Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-08-23

been stimulated and production cheap
ened. Opportunity to the inventive
genius of our people has been secured
and wages in every department Of La
Dor maintained at higher rates-higheri
now than ever beforehand always dis
tinguishing our working people in their
better conditions of life from those of
any competing country.
Democratic Platform.-In the inter
esting of American labor and the up
lifting of the working man, as the
cornerstone of the prosperity of u
country, we recommend that congress
create a department of labor in charge
of a secretary. with a seat in the cab
met, believing that the elevation of
the American laborer will bring with
it increased protection and increased
prosperity to the country at home and
to our commerce abroad.
These planks + worthy of a little
study. The republican plank is posi-
tive. frank and definite. It distinctly
says that the republican plan for bet
tering the condition of American labor
is to maintain the policy of protection;
to protect, by a tariff, the labor of the
United States from the competition
which free trade would certainly pro-
duce in allowing the products of pau.
per labor from both Europe and Asia
to come into the American market and
thus stopping mills, factories, mines
and the thousands of industries now
furnishing remunerative employment
to American skill.
What does the democratic platform
promise?, In another plank it ops
poses a protective tariff, and for the
uplifting of the condition OF Ameri-
car labor it promises nothing more
and nothing better than the creation
of another Office. They say, in effect,
we love the American laborer so much
that in the event of our success at the
polls, we promise to try to create a
secretary and a lot of other oficehold-
ers to look after the interests of lab.
oring men, unmindful of the fact that
there is already a non-partisan de-
partment of labor doing efficient and
satisfactory work for the labor inter
ests of the country. Were the labor
interests of the country to be placed
in charge of a cabinet officer, the mat
ter by the very nature of the case
would have to become partisan.
Laboring men can easily weigh the
respective merits Of the two parties
with reference TO their influence on the
question of work and wages by COM
pairing the tramping armies. the char
ity soup houses, the silent factories,
the grass-grown railroads. and the
~stagnation of 1893 and 1S94-produced
by the democratic threat Of a policy OF
free trade or revenue tarif-With the
protective tariff and its results, as seen
today with busy mills, crowded rail
ways, employed labor. good wages, and
the heaviest exports eyer made by this
or any other country since nations be.
gan to exchange products. Labor viii
be slow to give UP an evident, tangible
constant condition of prosperity for tht
promise of creating another office tx
be filed by a henchman OF the boy
orator Of the Platte.
Bryan says it is better to open thu
minis and cut the dollar in which
wages are paid in two in the middle
President Mckinley says it is bette
to open the mills and continue to pa.
good wages in the best money tn,
world has yer known. It is for labo
to decide which Of the two policies j
most likely TO butter his bread.
II