The Elbert County tribune., 1912-11-01
RAILROAD MEN.
STOPi LOOK LISTENt
LEST YOU FORGET
I'll 3gS. gTg.

RAILROAD MEN,
STOPi LOOK LIsTENi
LEST you FORGET
81. .33s. .S79
Big sum OF money, Isn't TIT
Nevertheless It's exactly that much
moro 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 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
S71,000,000 more than in 1907.
But that represented three years'
progress.
In 1906 the amount paid to railroad
employees was s900.S01, ,653. In 1907
1t was $1,072,3s6.427. This was an In
crease of s171.5S4.774 In a single year
preceding the Taft administration,
amounting to more than double the In
crease during three years of the Taft
administration.
Isn't 1t obvious that they are pre-
suming you won't have the statistics
at hand to inform yourself and that
therefore they will fool you into be-
iieving that the Taft administration
made railroad mems prosperity
Then stop. look, listen again!
In four years preceding Taft's ad-
ninistration 1.193 miles OF railroad
we're sold under foreclosure. The
stocks and bonds of these roads
amounted to s47o31.o 900.
Under three years of the Taft ad-
ministration 5,115 miles were foreclos-
cd. involving s3S4,434.562.
Tho 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-
ployes In 1896 was 7s5034
The total number OF railway en-
ployees In 1911 was 1890 500.
Under Republican administration the
number OF railway employees has In
creased from 7S5. .03f--during a Demo-
cratic administration--to 81, $50, 500. an
increase of sid.715. nearly 100000 man.
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
ocratic tariff revision made the hard
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 dent, was
elected In 1892. The pan came on in
1893. not as a result OF Cleveland's
election, but as 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 fair comparison
Of these railroad figures.
In 1898. under the Republican high
tariff. and with the PANIC on. there
were s73,602 railroad men employed.
or 515 per 100 miles.
In 1894, part high tariff and part
low tariff. the number fell to 779.6Oa.
or 444 for 100 miles-decrease II per
100 miles.
From this year on. SO long az tho
Democratic administration was in pow
CT. conditions improved steadily.
In 1895 the total number Of railroad
men at work was increased to 7s5.034.
In 1896 1t was 826.620
In 1897 Mckinley came into the
presidency, and the Republicans set
about to redeem the country" with
high tariff AND IN 1897 THE To-
tai NUMBER OF RAILROAD EN-
PLoYES FELL OFF TO S23.476.
Republican Panic Of 1907.
Then In the fall of 1907 there was
another panic under the Roosevelt ad.
ninistration and under a Republican
high tlriff. We're the railroad men
protected from loss OF jobs? Scarce
ly. The next year. 1908, the NUMBER
Of railroad employees fell on by
235799. a decrease of 112 per 100
miles against II per 100 miles in 1894,
the year when the results of the panic
of 1898 were felt most severely.
So what Is the use OF trying to
make fools OF railroad men or of any
other Americans by distorting figures7
The truth is that these fluctuations
were not due to high tariff or low