The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-02-28
WHAT DEMOCRATIC VICTORY
WOULD MEAN.

Senator Penrose delivered an ad-
dress at Pittsburg in which he gave
perfect reason why Republican
administration and Republican
Congress should be firmly established
at Washington.
Since the election of 1892, when
Grover Cleveland was sent to the
White House with a Congress strong
ly Democratic in both houses behind
him, a new generation of voters has
come up. Very wisely the Senator
called the attention of these young
men to a bit of history with which
they are not familiar from actual eX-
perience.
The country was exceedingly pros
porous, but the agitator was with us
then as he is to-day. We heard the
berry of the people through the pro-
tective policy. A majority of the
voters listened and they overthrow
the Republican control, and with it
the protective tariff, and the Demo-
cratic Congress proceeded to revise
the schedules with bill of it's own,
Just as a Democratic House is trying
to do to-day.
The result? Let Senator Penrose
tell you in these words: 1T is esti-
mated that this measure cost the
country in business loss and stagna-
ton more than the entire cost of the
Civil War"
The Senator qotes official figures
when he says that during the first
year of tariff reform" in Pennsylva-
MIA alone there was decrease in the
number of persons employed of over
ten and one-half per cent; of nearly
fifteen and one-half per cent. in the
total wages paid, and of nearly a
similar percentage in the average
wage. In the second year of this
Democratic tariff measure another
eleven per cent. was cut from the
average wage paid, with reduction
of over sixteen per cent. in the value
of products. This decline continued
throughout Clevelands term.
There came a repulsion of senti-
ment. President Mckinley was
elected in 1906, and in the course of
| time the Dingley bill was enacted.
There followed a revival of business.
Here are some of Penrose's Official
| figures: In 1899 a marked increase
is shown in all lines in Pennsylvania.
In the rolled iron and steel industry
there is an increase of 80 per cent. in
the number of men employed COM
pared with 1895, and GA per cent. in
the wages paid. In pig iron, 81 per
cent. increase in men employed and
63 per cent. in wages paid. In tin
plate work, an increase of lao per
cent. in men employed and $50 in
wages
1t was universal through the in
! dustrial sections of the country, this
discharge of work men under Dem
ocratic administration, this de-
crease of wages paid those who CON
tinue working, this return to pros
| perity with the advent of Mckinley
and the Dingley tariff.
And just as the agitators were
| telling us of the woes of the coun'
try during the Cleveland campaign ot
1892, they are telling us now thai
there is nothing to do but elect
Democratic President in November
next, together with a Democratic
Congress, in order that the tariff may
be slashed to the breaking point.
There is not the slightest use IL
trying to conceal the fact that the
Republican control of the country il
seriously menaced. There is NJ
uOuDJ III Jue NOIlu ludI INC his -
price of provisions has had far
reaching effect, for the agitators tel
the unthinking that these high prices
are due to the protection policy
What they do not tell the people il
that these high prices are not con
fined to the United States, but are
met with everywhere. In France
they have even caused riots, in Eng
land they have produced tremendous
labor upheavals.
Shall history repeat itself? II so
there will be a Democratic admins
tration, and should that evil befal
us, the wreck and ruin of busines
will follow as surely as night follow
day, and day follows night. w
shall have once more the streets I'LL
ed with the unemployed, the mill
barred to workmen, or their wage
reduced to a starvation level; tn
charitable free soup kitchen alon
prospering of all the industries.
Senator Penrose sounds the warn
ing 1t is for thinking to take no
80 l, g1, al, 1T