The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-10-31
THE CLEVELAND-FLANAGAN TARIFF
REFORM

AS was to be expected the only
living ex-President of the United
States had a large audience com
posed of men and women of all par
ties to greet him in the Lyceum.
| He entertained them by reading a
speech of about twenty-five hundred
words of which three hundred and
sixty we're quotations from his con-
gressional message of 1857, and in
the course of which the pronoun Il"
was used, thirty times. Indeed the
whole speech might have been de-
livsred fifteen years ago for it is
nothing but a vague and high sound
ing harangue against protection.
Mr.. Cleveland admits that less than
year after this announcement of
Democratic doctrine" the Ameri-
can people showed their emphatic
disproval Of it by putting the Re-
publican party in power. He did
net mention that the nearest ap-
proach which he could induce his
party to make, caused financial ruin
and dire distress throughout the
whole oonntry. In 1896 Mr.. Cleve-
and g own party seeing prices SO low
and with no hope of their increase
on their system of government ADOPT
ed the free silver fallacy in the hope
that an inflated currency would de-
ceive the people and continue them
in Office little while longer.
The people, however, had received
too severe lesson and elected Presi-
dent Mckinley and a Republican
Congress to undo the mischief
brought by Mr.. Oleveland's admin
istration. This they have more than
done and it would be strange indeed if
the people of this district should vote
for a candidate who is in favor Of
the same deadly policy, especially
such a man as Mr.. Flanagan who
if elected would be a mere puppet
of che Populistic, Free Silver, any.
thing for office, Democratic leaders.
The Wilson tariff law had Its initia-
ton in the Democratic platform of 1892,
which denounced Republican protection
as fraud and uncons titutional, and de-
manded tariff for revenue only.
The election of Grover Cleveland and
a Democratic Congress on that platform
in November, 1892, was the warming to
bnsiress that the Mckinley tariff would
be repealed and a tariff for revenue
only" enacted.
lit was danger, signal and business
men began to haul in sail.
Confidence in business enterprises
was shaken and values deprecated.
Merchants waited for the new tariff
policy, manufacturers were unable to
secure new orders for future delivery,
production was checked, mills shut
down or reduced their running time
and wages were reduced.
This was not only the case in the
country generally, but it affected this
particular district very powerfully as
" ill be seen from facts gathered yester-
doy in Dover by the editor of the Chron-
lcle relative to the past and present out
look of several of the leading industries
located there.
MORRIS COUNTY MACHINE & IRON Co.
Guido G. Hinchman, treasurer, said !:
Business was extremely dull. Orders
were 30 scarce that our men only worked
part of the time With the advent of
Mckinley times orders increased, and
for five or six years we have been run
uing full tine and the men are getting
higher wages"
THE DOVER IRON Co., OF N. j.
The superintendent was emphatic in
denounciDg the hard times following
the inauguration of Cleveland, and the
Wilson tariff bill: I'VE are now running
1875 men who make full time. During the
hard times of 1884 and 6 we worked
only half time. The men as well as the
company realized as never before the
meaning of "hard times" One year,
the worst, the men only worked seven
teen weeks out of the fifty-two. The
comparison as to wages during "Cleve-
land times" and the present are very
noticeable aud should appeal to every
working man in Morris county. Helpers
now receive $1.60 per day, then 81. 35;
puddlers, now So. 40; then So 90; labor
ers. now 81 35; then $1.25. And what
cost more suffering and want than the
difference in wages was the fact as stated
made about half time-one year, only
seventeen weeks"
LACKAwANNA CAR SHOPS.
J. H. Baker, formerly superintendent,
when asked if he remembered the days of
Cleveland's administration and Demo
L
was terrible Our company had been ex-
pending for labor and material about
500, 600, a month. In Dover, alone our
monthly pay amounted to $4,000. the
men always making full time. Tariff
tinkering cut the mems time fully one
half so that instead of paying $48 600.
each month for wages alone. the aggre-
gate was from $4,000 to 1924, 600. Then
those employed in getting out material
for the shops, only worked about half
time, necessarily receiving only half
pay With Mckinley times we gradually
retained TO normal conditions and you
may rest assured the company and en-
ployees were thankful enough"
Since the dawn of 1897 there has been
work and wages for everybody who de-
sired work. Wages have been increased,
and hours shortened. In 1900 the wages
paid in the manufac uring establish :
ments of this country aggregated So,
$50, 57S, 010.
This is the comparison of the two
tariffs, and what followed them.
The platform which produced the
dire results mentioned above Is the
platform on which Mr.. Flanagan says
he is running. II Inevltab follows
that vote for Mr.. Flanagan IL u vote
for hare times.
Vote for William T. Brown and
Thomas J. Hlllery for members OF
the Assembly.
Mr.. Flanagan is not free speaker,
but he is free trader. He denounces