The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1884-02-06
THE ISFLuENCE OF TARIFF ON
WAGES,

met Mr.. Rankin, OF the Knights OF Labor,
who Impressed him with the iact that
tho condition Of lnbor could not be much
worse of than II IN under the present
taIiii which sounds Strangely from q
Republican protectionist In Pittsburgh,
The correspondent says:
There IN no doubt that labor unions
DO keep up the wages vf labor, and very
materially" said one Of the principal
superintendents In the largest steel
works Of this city. "0f course, don't
care TO lave anything say repeated,
hnt between You aud me, II the whole
protective system were wiped out OF eN'
istencN, the lah0ring man wouldn't be u
hil WOra0 of Than to-day. In fact,
don't see how no could be much worse
0n any wav. Va have here In our Pitts
burRh mills the highest wages anywhere
In the country, and yet there are any.
where from 1000 TO 5000 men, aud < 0d
men At That, lOlllng around The streets
without work, We have In Pittsburgh
the most perfect organization amOhg
lnb0llng men known In the country, and
that / the real reason why those that
do work gal the highest Wages paid any
where"
"Why DO you attribute N high wages
10 the labor unl0nsY" was asked.
"Because right close 10 w ut the Cam
briR works, where the labor ~ are not
you can get u man for ninety
coniA u dny whom We have here 10 pay
~ % u day. The man we pny $3.50 In
rilthurph only gets Sl,6b NJ the Cam
hfia w0rka. Our common p1dder make
81 supply because they are backed by
tNe uniOn. could take common
ahororinat ia now seeking u Job 10
&ll0a day and make an equally good
uidilrf OF him ~ two weeks There
IL an enormous disparity between the
wages paid 10 labor that IL organized
aud lub1r that IL floating about loose"
% YOU consider the present cOhdi-
lion Of labor badY
ivory bad indeed. My interests are
with the employers Of labor aud should
Of cave 10 be heard talking IN this way.
hiEn0 one who has given The labor
Question any thought can fail 10 see
ihlt wages Hro steadily tending down
ward, Al manufacturers ARE looking
1hont 10 see where they can Cuftail OK.
ptnepa, and the llrst thing 10 DO touched
H. The pay roll, This country IN afflicted
with the spirit OF competition 10 such
degree that NJ present we have more
manufactured stun on hand than we can
dspu'e Of Mills are closing down all
uyrr Ur running short The mon may
do their beat TO strike, but II IL no uae.
lhe employers have The advantage every
lime, All the labor unions Can do IN tO
s0t thai The men got the highest wagoa
ip the markets but whom men are lying
about idle, no power under heaven can
keep wages up II the employers choose
10 mako u reduction.
"lhW, again, the la6Orug men,
themselves, are largely handled In
their union meetings by agents
Of Che employers W0rkiugmen ARE
often ignorant ana u few amalt
avn cnh hnndle them II they take
them NJ the right time. You lnd every
wOrkingman about here rank pfotec
liOnial, lle doesn't know what II Ia all
about, hut no has had II preached 10
him over und over ngain until today he
believes that, bndly off ~ he is, II the
tariff should be reduced he would be
ruined. OF course am u proioctionist,
because um In the iron business, and
nm rendy TO take all the protection
can get Hut IA 10 the w0rblngman. he
plays right Into the hands OF the hosaeg
In tbls matter. He In nude 10 believe
that unless manufacturers ar0 protected
labor will be destroyed. But he is care.
fully kept from seeing that labor IN the
only commodity that IN freely impor ted
into thla country 10 benefit those whose
Interest IN TO get cheaper labor" y. ..
A MAUulNlsT TALKS.
A practical machlniet, who In con-
nected with large manufacturing con-
cefn here. eald to your correspondent In
q chat on the labor question:; uY.lO
"lgnornnce IN NJ the bottom OF all
tha protective" tarifl talk on tho part
NJ abOrlDg mon, They think II the tar,
| IN TX abolished they will all lose their
work and be turned out into the streets.
Tho high tariff men take good cure 10
foster this feeling In iact tho employ.
erg make u p0iut OF having some men
| IN ull labor unions IN order 10 keep pos
ted on what they are talking about. !
belleye, though, N the queailon VIVA 10
be brought right homo 10 lhe American
workman, he would realize TINT hiph
protNction mikes hIph coat of living aI,d
yery uncertain wages, while ffee Trade
makes atendy work and low coat of nv.
inc. Aa things ara at ,present 1 cnp
shew Won men that aro ma 'bndly ar ma
any IN ENGLAND, hear of fnetorlea run.
| ming abort or ahuttinp down nil oyer
thiacountry. md the rpnson OF A ia wa
have loo much tariff. Wa haye got our
iatlfr ao bIqh Il actually keepa ma from
manufacturing what we otherwise