper
labor" Of the gold standard countries of
Europe? How can it be otherwise?
How much will the workingmen
then be benefited by the cheapness of
commodities if their wages are cut pro-
portionately with the prices of the fruits
OF their labor? The gold advocates de-
light to harp upon the great purchasing
power of the workman's wages under
the gold standard, but how long will it
be ere that great purchasing power will
apply to wages as we'll as to everything
else? The workingman is better off with
high scale of wages, even if the cost
OF food and clothing also be high, as by
prudence and economy he can manage
to save something out of high wage
where he cannot out of lower one.
Silver means an era Of higher prices and
we'll sustained wages, while gold means
cheap commodities, precariously en-
ployed labor and sooner or later dimin-
ished wages.
Men may be satisfied with their pres
ent condition, but how long will it last
If things go from bad to worse, as they
threaten to do if the present monetary
status is perpetuated? The interest of
the workingman, no less than that of
his employer, lies in such condition Of
general prosperity that his labor be-
comes profitable to the employer.
The go]dites are profuse in assurances
that wages will not advance under a
silver basis, although they are ready
enough to admit that all products Of la
Dor will go up. Why should wages not
advance if there is profit to the en-
ployer warranting it? That they will
not is pure assumption, without any
basis Of reason. When employers are
making money, they are not likely to
bubble about wages and incur the haz-
ard Of strikes. It is impossible now
adays that they can be prosperous and
their employees not share in the pros
perity.
Employers may and very often do as
sure their men that the gold standard is
the best thing for their mutual inter.
ests. In many cases they are no dou bt
sincere, but in more they associate the
silver movement with labor aggression
and oppose silver to keep labor down.
But in any case the judgment Of the av.
erage employer is not necessarily any
more to be relied upon than that Of one
of his workmen.: The average business
man is not a student. He knows moth
ing of the philosophy of the money ques.
ton. He gets his cue from his banker,
who in turn is inspired by the Morgans,
Belmonts and Rothschilds, the money
kings, whose consent even the czar of
Russia has to ask before he can perform
SO plain an act of sovereignty as to die
tate war. The advice Of the employer is,
hence, not always disinterested and rep
resentative of his own we'll considered
views.
The average workingman is fully as
competent to form All Intelligent opin.
ion on the issues of the day as any bank.
or or manufacturer. It is his duty as a
citizen to vote on his own best judg-
ment, and it is not at all improbable
that ere many months have elapsed his
employer may thank him for disregard
ing his ante-eleotion advice.-Detroit
Tribune.