The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1891-07-30
THAT TIN PLATE FRAUD
And Robbsry--5ome Outside Bottom
Facts for Honest Men to Read and
pondor wall
From the N. Y. standard.

From the N. Y. Standard.
We have already said that Niedring-
haus is likely to be of use to the Free
Trade propaganda. The prediction has
speedily been verified. The ex-Con--
gressman with tin mouth has forgot
ten his extreme solicitude for the we'll
fare of the American workingman and
insolently slapped organized labor" in
the face. William weiche, president
OF the National Amalgamated Associa-
tion of Iron and Steel Workers, has
gone to st. Louis to try and arrange the
difficulty that has caused the workmen
in Mr., Niedringhaus' iron rolling mills
to strike. Heading a committee of
strikers, he called on the "little tin god"
Niedringhaus refused to permit the
committee to enter the sacred precincts
of his private Office, where he was sure
to find an audience of admiring clerks,
he waived the visitors aside with his
lordly arm and refused to confer with
them, as committee, though as indi-
viduals applying for employment he
was willing to incline his august ear to
any humble petition they might desire
to offer. A tin-type of the scene would
have sale that woud exhaust the
whole output of the American tin
plate mills, now that the one Welsh
man who ran Niedringhaus' own tin
plate mill has Joined the strikers.
The angry president of the associa-
tion with long name has been moved
to make some revelations that demon
strate his right to respectful hearing
at the hands Of Neidringhaus. They
were accomplices In criminal coDspir-
acy, or at least partners in swindling
business. Mr.. Weiche says that when
the Mckinley bill was pending, the tin
plate associations were afraid to go
openly before Congress to ask for an
increased tariff on tin plate, and there
fore they went to the workmen engaged
In making iron and steel plates and
asked their help, saying that 1t was ne
cessary to have laborers 60 before the
committee. The workmen of the asso-
citation with the long name very natur-
ally wanted to know what there was In
it for them. The tin plate association,
after much talk, finally agreed that If
the Mckinley bill became law they
would pay "l5 per cent. extra for soft
steel work and 20 per cent. extra for
changed iron and STEEL" We do not
know how much this amounts to, but
it was evidently sufficient to induce
NJ. Weiche and his associate laboring
men to join, in the name of organized
labOr, in demanding increased duties
on tin plate. Having got what he
wanted, Mr.. Niedrlnghaus refuses to
even recognize the association with
which he so eagerly treated some
months ago.
We have no sympathy whatever with
the cheated and insulted workmen.
These associated iron workers have
their headquarters In Pennsylvania,
and they have long been in league po-
litically with the ring of protected en-
ployers in that State. This incident
shows the reason for that unnatural al
lance. The workmen are 5ribed. That
is what was done in this case. Mr..
Weiehe need not pretend that he was
deceived. He did not care a brass
farthing for the fact that an increased
tariff on tin plate would add something
to the cost of living for all workingmen
in the United States. He saw plainly
enough that Niedinghaus and his crowd
expected to make money by the change
they were urging, and he refused to
help them unless he and his crowd were
'let in" AS soon as that was fixed,
Weiche began clamoring for an in
creased tariff, injurious to workmen in
general, and he was animated in this
matter by precisely the same selfish mo-
tive that governed his fellow conspira-
tors. He became eatspaw to rake the
chestnuts out of the fire for Niedring-
haus e. Co, and he now has nothing to
show for 1t but burnt tees. We are
glad Of 1t.