The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1890-12-19
DUTIES AND WAGES

protective tariff policy of the Re
publican party has increased the
earnings of a few skilled laborers
in the course Of a quarter Of a cen
fury, it has developed a system,
Of which, while it secures the adj
vantages of the aggregation Of cap
ital, it has the attendant disadvant-
sges of destroying the independ-
ence of the individual. Let us see
how the Republicans protect" the
men who are employed by them in
manufactures where protection is
claimed for the American working
man. Theaction of RUSSELL q Co.,
manufacturers, at Massillon, Ohio,
well illustrates the relation existing
between the manufacturer and the
workingmen in their employ. The
members Of the above firm are Re
publicans, and Immediately after
the defeat of Mr.. MCKINLEY for
Congress in the November election
between 30 and 40 workingmen who
had voted against him were notified
that their wages were to be cut down
one-third, this notice of reduction
being intended as a request to quit
at once. Many Of the men thus
punished were among the oldest
employees, having worked from 10
to rs years, and they were perfectly
respectable citizens. A member Of
the firm stated to a townsman on
the day following the reduction Of
wages that they chad reduced the
wages Of free-traders," and give 10
other reason at that time for the
extraordinary action, and the only
defense made by the firm was the
complaint that these Democratic
workingmen thus punished had
been offensive in the expression of
their political views, but this state
ment was made before an investi-
eating committee composed Of in
fuential citizens i'll that district,
and before the firm realized how
unpopular such action wouldprove.
The firm failed to coerce these men
into voting the Republican ticket,
and this extraordinary charge was
made of the spirit of revenge upon
the men who asserted the intelli-
gent exercise of the right of suf-
frage, the highest privilege of the
American citizen, but beyond the
privilege of thousands Of laborers
and workingmen in the mines and
factories Of the North and East,
who are given the alternative of
voting the Republican ticket OF
losing their position.
Again, manufacturers frankly ac-
knowledge that they regret" to
advance prices on their articles, but
are compelled to do SO by the enor-
: nous increase in duty imposed by
the Mckinley bill. 1t is impossi-
, BILE and useless to conceal the eff.
, feet of the new tariff, and the Dry
I Goods Economist points out Just
how much the actual cost of Ger
tain well-known imported articles
has been increased by the new du
ties, which only illustrates the gen
eral tendency Of the tariff to caus,
:, the heaviest increase on the loves
: grade Of goods, and this increase
a in prices comes out Of the poke
i Of the consumer. All the Repub
d lican Congressman voted for tn,
I Mckinley bill. They were reliec
upon by their constituency to lool
V out for the interests of the peopl
d and protect them from being plum
dered. The passage of the Nc
$ Kinley bill shows, clearly and be
: yond the question of a doubt, tina
. the confidence in the Republican
. party Of the *orkingmen of tn
= North and Northwest has bee
- misplaced. The revolution in Nc