Courier Democrat., 1904-05-26
REPUBLICAN PROMISES
Futile Pledges to Maintain Pros.
perity and High Wages.
RELIANCE PLACED ON PROTECTION


The Man Hunting the Joh rpa,c,...
Lack of Prospcrity-TnrifY slonop.
Oily Makes Increased Cost Of Liv.
ang-A Question For Wase Earner..
Inc representatives of the Republic.
an party of the state of New York mot
IN convention recently and among 9th
er planks adopted the following on the
tariff:
I'VE reaffirm our belief that the
greatest national issue is the mainte-
nance of prosperity, and we stand
squarely for the integrity Of the prin-
ciple OF protective tariff" That prin.
ciple Is required to maintain the high
est scale Of American wages and the
supremacy Of the American workshop.
On the day following the convention
the press dispatches from New York
city announced that an enormous crowd
OF men and women, estimated at 1900,
stood around new department store
seeking work at very low wages. So
great was the crowd that large force
OF extra police were necessary to keen
order.
The strenuous efforts of these Door
people to get a chance for employment
did not verify the Republican claim
of prosperity, nor did the small amount
OF wages offered prove that protection
had maintained "the highest scale of
American wages rather the reverse.
The prosperity that the Republicans
used to boast Of was that the job was
seeking the man, and not the man seek
ing the job. That boast can no longer
be made, for evidently there are thou
sands seeking work at low wages with
the protective tariff in full working
order, supposed to he automatically
fixing high wages for the wage Garner.
More evidence was published in the
news dispatches on the same day that
the Republicans Of New York so glibly
resolved in favor of protection that
some of the cogwheels of that decep-
tive principle were out of gear. From
Lawrence, Mass, came news that the
Arlington mills had reopened, which
had been closed on account of strike
among the employees, whose wages
had recently been reduced, and the enl-
ployees were returning to work at the
reduced wages. At Palmer, Mass, the
mills of the Thorndike Manufacturing
company at Palmer and West Warren
began curtailment in the output by re
ducing the running time to forty hours
week. That means but four days work
week and Of course but two-thirds
wages. At Fall River u similar condi-
ton was announced. At Minneapolis,
Mimi, the -four mills were to be closed
down the end Of the week.
These announcements all appeared
in the New York Journal of Commerce
and Commercial Bulletin of April 13.
and nearly every day that newspaper,
which is devoted to business matters.
contains similar curtailments.
Meanwhile the protective tariff, by
its shelter to the monopolists, keeps up
its deadly work Of high prices, SO that
the cost of living is higher than nearly
ever before. But the Republican plat
form of platitudes Of President Roose-
velts own state did not explain this
anomaly of diminishing wages and
redundant prices. This platform was
doubtless presented to President Roose-
velt for his scrutiny before the con-
vention met and must have been ap-
proved by him or changed to suit his
views, so that, at last, the country
knows that he Stands squarely for the
integrity of the principle Of protec-
tive tariff" No reciprocity there, no
word for reforming the monstrous in
equalities.
If any of the wage earners of New
York ever read that platform, especial
" the thousands who are hunting the
job instead of the job hunting them,
what a hollow mockery it must seem
to be assured of protection and "the
highest scale of wages" when their
pockets are empty and the cupboards
are bare!
Other Republican state platforms
may be called upon to speak in the
same strain, and the national platform
will only be little more elaborate in
details, but will also ignore falling
wages and increased cost Of living.