Washington sentinel., 1900-09-15
Cbe prosperity "Mr. Bryan
essays sstu-
Hrdllmcnt pendous task
in his effort
ElppIieo. to prove that
the all per.

. | in his eHOI
HpplteO. to prove tha
, the all pei
vading prosperity in which every clas
OF citizens is sharing Is a sham. 1t /
never advisable for man to butt hi
head against solid wall of notoriou
and indisputable facts The statistic
OF the nations and peoples finances
show beyond the shadow Of doubt
that there has been an immense and al
entirely unexampled progress since
1896" The immense gain ir
our export trade, the large increase in
wages, the addition OF one TO two mil
lions OF workers to the active lists Of oul
Industries, the substantial prosperity o
the farmers. the abundance Of capital,
the transfer OF the worlds monetary
centre from London to New York-all
these are facts that should not be ignored
and which should be a cause o. coHgrat-
ulation and patriotic pride TO Mr. BRYAN
even though their coming discredits his
1896 forecast."- WASHINGTON Post
Ii this all pervading prosperity
exists it would OF course be mad
visable for Mr.. Bryan to attempt
to prove that it is a sham. We
do not require an argument to
convince us that the sun is shining.
Neither does a workingman re-
quire an argument to prove that he
is prosperous.
THE statistics of the nations
and the peoples finances" upon
which the Post relies "to show be-
yond the shadow OF a doubt that
there mas been an immense and an
entirslV uncxampled progress
since 1896" do not correspond with
obvious facts nor with the testi-
monv adduced before the Indus
trial Commission.
General Superintendent r. c.
Luther OF the Philadelphia and
Reading Coal and Iron Company
testified before the commission last
March, and while there were a
great many things that he would
not disclose about the condition OF
the anthracite coal mines, sub
iect upon which the members were
exceedingly desirous Of being en-
lightened, he did, however, show |
beyond the shadow oil doubt that |
the "all pervading prosperity" has |
not pervaded the mining regions Of |
Pennsylvania.
He said "Men who work for
me are not trades union men, so far
as l know, and have no dealings
with union men" Wages are paid
on sliding scale fixed in 1875, as
follows: Ordinary outside labor
$3.50 a week when coal is at a
basis of S2.Io, a ton; miners So
per day for repair work. Ten
hours is considered days work"
He exhibited a memoranda
which showed that in 1894 there
were ISo full days; in 1895, I8o; in
1896. I76; in 1897, 1872; in 1898,
I4G, and last year, 1873. During
the last three years oil Cleveland's
Administration, years which the
Republican organs exultingly refer
to as years of Democratic hard
times, nevertheless the anthracite
miners worked ia days more in
these three years than in the first
three years Of McKinley's Admin
istration. In 1897. with McKin
leY's great prosperity, an out.
side laborer in the anthracite coal
region was obliged to support him
self and family on 80 cents a day.
Let the Post observe and reflect
upon the material, moral and in
tellectual condition of a whole
family subsisting on 40 cents a day
and compelled to deal in "pluck-
me-store," and then apply the al.
pervading prosperity argument.
Let the Pest visit industrial COM
munitIes where the trusts have
closed and dismantled mills and |
factories throwing hundreds and |
thousands out of employment and |
forcing them to tramp the high
ways and bYways Of the nation to |
be subsequently arrested for vag-
rancy and in default Of bond sent to |
the workhoLse, as happened to a |
man claiming to be a structural |
iron worker, in the Police Court OF |
this city on Labor Day, and then
apply the all perva1ing prosperity |
argument.
Let the Pest 60 to New York |
where in underground cellars and |
squalid tenements it will find fam
lilies herded together like cattle. |
Let it visit th- sWeatshops where |
delicate girls are wearing their
young lives out for mere pittance
that will scarcely keep body and !
soul in the same neighborhood. |
Let it wander through the streets
occupied by working people and
note the pinched features and |