The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-23
WAGE-EARNERs DEMAND 1T.

Wagemen of the United States expect as
a matter of course that the next National
administration, which no sane man thinks
will be other than Republican, will imme-
diately legislate for their protection
against the MUST, unreasonable and ruin
Gus competition of foreign wage-earners.
II would not be a Republican ADMINISTRATION
if it did not do that. Ample but not alto.
gether prohibitive tariff legislation is the
chief stone of tho corner of the principles
OF the Republican party, and because it is
the industrial class is found in its ranks,
nor does any one, friend or enemy, believe
that the party will fail in any particular TO
fortify the country at every point where
foreign MILL factory or farm products are
likely to enter and destroy the rightful OPP
portunity of our own people to employ
their skill, Drawn and brain.
But protection against hurtful industrial
invasion is not the only mission of the
Republican party. The question of money
TO meet the requirements of our protected
people is also an important one. 1t would
be impossible to secure the full measure OF
the benefits contemplated by protective
legislation were the volume of money OF
redemption inadequate.
1t needs no argument to demonstrate
that proposition, for it is not only in itself
self-evident fact, but experience in recent
years is OVERLOOKING with evidence that
the characterization of silver only serves TO
cripple and curtail commercial transac-
tons. This being true it would seem that
the sincere advocate of protection should
include in his proposition such means and
measures as would cause the greatest pos
sible good to accrue to the people by the
operation of protective legislation.
Gold itself demonstrates it's inability to
meet the redemption money needs of the
business interests of the people, and be-
cause the demand for it is greater than its
ability to supply, it exacts premium for
| its use, which finally comes out of the
pockets of the great wage class. 1t is o
natural law of economics that the indus
trial or wage earning class shall be the
| first to feel the effect of money strin-
gency and the last to recover from it, and
yet it is this class OF the country's popula-
! tion who make possible the mill, the fac
tory. the farm, the store, the bank. the
railway, and, indeed, the Governm ent it.
self. Surely, then, this class have rights
and should have great influence in deter
mining what legislation is best for them
Our wage-earners are in perfect accord
with the principle of industrial protection
for they know very well how important
| protective laws are to their we'll being, but
they are no less determined that with pro-
lection shall come provisions for volume
of redemption money that shall be large
enough at all times to supply their de-
mand for it at its coin value, and not al
values that shift about at the bidding of
money spectators. Hence it is that per.
haps all OF 80 per cent of the real pro-
| ducers OF this country demand that the
| volume of the Nations redemption money
shall be increased in an amount equal to
that which the free and unlimited coinage
of silver at the ratio of 10 to would make
that the minis be kept open TO the reception
of both metals, and that their parity be
maintained as a sacred duty the Govern
ment owes to the brain and the Drawn of
the people who are the Nations life and
hope.
1t has come TO this. then: Shall the
great industrial class, which really in
| cludes all whose business interests do not
lead TO Wall street, continue to be de-
| prived of sufficient volume of redemption
money to supply their requirements, or
shall they be taken out of the clutches of
ey-brokers, interest fends, Wall-street
! sharks and gold-bond syndicates by re-
Installing silver TO its legitimate and time
| honored place in the monetary system of
the country, which Is its free and I'M
limited coinage at the ratio of 10 10 12