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Show become so pronounced that the earlier manifestations of it had been overlooked, over-looked, but there is the former statement state-ment by Mr. Gompers showing that he knew it began as early as (lie lirst of January, 1807. A'ery few people, look-ins look-ins back to January 1st. 1807. and comparing com-paring the conditions then with those that have been witnessed since, think the revival that had -been experienced before 1800 amounted to much, but the change had set in. The new era dawned in that hour when the election of Jlr. JfoKiniey restored re-stored confidence. By exactly tl' same 'subtle law governing in the be noss rule, the election of liryr " year, disturbing conlidence, wet verse the process, causing mice reducing activity, and possibly to depression worse than that" prevailed four years ago. State BRYAN VS. GOMPERS. A Phophesy Met by a Statement of Acknowledged Facts. In the campaign of iSOii Jlr. Bryan went up and down the country declaring declar-ing that, if the Republican party should be successful, increased distress would be experienced. He was very positive on that point, making no qualification quali-fication whatever. Every reader remembers re-members the tenor of his arguments. He was not merely of the opinion that Republican success would cause misery throughout the country he was certain cer-tain of it and dogmatically declared that such would be the result. Every reader also knows that Jlr. Bryan's assertions have been disproved. We all know that the distress that prevailed pre-vailed at the time of the campaign of 18.H, began to disappear immediately after the election and that prosperity for all classes was soon established in its place. But it is interesting to trace the tiansformation from reports made on the subject from time to time by persons whose special duty it is to keep in touch with conditions affecting those who work for wages. In a signed article published in New York January 1st, 180S, Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, used this language: "The terrible period for the wage earners of this country which began in 1803 and which has left behind it such a record of horror, hunger and misery, practically ended with the dawn of the year 1807. Wages had been steadily forced down from 1S03 till toward the end of 1S05, and it was variously estimated esti-mated that between two million and two. million and a half mnnbn wage earners were unemployed. About a year later President Gompers, Gom-pers, in his report to the convention, said: The revival of industry which we have witnessed within the past year is one for general congratulation, and it should be our purpose To endeavor to prolong this era of more general employment em-ployment and industrial activity. In this effort no power is so potent as organized or-ganized labor, if we but follow a right and practical course.' It is beyond question that the wages of (he organized workers have benn increased, in-creased, and in many instances the hours of labor either have been . reduced re-duced or at least maintained. The report which your officers are enabled to submit to the convention so far as the growth aud progress of our movement during the past year are concerned, is of a most gratifying character. char-acter. These are very interesting excerpts. They show that Jlr. Gompers recognized recog-nized the change in conditions as soon as it appeared, which he fixes at the beginning of 1807. which was immediately immedi-ately after the election of McKinley. But tho close of 1800, the revival had |
