New-York tribune., 1899-07-18
BRIAN'S DILEMMA.

Fifty thousand men, who were on strike last
week at tinplate works scattered through
all the great States between Boston and
St Louis are to-day receiving higher wages
than they ever received before, and higher
than have ever been paid in the tin
plate manufacture anywhere else. Most Of
them are men of more than ordinary intel
lgence, and are likely to have considerable
influence where they live. They are certain
TO be assured that the payment Of such wages
would not be possible had not the many tin
plate concerns been united by the formation
OF one great company, and In view Of the in
tense competition which did prevail In that
business last October and earlier, resulting In
some reduction of wages and the closing OF
some works, they are likely to believe 1t. When
Mr.. Bryan comes before them and demands the
destruction Of all these trusts as enemies of
the people and cruel monopolies. the $4,000 tin
plate workers will consider among themselves
whether they would prefer no combinations and
lower wages. They will be likely to present
the question In that form to other working
men wherever they i've and Mr.. Bryan's de-
nunciaton may have kind Of influence which
he does not expect or desire.
But this is only a sample. There are over
a hundred of these large corporations recently
formed which employ great number OF men.
Though not one of them-not even the tinplate
concern tself-has complete monopoly, they
all have far checked competition between
different works. and cut off expenses of man.
agement and distribution, that they are able to
pay higher wages than were paid year ago.
But the wages Of several hundred thousand
men, not In these industries only, were raised
within a few weeks last spring, and similar
boon do all
throughout the year. They have not been con-
fined TO works controlled by new corporations,
but 1t VIII be easily claimed that the restric-
ton of competition among those which have
been united has materially affected the market
for others also, and TO some extent Influenced
the wages they are able to pay 1t is also the
plain truth that this tremendous change In the
condition Of industries and in the wages OF
labor has not been due to new corporations,
either wholly or in the main, but was in prog
ress before they were formed, and would have
gone far IL they had never been formed. The
question for Mr.. Bryan, however, is whether he
can charge prosperity 10 the tariff or to "the
trusts"
1t is becoming clear that great many Of
the workers, who have not been educated TO
comprehend the benefcent work of the protec-
tive tariff. will be inclined to give credit largely
10 the consultations which appear on the sur
face Of things most useful to the men they EN-
ploy. While a vast number of Republicans
who know what came to pass under Cleveland
and Wilson tariff and what followed under
Mckinley and Dingley tariff will understand
that the prosperity of all industries has been
restored. and not Of those only in which con-
solidations have been effected, the other multi
tudes with which Mr.. Bryan has to deal have
been educated In Democratic notions about the
tariff 1t will be easier for many Of them to
rsfuse credit for wonderful prosperity TO Re