The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-05-01
Our washlurton Lettes.

equally prompt action IN carrying out
that other pledge Of It's platform with ref
gests review Of Mr.. Cleyeland's own his
tori and that Of his party in this same
line,
| The recollection of the events which
| TRANSFERRED between his Inauguration as
| President. March L. 1893, and the enact
mont IS months later Of the tariff act 10
| which his party was equally pledged,
would seem to have suggested silence
rather than criticism regarding party
activity In carrying out party pledges.
| 1t was more than seven months from his
Inauguration as President In 1893 before
his Congress met to consider any Of the
/ propositions to which his party was
| pledged and within few days of Is
| months before the leading promise Of Its
| platform was fulfilled In the enactment
| Of a new tariff law.
The business uncertainties, the long
| months of suspense In which .nanufact-
urers and dealers of all classes were up-
| able to proceed iptelligently with bust.
business and loss of employment conse.
quent thereon, make the IS months Of
mastery inactivity in which President
Cleveland and his party neglected to full.
fill with ''hot haste" their promises Of
legislation, the most disastrous In the
history Of the business of the country, A
brief review of these IS months Of delay
in legislation by his party may indicate
whether the Republicans Of to-day ought
to be deferred by his complaint of their
"hot haste" In carrying ont their promises
The latest number of the statistical alb
stract shows the number Of failures Of
commercial and business concerns In the
United States in the first year of Presi-
dent Clevelan6's administration QS93) to
be 1929 with total liabilities amounting
to $346, TAO. $50 This covers only about
one half Of the period between the inaugu-
ration of President Cleveland and the en-
actmcnt of the legislation which bis party
promised. The record of 1888, however,
is the most disastrous the country has
ever experienced, the number Of failures
being fifty per cent, greater than in the
panic Of 1878 and the losses also fifty per
cent. greater.
In addition to these failures no less
than 6l3 banks failed during the year.
This great number fof failures threw out
of employment such large numbers of
hands and reduced wages In SO many
cases as TO cause an unusual number OF
strikes and lockouts resulting in great
loss Of wages of workingmen and losses
to employers. Over $50, 900 employees were
involved In the strikes occurring between
March 4, 1893 and August %, 1894, the
date OF the enactment of the Wilson law.
The loss in wages to the persons thrown
out of employment by the strikes and
lpckouts in those IS months as shown by
the report Of the Commissioner of Labor
Is over forty-hve million dollars, while
the business loss to employers aggregated
about half that sum.
Reports of the inter State Commerce
Commission covering this period also af-
ford interesting comment upon the effect
OF the business troubles which existed
during the pendency Of the promised leg.
i6lation during the year 1893. Many Of
the most important railroads In the
country were placed In the hands of re-
ccivers The mileage of 30 railroads SO
treated in the first half of the period be-
tween President Cleveland's inaugura'
ton and the completion of the legislation
promised in his platform was 1885 miles
or nearly ono seventh Of all the railroad
lines Of the United States. Their indebt-
edness was 81, 2l2 ,2l70 33.
The following record Of prominent
events during the IS months in which
President Cleveland and his party held
the country in suspense prior to the en-
actment OF the legislation promised by
them will indicate to some extent whether
he was justified in complaining of the
"hot haste with which the Republican
party is carrying out its pledges on this
OCCASION.
March, 1853. General strike began
among the clothing cutters in New York;
strike of employees on Toledo and Ann
Arbor road, April, $685. Strike of 1000
workers on Fair grounds at Chicago.
May, 1893, Strike Of 10000 coal miners
In Ohio; failure of large number Of
Western banks following the failure of the
Columbia National Bank at Chicago
June, 1893, Runs on Savings banks In
| Chicago and numerous failures Of banks
| in various parts Of the county.
July, 1893, Announcement of suspen.
| sion Of work in 300 silver mines of the
| United States, bank failures four bank
| failur in Denver, runs on other fisnano-
| ial institutions, numerous business fail
ureS, great numbers OF bank failures In the
| West and in all other sections of the coun-
try.
August 1893 Failure of numerous
| commission houses IN Chicago; failure Of
| Madison Square Bank in New York; riots
| in New York and encounters between an.
| archists and socialists only prevented by
| police; close of long and unsuccessful coal
| miners strike in Kansas.
SEPTEMBER 1893 Strike Of big -Four"
| employees
October 1873 Troops called Out in Ala,
baIna TO Suppress riots Of railroad
| EtriEers.
| November 1898 Strike of railroad
| hands of Lehigh Valley Railroad number
| Ing several thousand strike Oi 20 900 hat
makers at Danhury, Conn
| December, 1893. Riots in Pennsylvania
| mining region.
January, 1891. Strike of many thous,
| and potters in New Jersey against rcduc-
ton Of wages; secretary Carlisle offers
$4,000. go loan for public subscription;
! striking miners in Pennsylvania destroy
| property at Brantvllle and elsewhere
! February, 1894 Sale of $50, 600 900 Of
! bouds by Secretary Carlisle; many largo
| SILK factories In New York close on NC,
couut of strike all the mines Of the Mas
silon district closed by strikes; riotous as
| semblages Of unemployed workmen in
Boston dispersed by police.
| March, 1884 General strike among tho
silk weavers Gt Paterson, n. j.; West Vir-
| ginia striking miners burn railroad
| bridges; riots at Paterson, N. j. among
| tho striking weuvers; United States
| troops called upon to queil riot at Den
veri State troops ordered to Cripple
| Creek for the suppressions of mining
| troubles; Coxey's organization marches
| towards Washington.
| April 1894 Mob Of strikers In East
Liverpool became riotous; 5000 plumbers
| and 5000 workers in Pennsylvania 90 on
| strike; Government of South Carolina
| declares martial law In all cities Of the
| State six men killed and one fatally
wounded In the riots of tho coke region OF
| Pennsylvania; eight thousand united
| mlne-workers oldor a strike; general
| strike Of employees Of Great Northern rail-
| Icad, $50 thousand miners cease work In
| Pennsylvania.
May, 1891. Further bIoodshed In the
coke region Of Pennsylvania
Juno. 1894 Maryland, militia ordered
ont to suppress striking miners; also
! State troops ordered out to the scone of
I strikers in Ohio; similar action In Mon
tana, coke strikers, with killed and wound.
| ed in Pennsylvania; destruction Of rail.
| road property in Ohio and In Alabama by
riutcrs; strikers arrested for stealing Il
train In Illinois; Industrial army captures
| train in Wisconsin,; strikers of miners in
Michigan coal mines; Pennsylvania troops
ordered out to suppress riots, strike OF
| Pullman employees affecting $1,000 work.
| ing men.
July, 1854 Trains burned by strikers
| In Chicago, aud numbers OF lives lost in
| the consequent following events: strike of
| Il, ono MON bers Of ullieI trades in Chicago;
freight trains wrecked by strikers at In.
| dianarolis.
August, 1894 Woolon mill employees
strike In Utica, n Y. employees Of forty
| mills strike vt Fall River.
! August HS 1874 The tariff bin becomes
| q law WithOuV tho Presidents signature.