The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-03-29
WAGES, PROTECTION, DEMAGoG
ISM


tude to the average cemagogue. Yesterday pill
was fayorss-,y reported In the Assembly OF this
state establishing 81 day as the pay OF laDorers
EMPLOYED by municipal authorities. Inc Com
mittee which reported il failed to show why there
is any greater propriety in fixing by law the
wages 10 be paid for class of labor or for labor
engaged by one class OF employers than LOT nxlng
the Fslce Of labor generally.-New York Times.
But it must be remembered that the
wages of men who labor on public works
have to be established by somebody. Why
not by the Legislature? We fail to
see in the proposition any dema-
gogism. II 50 is fair price for
a days work, why not name it?
The paw of other men, who work for the
State or for municipalities, Is fixed. The
question Of the labor market is not consid-
cred. A days work is set down as worth SO
much, aud the State pays 1t without ref
erence 20 what private parties pay. This
may nst be the best way, but it is not the
proposition of the "averge demagogue," or
of auy demagogue. Those who seek earnest
ly to benefit the labor interests of the coun.
try are not demagogues, provided their pur-
pose Is to pay fair wages for an honest day s
work. This labor question is constantly
growing in importance. twill not down
aid it must be met in spirit of fairness u
is well-known that certain great ina0strie:
III the country are protected by
acts of Congress; that is 10 SPY
the men who invest their capital IN them
are protected, and are thereoyonabled tC
make fortunes of colossal proportions. But
Congress does nothing for the laborer; he i:
never considered. Some days since the toll
lowing telegram went flashing over the coun
try from Reading, Pa;
The great strike at the FhGntz Iron Company
seven large mills closed tonight in a complete
victory sor the Company. Ther1Ills are all nov
running at full capacity. 4 large number o
newlseSrrived foreigners have taken the places o
the strikers. a nxnber of the leading officers o
the THon worke-s' UMon have been discharged
not enly by the Iron Company, but by the Phils
delptia and Beading Railroad Company, in orCfe
to break up TIE Union. Tbs strikers are heingre
FUSED work at various other mills in the Schuyl
kill Valley.
The Reading affairs by no means al
isolated case. We have read of such infelici
ties before, and often. The New YorksEve
mig Post, in commenting upon the trirmpl
Of the PhDniE Company, remarks that eth,
points to be noticed are that we meintair
tigh dWeies OF ironand steel for the avoweC
purpose of protecting American labor; tina
when american 'lahc-ers seek to avail them
selves of the advantages of these dtties By
'demaRiing higher wages or resisting The
attempts ofemployers to reduce wages, these
protected eHG ployers import the foreign labor
itself in any desired quantity, throw the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of employment, and
combine together to prevent anybody else
from'giving him employment. A few more
lessons of this kind ought to teach the Iron
Workers Union that the tariff iE as great g
fraud upon the pr6dlers as it lie upon the
consumers ef iron" Such facts bring into
the 'boldest possible promineacs the fact
that protection to.the iron and steel indus
tries6oes net protect the worki1gman. Not
ongtince-only'two years ago-Mr. David
Reeves, President oe the PheRix Iron Com
paBy,. one eff the lGrgest rail mills in the
United States, was anxious tc elect Mr..
Garfield President, and issued a~circular to
the w0rkiRgmenot Phenixvitle at time
when there was to be large 1Eepublican
demonstration. Tie followingie an extract
6romihis circular, " hich is taken from the
gittsblrg Post: