Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1858-06-25

sHs1t 'nds tnu oheHNefs 8cneFally Delohg 10 IRON
works, Turnpike, &c. S. S.
SPEECH OF SENATOR CAMERON.
few days ago, in the United States Senate,
Hon. SIMON CAMERoN presented a petition
signed by number of laboring men in Nor
IFiatoSn, asking Congress to afford adequate
protection to the great Iron interests Of Penn
sylEania. lie prefaced his motion for the refer
fsnce Of the petition with the remarks which we
aabjoin, aud with the NORTH .4nseyican, eswo
are glad to place on record speech, which,
like this, gives promise of so much beyond
| 4 IS an index to volume, and it serves to
dismiss the last of the doubts the most in.
credulons may indulge as to the effective rep
resentation of Pennsylvania by Senator Came
Fon. Ia the policy here indicated, Senator
cameron is sure of the enthusiastic support of
not only the entire opposition to the democratic
party, as now organized, but also Of the g,oat
aer share Of those hitherto voting a spurious
Innd mongrel ticket, made up OF men who pro-
less something at home, yet, at Washington,
conduct themselves after the fashion Of Clancy
Jones, who betrayed Berks county, and sena-
Tor Bgler, who betrayed the whole State. We
thank Senator Cameron for the breyiiy as we'll
as the force of his argument, and we trust the
tens Of thousands heretofore misguided On this
great question, may arm him with the effective
weapon Of an overwhelming vote in October
aext, for the struggles Of the next session and
|. .s next Congress-.
sesT-s1aSsf tested 70 present a petition, ssgrac9
by large number of laboring men engaged in
the manufacture of Iron in Pennsylvania. I
receive great many letters daily from persons
of this class, and | viii say here, what will
save me the trouble of writing a great many
letters. They think the Congress of the q.
States can relieve them from all their troubles.
There has never been time in the history of
the iron business of Pennsylvania, when there
was SO much real distress among the laboring
men of my state-the men who DO the work
the men who go to the forge before daylight,
and remain there long after the moon has risen
than there is at present 1t is not u com
plaiut now on the part of the capitalists Men
of capital; men of fortune, can take care of
themselves. Capital can always take care of
itself labor, poverty, indigence aud want, al
ways need sympathy aud protection.
These persons reside in the town of Norris
town, on the Schuylkill river, some twenty
miles above Philadelphla The river Schuy
kill is traversed, ON both sides, by railroad,
one extending some twenty or thirty miles,
another one hundred miles. 0a the Que side
Of the river is canal. Ali these works have
been made for the purpose of conveying coal
and iron to the place Of manufacture and sale
The county of Sohaylkill, the great coal de-
posit of Pennsylvania, has population Of sono
$4,000 or $4,000 people, all of which has
grown up within the last twenty-five years.
At this time the whole laboring population
engaged in the iron and coal business, of the
whole country extending from Philadeph to
themountains of Schuylkill county, are entirely
idle; tho boats are tied up the locomotives
are IN great measure, standing still, and the
laborers are running about hunting empoymen
aud hunting food
These are the persons who complain they
think that Congress can relieve them. have
told them, and have written TO them, that
they have the power in their own hands.
The lab0ring men of this country are power-
ful for good always. They do control when
they think proper, and think the time is com
ing when they will control the politics of this
country. | tell them that before they get COM
mon protection they must change the majority
in the Senate-thoy must change the majority
of the other House of Congress and, above
all, they must change the occupant of the
White House, who is the dispenser of the pow
er which controls the legislation Of this coun-
try. ln place of gentlem3n who sueer when
We talk about protection, they must send men
here who knows something OF the wants, some-
thing Of the interests, something Of the useful-
ness Of tho laboring mau.
Hitherto they have not acted rs il they cared
for their own interests, while they talked bout
tariff which would guard their labor from
competition with the pauper labor of Europe,
they would 60 to elections under some ward
leader aud vote for men 10 represent them here
and elsewhere, who cared only for party drill,
and who had no interest above party success.
This system they must change if they hope
| for success. think the laboring men of
Pennsylvania, at least, are now beginning TO
put their own shoulders TO the wheel, and l
believe they viii make such noise In next
| October as will alarm the gentlemen all over
the country who laugh at them.
The canals, railroads and mining operations
of this region OF country have cost more than a
hundred millions Of dollars. The furnaces
and other works connected with the manufac-
ture Of iron, an enormous sum, and tue people
interested IN the irou and coal business, directly
or indirectly, along the valley Of the Schuy ylkil,