The Bourbon news., 1912-10-29
Republican Circular Warning
Railroad Men Is Palpable
False Alarm
EASY TO MAKE FIGURES LIE.
Old Trick of Setting Red Lights on a
Clear Track-Facts Presented So
Railroad Men May Judge.

RAILROAD MEN,
STOP! LOOK!. LISTEN!
LEST YOU FORGET
71,33S.S79.
Big sum of money isn't it?
Nevertheless it's exactly that much
more paid to the railroad employees
of the United States under the admin
istration of President Taft in 1910 than
was paid in 1907, the year before Mr..
Taft became president.
This is a sample of the old time Re
publican habit Of claiming credit for
all natural progress-credit even for
good crops.
1t is true that in 1910 the wages of
railroad employees amounted to some
$71, 100000 more than in 1907.
But that represented three years
progress.
In 1906 the amount paid to railroad
employees was $9OO,SO1, ,653. In 1907
it was $1,O72, 1864 This was an in
crease of $171,5S4.T74 in a single year
preceding the Taft administration,
amounting to more than double the in
crease during three years Of the Taft
administration.
1911 L II ODN IhSlb my chO
suming you won't have the statistics
at hand to inform yourself and that
therefore they will fool you into be-
lieving that the Taft administration
made railroad mems prosperity?
Then stop, look, listen again!
In four years preceding Tafts ad-
ministration 1,193 miles Of railroad
were sold under foreclosure. The
stocks and bonds Of these roads
amounted to $47,031 600.
Under three years of the Taft ad-
ministration 5,115 miles were foreclos-
ed, involving 1884, ,434,562
The Tariff Humbug Again.
A still more palpable presumption by
Republicans that railroad men are
fools is the following statement in
their circular:
The total number of railway en-
ployees in 1895 was 1856
The total number of railway en-
ployees in 1911 was 1,699S09.
Under Republican administration the
number of railway employees has in
creased from 7S5,03tduring a Demo-
cratic administration-to 1859 ,S09, an in
crease of 944, rs, nearly 100000 men.
Do you want Democratic president
and return to conditions and number
Of employees of 1895?
The Taft people take 1895 because
the last Democratic low tariff bill.
known as the Wilson bill, went into
force in 1894, and they would like to
have railroad men believe that Dem
,.iH lei tho ho r1
times.
What the Facts Prove.
Now, what are the facts?
The hard times began back in
1890, right after the Republican high
tariff, known as the Mckinley tariff.
went into effect. Grover Cleveland.
the last Democratic president, was
elected in 1892. The panic came on in
1893, not as q result Of Cleveland's
election, but as a result of conditions
that had been growing steadily worse
under Republican rule. The panic was
over before the Democratic tariff bill
was passed in 1894, and after that
prosperity began to return.
Now let us make a fair comparison
Of these railroad figures.
In 1893, under the Republican high
tariff, and with the panic on, there
were S73,6O2 railroad men employed,
or 515 per 100 miles.
In 1894, part high tariff and part low
tariff, the number fell to 779,6OS, or
444 for 100 miles-decrease II per 100
miles.
From this year on, so long as the
Democratic administration was in pow
er, conditions improved steadily.
In 1895 the total number of railroad
men at work was increased to 7S5,034.
In 1896 it was S26,620.
In 1897 Mckinley came into the pres
idency, and the Republicans set about
to redeem the country" with high
tariff AND IN 1897 THE TOTAL
NUMBER OF RAILROAD EMPLOY
EES FELL OFF TO S23,476.
Republican Panic of 1907.
Then in the fall of 1907 there was
another panic under the Roosevelt ad-
ministration and under a Republican
high tariff. Were the railroad men
protected from loss Of jobs? Scarce
ly! The next year, 1908, the number
Of railroad employees fell off by
235,7 ,799, a decrease of 112 per 100
miles against II per 100 miles in 1894,
the year when the results of the panic
Of 1893 were felt most severely.
So what is the use of trying to make
fools Of railroad men or of any other
Americans by distorting figures? The
truth is that these fluctuations were
not due to high tariff or low tariff.
The program of the new party legal