Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-03-09
THE WAGE WORKERS.
The Industrial intelligence OF the
Past Week
IN THIS VICINITY AND At LARGE.
Notes Concerning the Iron Men, Coal
Miners, Cigar. Makers, Glass
Blowers, Railroad Men,
ETC., Etc.
PROTECTION THAT IS NEEDED.

| The Committee on Labor or the House
OF Representatives OF the present Con-
gress has for month past held meet
ings at which men representing the
conflicting interests of capital and labor
were given respectful and attentive
hearing. The lsboring people of the
country have applied to Congress for
protection against the pauper labor OF
Europe that is being imported to this
country under contract to the serious
detriment of our working people. The
capitalists, in spirit of greed, selfish
ness and tyranny, oppose such just
measure, and have res0rted to every in
fiuence to prevent the committee named
from reporting a measure calculated to
redress the grievance. 1t is gratifying
to know that all OF their efforts have
failed; and that bill capable of giving
an adequate remedy has been reported
to Congress, and is likely to speedily be-
come law. The capitalists who have
so vigorously opposed the proposed law
have shown to the working people their
attitude on the question of protecting
labor. They are for protective tariff
on the goods they manufacture, on the
coal or iron they mine, but for free trade
so far as the labOrers and wOrkmen to
be employed in mining and manufac'
turing are concerned. In other words,
the capitalist wants protection where
protection benefits his pocket, and free
trade where protection would benefit
the pocket of his emplOye. The work.
ing people have opened their eyes tothe
situation, and now demand laws that
will directly and surely protect labor.
They cannot be deceived or misled.
They see the rank injustice of having
fee trade in the pauper labor that is
imported here to compete with them
and reduce their wages, while the cap
italist enjoys protection on what he
produces or manufactures, against the
same paupers he is willing to import
under contract for the purpose of SUBJ
DUNG and reducing the wages OF Amer
lean workmeD That the capitalists
believe in protection where it will ben
efitthem, and in free trade in labor,
when ii will reduce the rate
of wages to labOrers, was demon
strated few days ago before
the House Labor Committee when
Thomas Mellon, a wealthy banker, coal
dealer and coke manufacturer of Pitts
burgh-a man considered high author
ity to speak for capital-declared that
while the employers Of Pennsylvania
were protectionists, yet they believed
in free trade in labor AMI that labOrers
should be free to come and go as the"
saw fit. He thought the foreign labor
question should not be settled as pro-
posed, because foreigners ought not to
be excluded except on the score of char
scter. A capitalist, he argued, should
have the right to enter into contract
for his labor before the laborers came to
this country. Ordinarily that might
be go, but when the importation of con-
tracted laborers reaches a magnitude
that endangers the welfare ofthe toiling
citizens we have, then self-preservation
demands that the importation cease.
That danger if not only threatened, but
felt. Ignorant pauper Hungarians have
come here in droves and kept many an
American citizen out of renumeratiye
wages. 1t is because Of this that labor
demands protection of the government.
This man Mellon personifies the tyran-
meal capitalist He held that working
man mad no right to combine except in
cooperative organizations, and de-
nounced trades unions. Whyso? Sim
ply because they strengthen the ranks
of labor in securing better treatment
and wages. He also lyingly asserted
that the organization of capitalists new
er operated against labor; and that Ia
Dor had no right to protection except
when the labOrer was minor. Does
he not know the employers OF his own
city have organized together time after
time to reduce wages? Perhaps such a
course may not operate against labor
from the capitalists standpoint; but the
men who toll have often felt the result
and suffered in consequence. His
twaddle about such organizations help
ing labor is on par with many of the
other specious claims made by capital
lists, for the purpose of deceiving the
| men who made them their fortunes.
The pauper labor grievance is SO serious
that it must end; and all the power OF
capitalist will prove Intellectual to pre-
vent the passage of the law now before
Congress. The rich and poor must be
| protected alike.