New-York tribune., 1899-07-31
EXPERIENCE ABOUT WAGES.

EXPERIENCE ABOUT WAGES.
1t is feature of never falling interest that
the Democracy expects wage earners III this
country TO vote for anything and everything else
except the thing that most helps their wages.
They were expected to vote for payment OF
wages in deprecated grcenbacks, and also in %
cent silver dollars They are expected to vote
for a ticket of dummies whenever it has the
word "labor" printed on it, and TO vote against
the party which has added more TO the wages OF
American labor than any other in order to help
the party which has thrown more men OFT OF
employment than any other If the Democrats
really believe that workingman is necessarily
all idiot they might find that excuse for the
various plans they have devised TO "catch tive
labor vote" This year because industrial cor
poratonS have been especially conspicuous in
raising wages. the wage earncrs are all eX-
pected 10 go wild over the cry Down with the
trusts. Yet experience might have taught
these people that a steadily increasing proper
tcn of the wage earners throughout the country
has been voting against the Democratic party
ever since IL tried to overthrow the protective
policy.
Unwse counsels so reduced duties in 1888 as
greatly - dcpreSS some industries and cause
much discomfort Then Mr.. Cleveland was
elected with bare plurality Of $1,000 votes and
soon devoted an entire annual message TO an al
| tack upon the protective tariff; and though he
failed To get a tariff bill passed h" kept indus
tries in hot water until his defeat by President
Harrison was assured Then recovery began. the
volume of business increased in the last two
ronths of lSSS about S22S.O00 1000 outside New
York and 50 O00. 900 900 the next year with Har-
risons inauguration and wages which had fallen
little. rose higher than ever. That was only
the first lesson The Mckinley tariff came in
1890. and wages rose stiIl higher the volume Of
brsineSs in 1872 was the largest then ever
known sG2 322 100000 through clearing houses
ard II per cent greater than in 1884; yet.
strange to say. part Of the wage earners were
led 10 believe that their prosperity had been due
I, their own organizations. embracing less than
a tenth of their number. and not to the tariff
at all.
Mr.. Cleveland came in again in 1893. and bust
rcss began 70 shrink the very month of his i'll
auguraton. The worst panic for half century
drove more than two million men out Of employ
ment ana deprived the rest of nearly 20 per cent
OF their former wages The volume Of business
IN 1894 was over a quarter smaller than in 1892
and the Wilson tariff taught the country what
IPlnOtTdlf' lnVofPS meant wien HIp-
piled. The result was the heaviest majority for
President Mckinley. framer Of the tariff of 1890,
ever east for any American President The
votes of workers in the great Industrial States
We're overwhelming and the election OF a Re
publican Congress gave assurance Of a return TO
the National policy. which defends American
labor. Some Improvement came at once. but
much more after the present tariff had been en-
acted, 50 that within the last twelve months the
volume Of business through clearing houses has
been Ss4.17J.O00.000, against $50 7G3 100000 In
the twelve months ending with Cleveland's re-
tirement. Wages have not only risen TO the
highest general level YET attained since they were
reckoned in deprecated dollars, but in many
branches are the highest ever paid In any kind
of currency.
These are lessons which have come home to
the personal experience Of all who have been
earning wages for fifteen years The greatest
changes, first downward and then upward, have
touched the pockets Of all who have been seven
years at work. That means great majOrity Of
American wage carners. AfteN this generation
has passed away. when another has come up
from childhood or from across the ocean with
out the experiences of the last decade II is con-
:. ceivable that American workers may again be
found blind to their own interests To suppose