The advocate., 1897-01-06
THE PERFORMANCE NOT AS ADVERTISED.

When people have paid for their
tickets to the show and have taken
their seats to enjoy the performance,
they expect to see done or attempted
everything that they saw advertised In
the papers or on the billboards. A
slight failure is overlooked, for we are
always in good humor when In pleas
urable expectsnce. Bot when the
whole thing proves to be farce, there
is NO excuse, and people have right
to express their disgust.
The advance agent of prosperity was
advertised In spectacular colOrs. He
charged an sdmittance fee, of course.
His show is said to have cost several
million dollars, and every visitor paid
for his ticket and is now waiting for a
performance which does not begin or
continue as it was advertised. The
bills promised the liveliest performance
ever witnessed on the western hemis-
phere, with grand promenade to
close.
But the thing won't work. And
what's more, we are told that the
whole business must be postponed.
The Major will see us later. A CORE
spondent who knows all about 1t writes
to the american Economist and asks,
"What Is prosperity" That is what
we all have been asking, and that Is
the thing we paid our money to see.
This correspondent answers his own
question in a sorrowful recital showing
"the failure of manufactures" thus:
Protectionists have always claimed that a
protective tariff, wisely adapted, would by
large employment increase wages; and by
!, competition reduce prices. The protective
policy, so long In force, had In its later years
wrought Just that condition OF things This
was high prosperity for wage-earners, but
what of capltalP At no time since the Civil
war, up to 1898, was capital in as narrow work
ing limits as In 1892 The persistent increase
!. OF wages, and the equally persistent decline
: prices of manufactured products had 30 re
duced the profits Of capital that 1t could no
8 be iavorably employed in the leading indus
\ tries, except in large operations, whereby tn
: cost OF production could be reduced as low
possible In the late sixties and early seven
ties, while prices we're yet high and wage
t comparatively low, capital found remunerS
n tive employment In manufacture AS resul
new factories .were started, and old ones en-
larRed, calling for more and more WorkDoel
I Wages consequently increased. AS anothe
J. result, production was greatly increased an
/. a sharp competition induced, which cut dow
prices until the margin Of profit was reduce
"a TO very narrow limits. Especially from 1880
J. 1892 had competition been reducing the price
q Of manufactured products until, In man
~ cases. there was scarcely any profit even 4
q enormous production. In spite OF all tnl
~ wageearners, rightly ambitious for still bette
10 terms for themselves, were bltndly LED, Dy II
D. porant or designing politicians, to belleN
40 they were not receiving their just share OF Il
profits. and we're promised better times II the
- would vote for reform Of the tariff" II
10 results of that reform have been realized I
" wage.earners in way many OF them wi
not soon forget Capital has also suhere
sharply. Reduced to the narrowest livtr
y profit in 1884, 1t was impossible for IL to star
q. the strain OF diminished production ar
Id thrive. Many establishments, by FeduciI
\ the number employed, and cutting down Il
" wages Of those retained, have continued to
Oh some work. Many others, however, we
le driven to the wall and Obliged TO dismiss
,h their operatives.