Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-08

Rents Have Gone Up.
P1TTsBUIG August, 1885. This is the
land OF tariff barons and protected"
workingmen. Here are the Carnegies,
the Joneses, the divers, the iron, steel,
coal and glass manufacturers. mills aud
workingmen The tariff tree is here.
What are its fruits
Seventy-twO miiionaires who have made
their pile out Of the American system
of protection live here Here are five
OF whom the public hears a good deal:
Andrew Csrnegie-Mr Blaine's coach
ing friend
b. F. Jones-Ex chairman of the Re-
publican national committee.
h. W. Oiver-Fx member of the tariff
commission and Republican platform
maker at Chicago
A. NJ. Byers-Republican platform
maker; heavy campaign contributor to
the Republican campaign funds; member
of the iron firm of E. NJ Byers l. Co
John Chalfant-Mr. Biaines friend;
campaign contributor; member of the
firm of Spang, Chalfant & Co.
The autographs of these five "pro-
tected" gentlemen at the bottom of 9
check are good for S2J, 000, 900, all made
within the high tariff period of Republi-
can ascendancy. As makers of tariffs and
iron they are success No wonder they
are strenuously in favor of the American
system Of protection" There's millions
in it" literally for them, and it is vastly
more practical than Mr.. Mulberry Sellers
eye water scheme. A few years ago
Mr.. carnegie was poor boy living In
Barefoot square, Third ward, Allegheny
lwenty-one years ago Mr.. Oliver was q
clerk for Graft, Bennett & Co. at
$soo year Thirty years ago Mr. Jones
hao nothing but brains, industry andWelsh
aptitude for iron mongering. Twenty five
years ago Messrs Chalfant and Byers
were either makers of iron specialties on
a modest scale or statesmen for iron firms.
And these prlncely fortunes, made in q
few years, are one fruit. But there Is
another. Here is the hot bed of labor
disaffection, of strikes-sometimes riots.
Here organized labor makes its annual
struggle for scale" of living wages
Here 10 per cent. reductions are made In
mems wages while coaching parties and
castles in Scotland are paid for with the
PioAto irOIn lnelr labor.
Protection for American labor" Is the
unVarying declaration in Republican plat
FORMS and on the hastings, but have not
these protected ''barons" resisted all at
tempts of the American laborer to get
protection wages7 And when labor be-
comes clamorous for It's rights, has not
millionaire Carnegie summoned Pinker-
TONS men to keep them quiet, and Oliver
secured Europe for pauper scum to take
thelr places or imported old nails, while
American labor stood sullen and hungry
at the coulter gate?' Has not Chalfant sued
his protected" laborers for conspiracy
for daring to demand share of that
protection which the Republican plat
form guarantees? And lastly, what was
the condition of those protected laborers
In pennsylvania while their employers
were making millions from the tariff
Iner wages steadily declined; their living
expenses have yearly Increased. rents
have almost doubled. =
On April 70 Mr. Carnegie, in an Eau
thorized interview" said to the strikers
at Braddocks; 81 give you my word OF
honor that there is no earthly inducemsnt
that will tempt us to run the EdraY
Thomson iron works except upon two
turns, as our competitors run, and excent
upon the sliding scale which is offered
you"
While Harry Oliver was struggling a
the Republican convention at Chicago
David r. Oliver addressed the men here
The general depression, he said, was du'