Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-08-02


came totheir own again, and they came
to 1t through the open door of protec-
ton.
Now how different are conditions.
There is work for every man who
wants work, and the demand is so
great that the laborer, not the employ.
er, names the wages. The press re.
cords a strike among the carpenters
the other day. They were receiving
$3.50 and wanted S.. The sidewalk
layers Of Chicago struck for thirty-f1ve
cents an hour; they were receiving
thirty-two Charles B. Lands of Indi.
ana says the signs at the entrances Of
the employment agencies of our great
cities read: 'All kinds of work for all
kind of men," and he adds: 'If sin-
gle sign of that character had been dis.
played anywhere In this republic dur
ing the free trade administration of
Grover Cleveland, 1t would have been
set to music and sung from every hill
top Of the nation"
And this question of labor is at the
bottom of it all. When labor is so fully
act and receive fair wage. the coun
try will be prosperous. And that con.
dition is Impossible under a democratic
tariffforrevenue system. If we were
to raze our custom houses, as Champ
Clark thinks we ought to do, the manu-
facturer would suffer, but he could adj.
just himself to even those conditions
His workmen would finally be compell.
ed to come to him for work, but it
would not be at the old standard. 1t
would be at the wage of the labor mar
ket of the world. Our American stan
dard Of living would be destroyed; for
our working men could buy no more
high-priced meats, they would be, COM
PEELED to content themselves with 4
soup bone once week, as the working
men of Europe do. The laborer's wife
would not go to CHURCH Sunday in lawn
dress and picture hat; she would wear
prints and sun bonnet as her sisters
do In Germany and France. The lab.
orers children would not graduate
from the free high school; they would
be forced at less, than ten years old TO
work in shops and factories to help
keep the family from starving as they
do across the sea.
1t Is an artificial standard we have
here established, far above the normal
and the usual; but If mistake not the
temper of the American people, it will
be maintained, in spite Of the clam
ors and cries Of all the free traders
in Christendom. We can sacrifice
much, but we cannot sacrifice Ameri-
can manhood nor the American home
The best trade we have ever had Is
now. The higest wages ever paid are
now. The greatest demand for both
farmers products and manufacturers
goods Is now. We are blessed with
smiling plenty" IL not with sweet
content" We are not living in FOOLS
paradise: but In busy, busting,
bountiful world, where men and wo-
men are working out their destinies.
not with fear and trembling, but con-
fidently, courageously, and where the
reward of their labor is not deferred
to some remote and shadowy future,
but comes each day with 'largess and
with grace"
Republican Prospects.
The failure of their plans and the
blasting of their hopes must be a
source Of poignant anguish to demo-
cratic leaders. Only q few months ago
they We're exultantly claiming that the
-
tured," that nothing would or could be
done by congress. that the next con-
gress would be democratic. and the
rest would be easy; that as to the rate
making bill the President was power
less without the help of democratic
senators. and the house bill would be
torn In shreds by hostile and rail-
road dominated the senate But tho
President was not making alliances
with democrats. Senator Allison was
again able to render signal service BY
harmonizlng conflicting interests, and
the Hepburn-Dolliver bill emerged
from the ordeal stronger than when it
left the house.
Rarely. If ever before. has a congress
rendered more conspicuous service than
the last one. The passage nv II of
half a dozen great measures. any ona
of which would have DISTINGUISHED n
session, and the passage of any one of
which by democrats would have fur
nisled them capital enough to do busi-
ness for twenty wears, has made its
record notable. II Is a source az ,rrent
pride to Iowa renuhlicans that in tbe
securement of ali these great meas
ures the Iowa delegation in congress
has stood loyally nv the President ana