The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-15


several occasions has eX-
pressed the opinion that the strike con-
ditions are favorable to Mr.. Conry's
candidacy for congress. This belief Is
concurred in by a number of Mr.. Con-
ry's friends. 1t is worthy of examin-
alton.
In his speeches to the citizens Of our
county-up to Saturday night they
numbered sixty -three-the Democratic
nominee for congress frankly states
his purpose If elected to stand with
his party. This is creditable to his
party fealty and we make mention of
it in no spirit of personal criticism:
but it is important that the voters
should realize what standing with the
Democratic party means. The only
way to find out is to see what it has
meant in the past.
First of all, history teaches us that
it means low tariff or approximate
free trade. In 1894 it meant the Wilson
bill, which William Jennings Bryan,
Mr.. Conry's patron SAINT, helped to
frame. How did the Wilson bill affect
the people of Lackawanna county?
The production of coal in 1894, the
year in which low tariff was enacted,
fell to 10000, 900 tons as against 1S2,-
100000 in the preceding year, and the
value of the product fell from $685.
600, 900 in 1898 to s1s6,OOO,0OO in 1894, a
loss in a single year of $22.OOO,OOO in
this one article in which labor forms
so important a part of its value. In
1891, under protection and the activ-
ity of the great industries of the coun-
try, the average number of days in
which the men in the coal mines Of the
United States were employed was 223
In 1893, the year in which a low-tariff
president and congress came into
power, the number Of days in which
the miners We're employed dropped to
2O1, and in 1894 dropped again to It's,
while in 1897, the last year of the Will
son tariff. the number was but 179,
a reduction of 20 per cent in the time
in which they We're employed as COM
pared with 1891. These are the fig
ures for the country at large, includ-
ing both soft and hard coal mining.
Their accuracy is beyond dispute, but
every miner has In hand or in memory
his own pay checks during the free
trade slump. Let him compare them
with his present prospects of full time
with ten per cent. increase and then
decide whether, simply because Mr..
Connell is a coal operator, while Mr..
Conry is not, he wants to send to
represent him in congress man
pledged in advance to stand with his
party, even though his party should
declare for free trade.
But while Mr.. Conry does not say
much about the tariff question. he Is
outspoken for free silver. His cleo
tion would mean a vote changed in
der which there has been four years
of extraordinary prosperity that min
ers are about to share, to the silver
standard. which would cut in two the
miners wages and worse than that.
cause such tear-up In business con-
ditions that the market for coal of all
kinds would be upset and full time In
NuC OSSoiHCo dll iiNpOSSiDlllly
The fact that Mr.. Connell is an EN-
ployer of labor. while his Democratic
competitor is not; the fact that Mr.
Connell is reputed rich. while Mr.,
Conry Is exploited as young and poor;
all these side issues relating to the
personal circumstances of the candi-
dates are unimportant compared with
the broad consequences at stake In
the differing national policies which
they represent. The majority of the
miners in our county are Republi-
cans from principle and men who wan:
to see the whole nation respected and
prosperous, They, therefore. will no,
he lel by prejudice into mistaken
alliance with the unsafe Democracy
wLlca wants 10 undo all that construc-
tive Republican legislation has done
fore the expansion sof our national
credit, prestige and wealth.
In off years II may do to let friend