Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-05-11
Oh Yes, How We Prosper,

tie Republican cuckoo, chirp prosper
itv, in response To orders from Wash
ington. \ short t.nc ago We called
down Olg for culIgi1ing the Republic
can party for an embarrassing surplus
in the Treasury, which il claimed was
the result az a>tUtc inanCicrIug, in
stead ui being II direct ho!d-up from
the ptcric. Now We find the VAN
couyer Hte{tpcnlcnt revampjng these
same "ratent cdit"riai' congratuia-
tions. Here is sample from a coll
umn Of chirrups Of the JOYOUS little
nesting:
The Republican party, which has
started n, the idle mills and advanced
the wages uf the workers all over the
country, has also filled the treasury Of
the government, and it will soon enable
that government to resume the old Re-
publican practice of reducing its debt
and diminishing the burdens of the peo-
pie
Iou must not, OF course, expect the
slightest degree of consistency in any
OF these preconccrtcd and stcreotypcd
expressions OF the little birds. 1t is
not expected that they can tell how
taxation may be leSsencd under addi-
tional tax levies, or how the public
debt can be reduced 10y adding syndi-
cate schemes of robbery to the general
expense account.
Let us see how the Republican
party has advanced the wages of work.
ers, by casual glance over n portion
only of the labor-feld, and made too
on May Day, when everybody's heart
is supposed to be filled with sunshine
In Buffalo, n. V, we find 3,400 car
repairers, 700 shopmen and 400
freight handlers were on a strike for
increase OF wages.
In Oswego, the coal-handlers were
out in an endcavor to accomplish the
same object.
At Tiffin, Ohio, at Seymour, Ind.
and at Great Falls, Mont many thou
sands of laborers were demanding an
increase of pay rs we'll as a shortening
of the hours OF exacting service.
At Rochester, New York, and in
Springfield, Mass. the electricians
were on strike for eight hours day
and increase of wages.
In Philadelphia, the allied building
associations, numbering 5000, had quit
work to enforce demand of % cents
more to their pay, which though SO
small, meant so much to their fam
lilies.
In Boston, the carpenters were on
strike for the same object.
Eleven hundred wood workers in
Minneapolis, and the plumbers OF the
"twin city" st. Paul, spent their May
ing in an attempt to advance their
wage-rate.
In Albany, N. Y, the carpenters
and the plumbers were insisting on
a reduction of hours and an advance
in wages.
At Cleveland, Ohio, the ironworkers
were engaged in an eEdeavor to secure
a recognition of union rates Of pay.
At Binghampton, N. ", and New
ark, N. j., the tinsmiths and laborers
at Trenton, N. j., the jiggermen, and
at New Brunswick, the same State,
the masons, were engaged in the same
struggle for an advance of wages to
living rate.
At Passiac, and in Brooklyn, N. V,
and at Patterson, N. j., the carpenters,
and at Railway, N. j., the bricklayers,
were on strike for better wages.
At Barre, VT, the granite polishers;
at Rockport, Mass, the granite cut
tiers; at Ellsworth, Me-, the stone cut
tiers, and at Cleveland, Ohio, the gran
lite cutters, were striking for the same
cause, inadequate pay for hard labor.
There was danger that the passen-
ger and freight traffic of the New
York Central would be tied up from
inadequacy of pay and the employment
Of "scabs."
A strike was already on OF 5000
trainmen and laborers of the Balti-
more and Ohio Southwestern road.
The freight conductors and brake
men of the Montana Central were out,
and the passenger crews had threat.
ened to 60 out, if asked to move freight
cars.
In st. Louis, on the 9th, every street
Car in city and county was tied up.
Nearly 1000 men were involved in the
strike.
At Wilkesbarre, Pa, the same day, q
riot had taken place between the strik-
ers and "scab" workmen, in which
about 20 men were killed.
And to come right to our doors, the
other day the painters were on a strike
at Tacoma, and the plumbers in Sc
attic.
And the logging camps and shingle
mills are compelled to close for time
to maintain barely "living" prices.
Oh yes, we witness on every hand
the evidences of Mckinley prosperity !!
This is but very small part of the
labor troubles existing OIL the two
days named, over the broad expanse
OF our country, but they are enough
to show that deep-grounded cause
for complaint exists between trust
prices and the stipend paid to labor.
The moneyed power is prosperous,
and that may in some instances give