Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-01-28
Secretary Cages Most Valuable Contribution

secretary Gages Most Valuable Contribution.
Secretary Cages speech before Tn ,
Trades League at Philadelphia, Turs-
day evening. was his most valuable
contribution to the discussion Of the
money question. though bur one Of
several With which he Is TO be credited.
The speech in its entirety. though it is
somewhat lengthy should he circu-
lated throughout the country.
He takes up the discussion in a calm
conservative. argumentative way, real
the land who have confused ideas re-
specting the effects of free COMA e.
and he pursueS the question logically
to it's inevitable conclusion. a part Il
it is addressed To the wage workers,
some of whom have been inclined to
look with favor upon the free silver
promise as being genuine. How any
man of average comprehension can
read this address and carry away any
tHlnS save liit ttntluSfE lHdt III
cheap dollar viii work greater injury
to him than to any other interest VIC
ase at a loss to understand.
In the first place Nil Gage takes the
free silver wage worker, Oh the propo-
sition of the latter that gold has appra-
ciated. and demonstrates conclusiVeiN
that if this were true then the wage
worker is not the one who has suffered,
The same statsticians who haze
shown from their figures that from ISL
to 1891 the average decrease in price
has been 271a per cent. show With equal
certainty that the average increase If
wages meantime has been 10 per cent
Taking the greater power of wages 20
command things by reason of thcil
lower price. the economic advanta2"
gained by labor is still further en-
phasizcd In 1872 800 in gold would
buy certain amount of living: in 1881,
prices having fallen. 500 would buy
~. per cent. more than it did in M:
and wages having increased 10 per
emit in the meantime the same work
which was paid 500 in 1872 received
%ll0 in 1891. From the double advan-
go. of decreased prices and increased
wares it follows that in 1891 the sar.e
labor would purchase II 40 per cent.
more of living than it did in 1872"
Carrying this fact still further in APP
plicaton. the labor that supported
only ten people in 1872 would support
T. IN 1891. This would permit greater
SAVINGS and as a matter of fact since
lS-t the average per capita saving has
Increased Sc per cent Nor has it APP
prarcd that either Of three participants
in production, rent, profits or wages.
has suffered This could be by reason
of saving that which formerly went to
waste Mr.. Gage further pointed out
hat if gold appreciation hits anything
il is capital rather than labor. lie then
referred to statements that have been
made by some OF thcse favoring free
silver that it Would in effect reduce
wages and enable them to sell at q
profit in competition With countries
VI here the wage standard is lower. 1t
is a we'll known fact that not few
Il anufacturtrs were somewhat car
waited with this view Of it until they
furesaw the disaster which must follow
50 deadly "A blow to credit
The demaGoGucl of Bryan has never
l,een more thoroughly riddlcd than by
Secretary Gage in this address. lie re
ferred to the formers recent speech at
Chicago and to his attempts on every
occasion to magnify troubles Of the
cotton manufacturing situation. Con
tinuing he said:
He Bryan) knows. or he ought to
know, and failed to state. that emily II
few weeks ago Worstcd manufactui rs;
in Rhode Island restored the wage scale
# 1899 in their mills. thus granting an
Increase of twenty per cent in the pay
Of about $1,000 operatives He knows,
or he ought to know. and failed tu
state. that in the city of Philadelphia
numerous wooden mills have restored
the wages of 1893. and are 50 active
that it is difficult and sometimes i'm
possible to secure the help required to
operate them. and in contrast to the
depression in cotton textiles. WOODEN
manufactures are booming all over tn
country. Let him point, if he can. tC
one single instance of an advance III
wages between the date of the Chicago
.convel1Aon of 1896 and the November
election of that year when that ruin
Gus platform was condemned by the
verdict of the people. He knows thai
within few weeks after the Novcmb
e.ection. 1896. 5000 men, idle for a Ions
time. We're put to work in the window
glass industry. Since then. as the revi-
val has proorpespl instances nf I'D