The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-01-12
THE BEAUTIES OF PROTECTION.

Senator Coke, as a companion piece
10 the ''tancy picture" which Senator
Edmunds recently drew of the enjoy
ments of the American w~orkingmen,
read the other day, with running COM
ments, the testimony of Thomas o.
Donnell, q mule spinner In Fall River,
Mass, taken by the Blair committee,
sho wing that for himself and his wife
n two children he had not earned
$3.50 in a year: that lie had no help out
side; that he had a couple of dollars
worth OF coal from the preceding win
ter; that he had picked up a little wood
along the shore, and shoveled up CLANS
Tor food; that he had not had more
than two pounds OF pork in a month
and not five pounds ot beef in the year;
that his wife had emily had one dress,
costing about 81, since her marriage,
six years before; that this condition of
things had existed for more than six
years to his knowledge that it was not
confined to him, but that there could
not be less than q thousand operatives
In Fall River in a like condition; and
that he did not know what was wrong,
but that something was wrong. "That,"
said Mr.. Coke, ''is the condition of the
protected American workingman, to
pay whom, and TO support whom, and
whose families, he American people
are taxed an average OF AZ per cent. on
everything they eat, drink and wear,
and even on the grave clothes of the
dead"
MI. Blair explained that he had x
amined the witness O'Donnell, who, no
doubt, told the truth, and presented a
pitiable appearance, but his condition
and that of others like hun was clearly
due to the tariff agitation of that time
which had diminished employment and
had caused q feeling of uncertainty
among manufacturers In the north.
Mr.. Coke reminded Mr.. Blair that
the same conditions had existed for
over six years, and Mr.. Dawes admit
ted that such cases did exist, but asked
Nj. Coke which was the better remedy
Ito furnish employment or take 1t
away. He quoted Mr.. Carroll ID.
Wright to show that the amount OF
deposits IN the Massachusetts, savings
banks was $l6, 005 900, and that 70 per
cent. of the amount represented the
deposits of wage arners
MexCoke turned from the cotton OPP
S~eratives-ot Massachusetts TO the min
ers Of Pennsylvania aud quoted the
testimony of John Jarrett to the effect
that the condition Of the coal miners,
numbering at least $4,000, was ''pitia-
BILE and miserable - that they were lily
paid and suffered from the struck sys-
tem," under which they had to pay 100
per cent. more than other people for
their groceries, etc ; that the English
coal miners were better cared for than
the American miners.
Mr.. Coke quoted from the Cleveland
Herald a report as to the condition OF
the Golfers of Hazleton, Pa, that there
had never been so much suffering
among them as now; that their slavery
was complete, and that many of them
were sullen and dispirited. In conclu-
sion he said:-"This Is protection This
IL the American policy. This is nigh
tariff. This is the policy which is
claimed to have had the sanction of the
American people at the late election
This policy has eve been Endorsed by
the American people and it never will
be. 1t will be fought as long 81 there
is a sense OF justice left. Whenever the
American people become so Gallons, 80
deadeped TO a sense OF right, so lost to
moral obligations az to cease TO protest
against il, the hour and the time for
the dissolution of a representative re-
publican form of government will have
GOMEZ