Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1896-08-27
"CROWN OF THORNS."
The Real Crown That Is Borne by the
LabOrer.

Ii the Boy Orator of the Platte had
closed his fervid peroration with the
words: You shall not press down
upon the brow of labor this Wilson
tariff crown of thorns'' he would
have uttered a sentiment that would
have found ringing response among
the toiling thousands and his sacri-
lege would have been more pradOn-
able.
Statistics, which are furnished in
plenty, are not needed to prove that
the Wilson tariff law has been a
crown of thorns for American labor.
The most superficial observation will
suffice to impress a candid mind with
this fact.
The report of the commissioner of
labor for the United States covering
the period from 1881 to June 30, 1894
shows that during the year and a
half under the Wilson law the loss of
wages to- employees was $15.979, ,09:'
more than under two full years OF
Mckinley protection, and that "a, 24J
more employees were made idle by
strikes and lockouts under the Will
son tariff than under two years OF pro-
lection. Five million spindles i'm New
England are idle. Statistics from -
trades i'm New York City Aug. I, 1893,
showed that 36,177 We're out of en-
ployment in these trades alone. Re
turns from 100 manufacturers i'm the
State of New York show that where
2, 2,O26 people were earning wages dur.
ing 1885 there were only IL $50 per-
SONS employed during 1893. Al decrease
of u per cent. Coming down to 1884
steady work was given to only H..
$50 PERSONS, a decrease of 42k pei
cent from 1892.
| During the last year of the Mckin
lev tariff Europe brought $7OO,S7O,
S22 of our goods, while we purchased
goods to the value of S295. .O77 $50 il
Europe, leaving a balance of $4Oo,
49,, ,257 i'm favor of American labor
During the first year of the Wilson
law we sold Europe 1854. .5O3. 49,
worth of goods and bought Euro
pean products to the value of $43l
514,O24, leaving a balance of onl,
1892 ,9S9, ,46S i'm our favor. The differ
ence between the balance under TIN
Mckinley law and the balance unde
the Wilson law is x3O2, SOB, $50, one Il
the ''crowns of thorns' that hav
been pressed down upon the brow a
labor.
Exports of all agricultural pro
ducts have fallen off i'm 1895 at tn
rate of $l2O,O0O,OOO n year as com
pared with 1892. American farmer
captured ~ per cent less of the maj
kets of the world i'm 1896 than the.
possessed i'm 1892 In the latter year
under protection, the products of tn
farm represented 1860 per cent q
our total exports. The proportio
for 1893 was 11.13 per cent less.
From the most reliable statistic
obtainable it is estimated that fo
the twelve months previous to tn
abrogation of Mckinley reciprocit
treaties with Cuba and other Spanish
American countries there wer
shipped from America about :, 80, ,00
barrels of flour, equivalent to $1,000
900 bushels of wheat. This trade
!. now entirey abandoned, the duty %
American flour having been raise
from 80 cents per barrel to 81 pc
barrel.
In 1892 under the Mckinley tariff
we exported 16l, ,399, ,132 bushels {
wheat. In 1895, under the WilsO
law, we exported only 4O,s9S, "a
bushels of wheat.
Live stock that was worth nearl
81, 500, 10000 on Jan. 1, 1892, unde
Mckinley protection, was wort
$733, ,S29, ,54 less money to the fal
! mers exactly four years later, unde
| the Wilson tariff law. The annua
loss to the farmers on crops for til
same period is estimated at $72s, ,72l
S79, making "A total loss to the fal
mers of 81 ,462, ,551 .473.
This gives but a faint suggestio
of the size and weight of the "crOw
of thorns" that has been presse
down upon the brow of the farme