The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-07-16
WAGES MUSTGO DOWN
ELkINS SAYS so, AND HE IS
ON INSIDE.
&c Admits That tho Glorious Victory
Ter High Wages Cannot Maintain
Wages on the Cold Basis - What
Sound Money Really Means.

sound" Money Really Means.
Wages must go down. says Senator
Elklns IN a recent interview published
IN the Cincinnati Enquirer. Wage
earners,' continued the senator, do
not wish to see it or believe it, but it
is So" And again he said: Wages in
merica stand against any revival Of
business"
He was discussing the coal trade. He
tells us that 1--WE do not export coal to
EUROPE, because we have wages against
us, and that is the whole kernel Of the
coal trade" The senator complained
of the Supreme Court decision which
makes railroad pooling impossible.
mat would seem to benefit the coal
trade at the expense of the railroads;
put SO strong is the sympathy between
capital invested in different directions,
yet acting together, that the great com
plnatlons, like those between the rail-
ROADS and coal mines, see no way to
relieve their own diminishing revenues
except the cutting of the wages Of la
DOR. No man has presented this fact
with the terrible bluntness of the SEN
ator from West Virginia. He has not
minced words. He appears to have
sought the publication of his views.
AS prices decline and values shrink,
those who battle with the flood of con-
traction each reach out for the plank
winch will not sustain all.
No limitation m Tho o,+,,,% ~ ,o,1
can counteract the %in1uance of con-
traction, which is steadily reducing the
price OF all other commodities, includ-
ing coal. And since the price must 20
down, n since somebody must lose.
senator Elkins unhesitatingly declares
mat the railroads cannot be expected
10 suHer, mol yet the coal mine wners.
1t is the laborer who must stand and
oellver at the bidding of those who
make money so scarce that coal is
cheap and transportation cheaper.
Mr.. Elkins has met the logic of the
situation. What he says is the natural
result flowing from the policy which the
money power has forced upon his party.
wages must go down." wages in
America stand against any revival of
business" Senator Elkins has a good
business head on his shoulders, and he
u know that the men who have
bought and taken possession of the
republican organization and who have
created the present national admins
tratlon would, if they could, abolish
wages altogether-but not abolish Ia
DOR. They do not believe that men
horses, cattle or dogs have n natural
rlght to compensation for their labor
or any right to any more food and
clothing and shelter for the night than
Will keep them in good working con-
olllon. We do not charge upon Son
ator Elkins that he is one of this class
put we credit him with a clear view If
the facts as they exist, and with tho
courage to state them. If the present
system OF gold contraction which ha
1aVors is to continued the supply o.
money is to remain stationary. and The
uses for 1T are to increase, then il ia
absolutely true that wages in America
stand against any revival of business"
IN the co-p%artnership between capita1
and labor there can be no dividends for
the Workingmen under the present con-
ditions.
But Senator Elkins overlooks mo
TACT, and that is that our masters who
dictate the gold standard to all the row.
ernments of the world, have no bowels
of compassion for the owners of other
property than gold money, and no re-
morse about shifting down coal mine
owners and railroad companies and en-
shaving them as they do their working
men. Mr. Elkins is not one of the row
al family of usuerers and money lend
ers. He is only a capitalist. and shv-
lock laughs at him as grimly as he
does at the spendthrift whom he is
running, or the idle workman whom ha
drives from his door. If wages 90
down, capital must go down. When on
ly a score of men can ride in their car
rlages, they too will be forced to walk
by a force which they cannot resist.
We Will Be Heard.
Ahn uN1I ~A