Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-05-21
LO!THE POOR wORKINGMAN


 LO!THE POOR WORKINGMAN.
 The workingmen lived in clover last fall that is in q clover of tender regard and elaborate promise on the part of those who were laboring to make Ben jamin Harrison president of the United States. They were continually told of cans in their regard. of the wonderful blessings that were to come upon them with the success of Harrison and prOtec- ton, and of the dark and terrible evils that were to be the certain result of democratic victory at the polls. We have distinct recollection that among those who were most urgent in pictur ing this contrast was Mir Andrew Car negie, the millionaire manufacturer and friend of Blaine Well. Harrison was triumphant, protection was victorious, and what have we as a result? Car uegie himself early in the field cutting down the wages of his men.
 Recent news from Pittsburg Is to the 
 a reduction of wages averaging 20 per cent will be made to take effect July 1. And this, too, after Carnegie himself has testified before 4 congressional com mittee that his profits amounted to a million and .i half in one year. Of course the employees are not compelled to remain at work for such d kind em plOyer, they are not compelled to eat their crust in an increased sweat if they choose to exercise their right as Am erican citizens to market their labor where they will-they can leave MT Car negie and find another employer. Of course. And Mir Blaine's friend can ill their places with cheaper help imported from the overstocked labor markets of Europe. as it is claimed with very good ground he has done before. What does he care. what do Blaine and Harrison and the pfotectlOnlStS care what becomes Uf the workingmen now that there Is no election pending :? What do they care that the republican party Is stultitylng itself before these workingmen and before the world by going back 50 shamelessly on it's prom ises of last fall: It matters not to them that the workingmen must pinch and economiZe and frequently go without some necessary ln order to make both ends meet and make their wages ad- equate to their support. They don't care a rap about the workingmen only in so far as they can wiring millions from their toll and revel in the fat that protection allows them to get at the expense of the wage earners. Oh. yes. Carnegie, Blaine and their fellows want protection, since it enables them to roll in luxury while the workingman sweats away his life to get enough to keep body and soul together.
 How much protection have the wage earners had since last fall: How much has the triumph of Blaines and Carne- gie's political economy benefited the men who delve in the mines and sweat over the furnaces, who live in the cease less hum of machinery and are ever on the rack to provide bread for their fami- lies? Let the daily notices of strikes and lockouts, of reductions of wages, of shut downs and shortening of hours, of a slow market and uncertain rewards for their work-let these answer the ques- ton and confound the republican party that held up such a false glitter of hope and promise last fall. 1t will be harder we think Tn any succeeding cam paign to fool the wage earners and dag
 gle their eyes with the false lustre of
 protection. The campaign of education
 is going on as it never did last fall foI
 one by one the workingmen see republi-
 can promises broken, republican lies ex-
 posed and shams laid bare.
 The workingmen are wiser than they
 were and can see the tariff in a better
 light now that Carnegie and the high | tax beneficiaries have thrown off the mask.
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