A Democratic View

The most important incident of the campaign thus far has probably been the report of the Democratie cominissioner of labor in New York, Hon. Charles F. Peck. This report, prepared by a Democrat, is recognized by Republicans and Democrats as the most striking indorsement that could have been given the McKinley law. Mr. Peck, who is a Democrat, was appointed to the office of commissioner of labor statistics by President Cleveland, and has held theposition (as a Democrat) ever since. In his report he takes up the question of wages and manufactures since the enactment of the McKinley law, comparing the first year under the McKinley law (1891) with the last year "under the old law. Of course his figures relate only to the industries of bis own state of New York, but they are very interesting and important in their bearing. The report shows that there was a net increase in wages of $6,377,925.09 in the year 1891, as compared with the amount paid in 1890 and a net increase of production of $31,315,130.68 in the year 1891 over that of 1890. Of the sixty-seven industries covered 77 per cent. of them show an increase either of the wages or product, or both. Commissioner Peck gave as a reason for selecting the tariff as the subject for his ninth annual report that it especially affected the working classes. He had found that the statements of the Democratie speakers were not borne out by facts. Governor Campbell had said that not a single workingman's wages had been raised as the result of the McKinley act. "My reports show that there were just 285,000 men whose salaries were raised as the result of this law," asserted the commissioner. Mr. Peck added that he was free to admit that his report was not in harmony with the platform adopted at Chicago in so far as it related to the subject of the tariff. However, his report was as he had found the condition of affairs. The summary prepared by Commissioner Peck says in opening: In pursuance of law the undersigned has conipleted the work attendant npon the issuing of the ninth annual report of the bureau of statistics of labor, and herewith gives a brief summary of the contenta of the same. lts completion has been necessarily delayed by reason of the unusual amount and important character of the work undertaken. Of all the varied subjects investigated and reported upon during the bureau's nine years of existence none has borne a closer relationship to the welfare of the wage earners of the state or furnished the public in general with statistical data so valuable to a comprehensive understanding of the practical workings of the one great economie question of the present day than the tariff. Tariff, whether levied "for revenue only" or for "revenue and the incidental protection of American manufacturers and American labor," is certainly a question of such vast import as to enlist the most thorough and dispassionate investigation at the hands of the American people. And while the present report has under the law been confined to the state of New York, its results can but be taken as indicative of the conditions existing in every section of our country where manufacturing and industrial pnrsuits are followed. Down in our part of the country we flre off shotguns and revolvers on eleutiou morning to let the colored voterg know we are golng to „ave a fair election. - Coneressman Alleu, of Mississippi.