Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-03-26
PLAIN TALK FROM WOREINGMEN.

seen from what he reports that
several of the free traders on Mr.
Morrison's WAYS and Means Com
mittee found ont that their abstract
theories and obsolete notions on
the tariff are not such as the work
lngmcn of the country will accept,
and that if there is not check to
the efforts to break down Ameri-
can industries and consequently
deprive wOrkingmen of the means
of support for themselves and their
families, there may be trouble in
the future. We commend the at
titude and views expressed by
these workingmen to the working
men all over the country
The AmericOn wOrkman's view
Of the tariff was given today in a
manner that fairly astOnished the
advocates ofprotection on the com
mittecand cOnfounded the believers
in the British system of Free Trade.
Kelley, Mckinley, Hlscock and
Reed openly expressed their sur.
prise at the amount of thought the
representatives of the labor inter.
ests had given the subject, and
their qualification at the remarka
BILE skill shown in presenting the
question in all Its bearings and the
parryiug the subtle efforts Of Free
traders like breckenridge. OF Ar
kansas, and McMillIn, ofTennessee,
to obtain admissions, to confuse
the witnesses and to irritate in
every possible way the relations of
capital and labor.
Repeatedly were these gentle
men reminded that the relation
ship which existed between these
representatives OF labor and the
capital employing them had moth
ing to do with the case that the
workingincn believed in their own
ability to secure fair share of the
profits Of American industry to
American labor, provided the Free.
trade statesmen did not supplant
them entirely by turning the in
dustrles over to foreign countries.
The committee present were fair
y representative of the most pow
erful labor organizations in the
country, namely, the Amalgamat-
ed Iron aid Steel Association and
the Pennsylvania Coal Miners AS.
ISOLATION. IL was estimated that
the men who appeared before the
committee to-day represented be
tween $50, 900 to 100000 working.
men. Among those present were {:
William Wcihc, William Martin,
John Pearling, Andrew Stewart,
K. J.. Martin, Samuel 5. wainwright
Philip Weaver, Roger Evans,
Thomas Williams, NJ. j. Mean.
drews, Philip IIagan, T. @. Bull.
lock and Thomas Jones. They
came from Illinois, Wisconsin,
Ohio, Pennsylvania and other
states.
They had left the mine, the fur.
mace, the forge and the workshop,
and iourneyed thIther to protest
against lowering the wages of
American artisans, and against re-
ducing American labor to the level
Of the poorly paid labor of Europe.
Their argument was simple, and
always to the point. The main
issue was never lost sight of by
one of the witnesses, though in
Vulnerable attempts were made
/ by the Free.traders to lead them
inlo the labyrinths Of conjecture
and theory. Among them were
natural-bOrn Americans and ma.
turalized Americans, men who had
worked OH both sides of the At
/ lantic and hence familiar with both
conditions. There were men who
fatty told the Arkansas Breckin.
Ilde and McNlilin that they should
not talk about the working people
OF England if they did not know
any thing about their condition.
Said one earnest Englishman from
Chicago, ThOGcS Jones 81 have
worked in England for fifty cents
Il day. ! know what it is to labor
III a Freetrade country. | know
what it IS, sir, from bitter expert.
encc. Free-Trade means the crush.
ing Of labor, the degradation of
labor. A skilled mechanic in Eng
land gets less than the common
laborer here. The constant re.
ductIon and agitation on tariff
means Free Trade. Disguise it as
You will, you know that it is your
ultimate intention, and let me say
to you-and l appreciate that | am
but a humble person, and you are
men famous for your learning and
I talent-that the men who advocate
this system have no feeling for their
! iellOw-men.7
Another member of the commit
/ tee said that American wOrkmen
did not propose to give up their
goodly heritage without struggle.
1t Is not to DO bartered away for
mere sentiment. No political party
could force this condition upon
American labor. The trainers of
the Morrison bill and the advocates
of the Morrison idea would find
out this was not "a Government of
repression like England. They
were not lords and dukes to be
looked up to, but representatives
OF the interests of the country at
large. While the workingmen re.
sEected their ability, in point of
citizenship the members of that
committee were but their equals,
after all.
Members Of Congress have no
right to make things worse than
they are; they have noright to throw
the Protection system TO the dogs ;
they had no right in correcting a
wrong to perpetrate a greater one.
Tariff tinkering meant less work
and lower wages. The working
man made 10 complaint. He was
satisfied with matters as they stood
/ He did not ask Free-trade members
Of Congress to widen the breach
between labor and capital. That
was a family affair.
Every one of these representa-.
! tiyes OF labor said they wanted the
American market for the Ameri.
can laborer. They favor an ample
tariff on all articles of American