The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-07-30
SILVER EFFECT On RAILWAY MEN.
How 1t Would Reduce the Wages of
a Million Employees.

a million EmplOyes.
New York Herald.
Il can't argue the case like you" said
the hired man, but / know that If Bryan
is elected you will have to pay me SIG for
moving this lawn instead of the 81 you
now pay me-
For many years we Americans have been
pluming ourselves on the fact that the
schoolmaster is abroad" If this hired man
were the representative of any considerable
class of laborers we might well wish that
the schoolmaster would come home and at
tend to business in the agricultural dis
tricts during this presidential campaign.
1t would, however, be an insult TO the
intelligence of the working masses to as
sumo that their type is to be found in this
thick-skulled mower of lawns. About ~
per cent. of all the productive laborers of
this country are directly dependent upon
the cultivation of the soil, and these Deo-
pie. If they are made to fairly understand
the issue. may be trusted to vote for what
Next to tillers of the soil the largest
group of workers is made up OF those en-
gagged in the transportation industry-the
York alone are about sixty thousand of
these; and. taking in the whole country.
they Humber about one Million. or not far
from 10 per cent. of the entire voting popu-
laticn. The various grades of railway work
ers have their several organizations. and
these are studying the effects OF free sill
yer, as is evident from the numerous let
ters that reach the Herald asking for in
formation; and we will state here a few
suggestive facts by way of general reply.
The vast army of railway tcilers would
suffer more hardship than perhaps any
other class by unlimited coinage of Scent
dollars. All wage-earners, of course. would
be distressed because all the necessities of
life would Immediately double in price.
while wages would be slow TO rise. and
would probably never go high enough TO
make up for the increased cost OF living.
But the railway worker would find il par
ticularly. hard TO secure an advance of
wages. because his employer. the railway
corporation. would itself be so hurt by the
change In the currency that it might be
unable to comply with the reasonable de-
mand of its employees.
But why?" asks the brakeman: why
would the railway company not be i'm as
good a position to advance wages as any
other employer For a very sinple rea-
son. TIL merchant and the manufactures
can instantly mark up the price of their
goods TO Offset the lowered value of the
goods TO sell. What you sell il your serv-
ice. your Tabor. and you know from expert
ence that this cannot be marked up as a
merchant can reticket . piece of cloth.
Now. your employer. the railway company,
is like yourself. "A person-an artificial per
son. created by law-and. like yourself, il
mas nothing to sell but its services in
transporting passengers and goods.
More than this. il is under control of the
state that created il. and cannot, like
yourself. quit work If il doesn't like tho
pay: IL is compelled TO keep on working
or forfeit its very existence. With a So
cent legai-tender dollar i'm circulation the
railway would naturally have TO accept
its pay. in those dollars and its income
would thereby be cut down nearly one-half
But when 1t attempted TO double its
charges in order to even up" the dollar
you know what a tempest of opposition
would arise. particularly in Agricultural
communities. and the Legislatures would
make the company painfully aware that II
IS under control of the States II traverses
J The railway. like yourself, would dnd tho