The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-11-04

49," a4t, ~ fAN~A>stAo - losN'S "h1 sssss -
times in the event of Democratic VIC
tory. Among their statements intend
"a to mislead railroad men is this:
RAILROAD MEN.
STOP! LOOK. LISrENi
LEST YOU FORGET
$i.3:s.s.?
Big sum OF money. isn't II?
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 il a sample of the old time Re-
publican habit Of claiming credit for
all natural progress-credit even for
good crops.
II is true that in 1910 the wages OF
railroad employees amounted to some
81 100000 more than In 1907.
But that represented three years
progress.
In 1906 the amount paid to railroad
employees was $9O0.SOl .653. In 1907
1t was l.O72.3S6.427. This was an in.
crease of $l7l. 5S4.774 In a single year
preceding the Taft administration.
amounting to more than double the in.
crease during three years Of tho Taft
administration.
Isn't it obvious that they are pre-.
snmng you won't have the statistics
at hand to inform yourself and that
therefore they will fool you into be-
li,ying that the Taft administration
made railroad mems prosperity?
Then stop, look, listen again!
In four years preceding Taft's ad.
rinistratiOn l,i9S miles of railroad
we're sold under foreclosure. The
stocks and bonds of these roads
amounted to $47,03i 900.
Under three years Of the Taft nd.
rinistration 5.ll5 miles were fOrecl0s.
I'd. involving 1891 .434,56
The Tariff Humbug Again.
A still more palpab'e presumption
by Republicans that r.. lroad men are
fools Ia the following statement in
their circular
The total number of railway em.
ployes In ls95 was 1S5.034
The total number OF railway em.
ployees In 1911 was l699,SOs.
Under Republican administration the
number OF railway employees has In.
creased from 7S,,03tduring a Demo.
cratic administration--to 81. 6o9, So9. IN
increase OF 9%4.775. 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 % the Wilson bill, went Int
force In 1894. and they would like Il
have railroad men believe that . Dem.
0cratic tariff revision made the hard
times.
What the Facts Prove.
Now, what are the fActs?
The hard times" began hack Ia
1890, right after tho Republican high
tariff. known - the Mckinley tari6
went into effect. Grover Cleveland
the last Democratic president, va
elected In 1892. The panic came on ID
1893, not % a result Of Clevelaad'a
election, but ~ Z result OF con6itioAl
that had been growing steadily worse
under Republican rule. The panic wa
over before the Democratic tariff bill
was passed In 1894. and after thai
prosperity began to return.
Now let 10 make . fair comparison
of these railroad figures.
In 1898. under the Republican high
tariff. and with tho paaic on. therl
were s73.so2 railroad men employed
o. 616 per 100 miles.
In 1894, part high tariff and part
low tariff, the number fell to 77s.e0S
o. ~ for 100 miles-decrease II pei
10 miles.
From this year on, 20 long 40 thu
Democratic administration was In pow
or. conditions improved steadily.
In 1895 the total number Of railroad
men at work was increased to 7S6, 1854
In 1896 1t was 826,620.
In 1897 Mckinley came into thu
presidency. and the Republicans se'
about to redeem the country" with
high tariff. AND IN 1897 THE TO
tai NUMBER OF RAILROAD EN-
PLOYES FELL OFF TO s23,47S.
Republican Panic Of 1907.
Then in the fall Of 1907 there wal
another panic under the Roosevelt, ad
ministration and under a Republican
high tariff. We're the railroad mel
protected from loss Of jobs? Scarce
"! The next year, 1908, the numoe,
of railroad employees fell OF b,
2S6, 100, q decrease Of 112 per 1Ot
miles against II per 100 miles in 1894
the year when the results of the PAM,
Of 1898 were felt most severely.
b what is the use Of trying Il
make fools Of railroad men or Of AMI
other Americans BY distorting figures
The truth IL that these nuctuation,
were not due to high tariff or Low
tariff.
The program Of the new party legal
lies monopolies and systematicall,