, 1866-01-26
Working Men and the Tariff.

Editorp Chicago Tribune.
In the Tribune Of Tuesday morning ap-
pearcd the following telegrsphic despatch:
AT meeting Of the Iron Association ot ritta-
bnrgh, thc Other day, T. vas reto'vsd e 5alles M<
for both lion and nails has been very light for some
time wh'eh hss prompted this FcoGr.ds step In
4 correspondent who signs himself "a
Laborsng Man" @ alpeuds thereto this style
Of comment:
.'Ihls Ia the same Iron Association that recently
ihelr y ares. Il shows, think, that ibe Pro.ec-
IonIsts are the trne friends Of the working classes,
A. they pretend 10 BE- Reducing ths wages Of their
part Of the voting community, to inere1se their
wages by paying then lcrcasea prices fuI their pro.
dusts, and levJinE 'ax upon ths rest q the soa.
u1unity to enable them 10 enforce the11 dcmanda
upon their hhorcrr4" SC.
tits Q little curious that II escaped: "a L.
boring Mans" attention that alter the pro-
posed reduction Of u to 20 per cent. in tie
wages of "skilled artisans" takes effect, that
they will still receive at least 20 per cent.
more in gold for their work than they got
Ibis time last year. Let nc illustrate this
lact. Last year, and until the rebellion
''played out" currency was worth but 40 to
SO cents In coin. It fs low worth q cents.
Suppose tho wages Of the Iron workers In
Pittsburg for the past eighteen months to
hare averaged s18 per week in currency:
be $500 per week in coin. But $500 in cur
rency now Is c4na1 to $500 IN gold! Now,
strike of 1o or 20 per cent. and there remafn1
sll.44 and $1O.d0 as the gold wages which
averages 70 per cent more than tle gold
standard Of wages d gear or ten months asso,
Again, the dispatch says, that the demand
for both iron ahd nails has been very light iof
some *tss.ee past" und 1t may also ba added
thnt tie price Of iron and nails haye retrogra.
ded considerably, closely, following the decline
in gold. And the cost Of living 3Q Pitts
burgh has also come down IN that pFOpoHi lon
Fifteen dollars of wagcs will now purchase
more Tour, meat, vegetables, groceries nnd
fuel In Pittsburgh than SIS would haTc done
year ago.
As importations Of foreign goods have
largely increased during the past four months,
Notwithstanding the 'tprohibitory tarid," q.
The Free Trade Leagues consider 1t, the tall.
ing OF In demand for Pittsburgh Manufacturer
may probably be traced TO this cause! And,
II the Free Trade scheme IL carried into
augmented, unless the Pittsburgh .'!skilled
artisans'': are willing to work for the Euro
pear scalc of wages.
Trade League hire "a Workiugmann and
send him on missionary tour to the "Fmoky
City, to organize branch League there,
and instruct the '"Protection heathen { o.
that burg in the beauties and benefits OF the
new system. He can easily convince them,
doubt not, that It would Be tothelr interest
to have the iron, nails, castings, machinery,
cotton, Toolen, glass, crockery and leather
fabrics consumed In this country, rnanuiac
tured in Europe, ns they cannot afford t.
best thing for them to do under ali the cir
cumstances Of the case, would be to abandon
| that city and alt its wicked wiles and sinfn
temptations, and hire out to the farmers tt
cultivate corn and breed cattle, for The Euro
pcan market to pay for the AFORESAID iron
and d eroekely. Il - T la6ortng man" I'M p.
| bis fellow craftsmen Visit, and present thes'
| views to them, will guarantee him eordla
welcome and a feast Of t'co11 shoulder"