The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-21


 were better paid. they ate better food wore better clothes and lived in bet ter houses, more comfortably furnished The farmer not only obliged to pay more for the labor he hired. but he in turn received approximately more for what he sold: and thus it was in every branch of industry.
 So the tanners and shoe maker. the h hosiery-makers. the clock makers cause the better the masses were paid the moro they could spend both paid. tn more they could spend both for necessities and luxuries. Those who once went barefoot bought shoes; those who once went stockingless be- gan to consider stockings @ necessity; and thus all branches of trade pros- pered. All this demand coming sud denly, a general and quick prosperity was unavoidable.
 Invention was stimulated by the de- mand and 1t has pushed one labor saying device upon another into the factory, the home, on to the farm everywhere. until now 1t Is dinicult for any to earn a bare living independent gether with commerce with outside nations. awakening up similarly. but later. has kept things going prosper ously for the, laboring classes. while making merchants and manufacturers fabulously rich.
 But now we are nearing the end of the lane of prosperity..A Already in many directions the worlds supply ex- ceeds the worlds demands, or rather exceeds it's financial ability to gratify its desires. Caa.iia. India and Japan. after being excellent customers for the manufacturers of Europe and the United States. are now beginning to utilize their own labor Cat six to twelve cents per day) in duplicating what they have already purchased; |; and therefore they will demand less and less approximately hereafter. The countries of South America have been pushed faster than their intelligence warranted. and some of them are ai- ready bankrupt and must economize until they get into better financial con- dition.
 Evidently, therefore. . crisis is ap- proaching;--a crisis which would have eliminated sooner than this in Flu rope had 1t not been for the unprece- dented prosperity of this Great Re- public under a protective tariff. which brought hither for investments millions of European capital. as we'll as drew millions of Europe's population to share the benefits of that prosperity, and which fncidentiy has produced giant corporations and trusts which now threaten the public veal. It is high time that our leaders begin to think.)
 General prosperity and higher wages came to Europe also. Not only were Eufupe's labor ranks relieved, but wars also relieved the pressure of labor--competition by killing a million of men in the prime of life. and by a destruction of goods and a general Interruption of labor. And for the past twenty-five or thirty years the constantly increasing standing armies are relieving Europe of other mil- lions of men for the ranks. who other consider the vast numbers employed in preparing military ornaments, guns warships, etc.
 If, notwithstanding all these condi- tions so favorable to prosperity and demand for labor at good wages. we now find that the climax has been reached. and that wages are on the downward path again. we are warrant ed in asserting. from human stand point, as we'll as from the standpoint of God; that if prohibition be es- tablished. thereby further congesting the labor market, the result would be terrible, which we will show as we proceed.
 That wages are tending downward throughout the civilized world despite the great efforts being made to main- tain or advance them. cannot be dis puted; and manufactures of every sort are ketting cheaper. (now begin niugr ton) being produced at less and less. cost and with less and Less pro- At.1c 1A .fga
 What will be the result with prohibit ton established on us?