The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-17
PROTECTION FOR CAPITAL BUT
NONE FOR LABOR.

10 us by telegraph make palmer than ever
the fact that the robber war tariff was
made and exists only for the protection Of
capital and that labor has no share in its
benefits labor is not protected. On the
contrary, it is the prey of combinations
that are fosiered, sustained and encour-
aged by the Federal Government Let us
prove this The Fall River correspondent
OF The Ne'o York IIorld telegraphod that
paper on Tuesday last q letter in which
the progress Of the strike and the condi-
ton Of tie strikers was fairly pic
tured. From this we learn that
some OF the treuucu notified their striking
employees that they would be paid on, which
meant that they would be discharged The
wcavcr NJ the American NH received their pay
envelopes. Many Of the younger wchycrs whose
parenh lived Ia corporation tcncmcnu were told
that they had nothing 10 driw aud other, received
only small portion Of what was due them. Their
money was kept back Tor rent Such l. the way Of
the highly protected cotton lords. In several other
mills the lolm.iiXen were ordered 10 take the
places Of the strikers, and refused. They were
promptly discharged. Tho officers Of the mills
wanted TO protect their employers nj the expense
II the wcaycn, just as they arc protected at The
pubiios expense.
This shows how surely and securely the
mill owners have the operatives under
their control, and they are not slow to use
their advantages even in case Of strike
based on demand for the restoration Of
the rates Of wages that were in vogue in
1881, five years ago. But lot ~ look at
the relative positions Of the laborcr aud
tho capitalist The U0lFs correspondent
shows that
Comparing tho wcaycu' vurcs with those raid iu
some other bmnchcs In tho mill. those operatives
nrc comparatively well on The highly protected
pckcricndcr are men In this department the
Manufacture of prntclulh begins. aud thoy 70.
ccvo the munilcCnt sum OF irUm $40 10 sitOa
week. Tho material Then goes % the card room,
in which tie spccdcrt tenders are women, who get
from eii1 10 9, "a Nook, but tho holsters" a kind
of assistant spccior tmonl. arr paid from a cents
20 ~ cents day. The card sirlppor, urc also men
und receive from 90 cents 10 si.u5 day. while the
card gdndcr uushly skilled wurkmcn) manage 10
obtain FROM $40 IN $40 week. From the cnri.
noon the cotton passes ON ~ the spinning room.
Tho splnncn, even the tr,nsufcu admit require
long pmcilcc and training bcinr they become
skilled With tho exception Of the oyonccr. they
are the bcst iaid workmon In the mills aud their
wages range frum $50 to sta week
senator R0hefi Howard, the sccntnry Of the spin.
ncn Union. tuld me that In oldham. England, n
spinner made a. osawcck. and had an n,,i.iant
nearly good ns himself and only worked niiy.nyo
houn a week. hcrr be- hes 10 do the whole work
and lahon sixiy houn. 80 much Tor 'hlgh pro
lection"
"Tulcu" and hack boy" arr paid from % 10
ai cents day. aud d1ncu young mon from sven.
teen 10 nineteen ycnn old set from "a 10 $40 n
week After the spinner clm1 the spooicu
tuomcnl. who's Wages an irnm 81 e. warpcn
tWomcui, 81 slnshCu tmuul fi1. dmwcnln
luomcnl. O. 90 g. Then The vcaycn-for full.
grown. competent men Or women the average
WAGES ate So a wcck They arr paid by tho
piece or 'cuL" II what 4 caliod forty i've yarls.
but ihc "cur u never beiow iorty.sx aud il often
forty and Il switched Ia tho cloth MON"
about two yards more After tho wcn,vn comc
tho cloth irimmCr. twumCni. who gut from o. il Ia
s,i0awcck. the folders lwomonl t5.iD 70 so.
nni the prcscfs lmcul q a day.
There Is not much protection In these
figures Tor the 10, 900 operatives Of the liiy.
three mills who arc out ON strike. By
comparison We dud that the stocks OF ihcic
mills are listed at a premium Of from % to
$50 per cent and they are paying diyi.
donds OF from 10 to 22l per cent. For OK.
ample, tho American Alill paid 21l per
cent. dividends last year, the par value Of
iis stock being 500 share and the selling
price SJoo. This immense increase In
value Is largely due 10 the stinlcd wagrs
Of the operatives and the high protective
tariff The cotton manufacturer have the
advantage Of FREQ nav material aud pro.
iccIiyo tamil ranging from IS per cent on
common cotton cloths valued at 10 cents
per yard or lcss-ihc prints and other do.
mcsilcs most In uso-to an average Of ~
per ccnL Tor all grades Of cotton manuiact.
urcs. Last ycar the protective tax col.
lcclcd on imPoriso Of cotton goods amounted
to Sls0)00Oo, aud probably quadruplc
this amount was added 10 tho cost OF
the domestic product And all this while
the wages Of the operatives arr but little
u any more for sixty hours work per week
Than that paid 10 English operatives tot
iiiy-six houu, though NJ Mr.. Blaine, whcr
Secretary Of State In GarGcld's Cabinet
reported, each American operative work
mp rs much nav material as two British
operatives" Which means that ia. labol
involved In the production Of bolt o
calico OF other cotton fabric Is less at fal
River than at Manchester, England. A
The Ilijurg Gdsiie addressing the great
est industrial population In America, says
"Oi course this results from tho CREATE
skill Of American mechanics and our IA
pcrioHly Ia labor saving machinery. Bu
nevertheless Il involves a greater wear an,
tear oihuman muscle. Tho higher thcspcc,
OF the machinery the greater the physica
and nervous force required TO attend 10 IN
looms AZ a result there Is an absolut
necessity Of resting frequently, and thcr
I are around all these Fall River mills 25 /
80 sick.hclp' all tho tune TO take IN
places Of tho oycrworkcd cotton spinner
This cotton industry affords fair illusir'
, ton Of the way the alleged benefits OF pr