The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-10-15

The number Of Democratic votes agains
it was
Protection X Keeps Up Wages.

Inc IOllOWlnS is an extract from
speech delivered by Hon. Thomas Nc
Dougall, at Springfield. detailing part Of
his own experience and contrasting the
difference of wages paid in free trade
trade Scotland and protected America:
"Let me ask, workingmen, in which
country do you find mechanics paid the
highest wages? It is our own. Labor
is better paid here than in any country.
This country furnishes its mechanics the
most and best comforts of life. All emf
grafton is to America because wages are
better and every comfort of life is more
numerous. Why is this so? Because
protective tariff makes its possible. The
tariff is solely a question of wages. We
need no legislation toprotect capital. We
need protection against cheap labor.
recently conversed with Mrs. Stoner,
founder of the Rookwood pottery, who
has just returned from Europe. She there
conversed with skilled mechanic in the
pottery trade. He worked on piece
work. He said he earned in England
as a skilled mechanic fifty-fve cents
day. Take glassware. If the same
material is manufactured into glassware
in Europe by a man who gets fifty-fve
cents a day, how can Americans COM
pete with Europe, if they pay $3.50 per
DAY? 1t is the potter who gets $3.50
day who needs protection.
81 was born the son of mechanic in
Scotland, and went to work at the age
of twelve, and served an apprenticeship
as machinist. l speak from own per-
sonal experience, therefore. I served
my five years apprenticeship at Leeds,
at fifty-fve cents week, and after
wards as journeyman received S. per
week, and in Glasgow So, and in Liver
pool 81 per week. I came to America to
better my condition. I would be a
traitor to my adopted country if, much
as I love my native land, raised
my voice in favor of pol
icy to bring tho American
laborer to the European level. l
came to Cincinnati as machinist, do
ing the same work, and was paid $15
per week. Go back to Scotland now
and the Same wages are now paid that
were paid to me. But, they say, 81 there
is as good as S15 here. So says the free
trader who has never been there. But,
they say 81 buys as much there as Sl5
buys here. Well, got my &15. I had
been trained by Cody mother. I
spent no money for liquor or tobacco
But lived better. had more fruits,
meats and better living in every way.
And when I had paid all my living ex-
penses I had left S7.50-more than my
total wages on the other side. These
are not theories, my friends, nor specu-
lations of Texas gentleman from the
rural districts. They are my own per-
sonal experiences.
Business needs certainty and conf
dence and business will take care of
| finances If not threatened by unwise
| legislation. say man like Mr.. Mills
| is not competent to deal with such ques-
tions. Nine-tenths of the cost of any
machine is labor. If my labor was paid
in Glasgow at $S per- week and at Gin
cinnati at $15 per week, with free trade
how long could manufacturer in Gin
cinnati compete with one in Glasgow
| Hecouldn't doit. It would bankrupt him.
The attempt to lower wages to the
European level is crime against every
workingman in this country. The man
| who votes for ttaritf reform" as ad-
yocated by Democrats, votes to equalize
| social conditions on both sides of the
Atlantic. They call the protective tariff
the "robber tariff" That is the Ian
| guage Of a man who doesn't know what
he is talking about. The protective
tariff is the only barrier between Ameri-
can wages and European pauper wages,
tear it down and you place yourselves
on European level"
McKinley's remarkable canvass among
the people is arousing the most intense
interest and the most unbounded enthu-
siasm. Not since the memorable
Brough campaign has any gubernatorial
candidate of any party been greeted
with such continual ovations, nor such
frequent promises of support from men
of other parties. Let these remarkable
demonstrations be fully utilized by every
voter thoroughly informing himself as
to how he must vote under the new
Australian ballot law. Pride of opinion
should prevent no man from qualifying
himself to cast an accurate ballot. Upon
that alone depends Republican victory
and the size of the Republican majority.
| Mckinley was a gallant Union soldier
and is still the helpful friend and able
champion of the best interests of every
old soldier in Ohio. He believes in lib
eral pensions paid in honest dollars, and
it is the Mckinley law that provides the
money for their payment. Now, what
are the old soldiers going to do for Ohio
If there is anything which the Demo
cratic free traders hate as much az
American tin plates, it is the provision
of the Mckinley law which removes the
duty from sugar. And the thing Of all
things they just dote on is free wool il
Ohiol