The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-08-15
Looking Backward.

The American people have a happy
faculty of putting behind them unpleas-
and memories of the past and devoting
their thoughts and energies to prob
lens of the present and future. In
treating of present prosperity, it is &C.
casionally necessary to contrast it with
previous conditions, although it revives
recollections which are 30 painful it is
like reopening an old wound, in some
cases, to recall them. In recent
speech Hon. J. M. Frink, of the State
of Washington, speaking as manufac-
turer and large employer of labor, al
luded to the difference between condi.
tons OF the present day and those
which be had to encounter under the
last Democratic administration. In a
single month, within the past years, he
has paid out as much in wages, and
turned out g large product, as in
single years under Cleveland's admin
istration; while in every month his
product and labor bill have been six
times ae great as they were under the
preceding administration.
This has been the change to the
manufacturer. Can it be honestly said
shat the condition of the wage Garner
has not shown parallel improvement?
This does not mean that wages are six
times as high nov as four years
ago; but in general, conditions have
shown an improvement substantially as
great. During the hard times there
were always the fortunate few who re-
tanned positions where they were sure
of their pay from week to week. That
pay might have been reduced some
what, but the reduction in the price of
the necessaries of life was also great, 80
that they suffered little or nothing by
the hard times. These were the fortu-
nate ones. Where they could be
counted by tens, the unemployed, or
those who were employed but small
portion of the time, could be counted
by the hundreds; and these are the
ones who should stop and contrast their
present condition with what they had
to endure four years ago.
Not to speak of the hundred of cases
where men saw the savings Of a life
time swept away and lost the very
homes which sheltered themselves and
aud their families, there was more
grinding poverty and bitter restitution
than the American born people had
ever before witness cd, much less sha ed.
Men accustomed to command large sal
aries and to see their families sur.
rounded by at least all of the comforts
of life from the American standard,
suffered for the first times in their
lives the pinch of actual hunger,, and
worse than all, saw their families suf-
fer and were powerless to provide fol
them. No labor was 80 hard, no pay
80 scanty, that hundreds were moi
eager to take up the work in order thai
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necessaries of life for their loved ones
Working ON the sewers of the street, al
scanty wages, were to be seen profess
sional men, bookkeepers, trained and
skilled mechanics, and men who haG
lived from the proceeds of their OWE
invested capital; while hundreds of the
same classes watched and envied then
the opportunity.
These were the conditions which ex
listed under former Democratic ad
ministration, and the Democrats arr
asking lease of Office to try few NOR,
disastrous experiments in legislation
with possibility Of duplicating thei
former record. The recollections ar
unpleasant. All would like to forge
them. 1t is wholesome, however, t.
, look backward occasionally and ponde
, over past experiences when looking TO
guide for future action.