Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-10-04
WANT GOOD WAGES.

Eight Hundred Wisconsin Working-Men
Issue Protection Circular.
Eight hundred working-men en-
plOyed in the great mills at MAYHEM,
near Milwaukee, Wis, have issued an
address to their fellow-laborers, which
is worth general reading. 1t is as fol-
lows:
To THE WORKING-MES OF THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN: I'VE the undersigned working
men OF the Seventeenth ward of the city OF
Milwaukee (Bayview), feeling that our interests
as wage-earners are assailed and endangered
by the powerful efforts made by the enemies
OF protection to American Industries and labor
to tear down our system OF protective tariff,
and give US instead lower duties and lesser pro-
lection than we now enjoy. AS workng-men
we regard II as essential thing in limiting
competition between US and the working g. men
OF foreign countries Free foreign trade is
another name for free foreign competition.
Free competition will simply bring labor to a
common level; hence free competition be-
tween US and foreigners can only result in
bringing US down to a level of foreign working
men
THE wages paid in this country are from
two 10 three times as much the wages paid
in Europe. Free competition was never
known to be the means of increasing wages.
Even as American workng-men we find il nee
essary to organize, regulate and control COM
petition among ourselves, so is a protective
tariff necessary to restrict competition between
US and foreign working-men.
The undersigned are mostly employed IN
the manufacture Of iron and steel. In the ad-
tustment of wages between US and our en-
ployers We have always used the tariff as a
factor that should insure to US better wages
than are paid abroad. Any reduction OF the
tariff can only result in quicken ng competition
between US and foreign labor or in other
words, reduction in our wages. The same re-
suit will follow in all other branches of labor.
The Mills bill is measure in the direction
OF free trade. or freer competition between the
labor OF this country and the labor of foreign
countries. Il provides for free WOOL free lum-
Der. free salt free cotton ties and several
other important articles that represent very
large industries in this country. It provides
also for reduced duty on steel rails, bar iron.
old iron rails and wrought scraps and manu-
featured goods in wood. glass, wooden and other
materials that enter into competition with
home production Every one of these reduc-
tons would entail a reduction of wages ard in
some cases stoppage Of production altogether
IN this country, thus sacrificing employment
TO home labor and furnishing employment to
foreign labor and capital.
Last year we imported foreign products into
this country as follows
Iron and steel S4S 992 O22
Hemp, fax and jute. ................ Al, 2S1.24s
Leather H. 965 900
Wooden goods ............. a. ~. 900
.......-.. ls $500
Tobacco (manufactured .....-...... 14,3Js.OOO
Lumber. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 10524OOO
BreadStuhs OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES S75l, 900
Nege;ables..--.-...-. ..-...--... 1865, 900
Our total imports for the year amounted to
e2S S75,S13. The value of articles that should
be manufactured in this country imported last
year was about A75O0l, 0oO. All those goods
should have been manufactured here and thus
furnish TO home labor largely increased en-
ployment and largely increased demand or
market for the products of the American
farmer. At least 100000 men could have found
employment in manufacturing these goods i'm
ported into this country last year if they had
been made at home.
I'VE therefore appeal to you to ponder over
this subject well Many of you, as well as our
selves, are foreigners by birth We have ex-
9erienced enough free trade in our native
lands; let US be careful, therefore not to do
any thing to degrade labor here to the level of
labor abroad; let US stand by protection TO
American industries and American labor and
seek to establish firmly in this country an
American standard of wages
I'VE regret very much that our Representa-
tive in Congress, Mr.. Henry Smith has seen FIT
10 vote for the Mills bill; by so doing, we con-
slider that he has betrayed our trust Many of
US voted for him believing him to be a prc-
tectionist. We shall now consider it our duty.
should he again become the candidate of the
working-men, not only TO refuse to support
nm, but to do al In our power to defeat him,
and We likewise esteem it to be the duty of
every nottingham to do every thing he can in
support OF the Republican candidates Harri-
son ana Morton. who stand firmly upon the
principle OF protection to American industries
and American labor"