The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-07-09
The Battle at Homestead.

While the affair is TO be regretted, the re-
suit will be far-reaching and evcntuate to
the public good The Carnegie Company
is one of the most protected concerns IN
the country. Under the fostering care Of
system that shuts out competition by
high taxation, their steel works have
grown in magnitude, have become almost
monopoly, and the proprietors have become
millionaires. They have been persistent
in their demand for increased taxation for
the alleged purpose of paying higher wages
for labor, but in reality to increase their
own profits, and they have been large con-
tributors TO the fund with which voters
have been corrupted and presidential cleo
tions bought for some years past.
Mr.. Andrew Carnegie, the President of
the company, has acknowledged to having
drawn out of the concern one million and
half dollars in Ole year as his share OF
the profits. This fact was asserted on the
floor of the House of Representatives by
Hon. VIM. L. Scott, of Pennsylvania, to
whom Mr.. Carnegie made the admission.
The profits of the concern, which are far
10 excess of fair returns for the capital EN-
ployed, by reason Of the Republican system
of protection, have not been equitably
shared by the employees. 1t has been re-
tained by the company, and resulted in
amassing capital in the hands of the few,
to be used arroganlly to Cypress labor. The
greater the gains the greater the greed OF
these millionaires. The greater the profits,
by reason of unjust taxation, the greater has
been the desire to cut down the wages of
the employees. When the employees, who
have voted for protection, in order, as they
had been deluded to believe, to enable
manufacturers to pay higher wages, re-
belled against reduction, the money they
had earned for their employers was used to
hire men to shoot them down.
The reorganization of large fortunes
fortunes that run into the millions a
menace to individual rights and liberties
and dangerous to Republican institutions.
1t is liable to be used to corrupt voters and
city, state and government officials. In
the ease at Homestead it was employed to
steel-plate boats and carry an armed band
of desperate men to fight labor, under the
false plea of protecting property that was
not in danger and which the locked-out
workmen had volunteered to protect, even
offering to place five hundred men in the
shops if necessary.
OF course no limit can be placed on the
amount of money man should earn. No
law could be passed to say a man shall ac-
cumulate no more when he had earned
ten thousand dollars, fifty thousand or even
million, but system Of taxation that en-
ables the few to draw unfairly from the
substance of the many can be changed.
When our tax laws are adjusted to the
needs of government, and not laid for the
benefit of special classes, colossal fortunes
will not be amassed, and the power Of cap
ital to Cypress will be destroyed.
The Pinkertons are an organization sus-
tanned in violation of our constitution and
laws. They are mostly recruited from the
desperate and determined men in the large
cities, and the organization is a menace to
the liberties of the people. 1t is a stand
ing army, in fact, up for hire to do the
bidding ofnny man or company rich enough
10 employ them They have been employed
in various manufacturing and mining cen
tres to shoot down men who were contend
iag against reduced wages, and they are cor
daily hated by laboring people everywhere.
The sending of three hundred of them to
Homestead, armed to the teeth with the
most improved firearms, was most exas-
perating taunt to the locked out woFkRen,
and the fact that every one was not brain
ed after The surrender and the steel works
destroyed is eSeditable to the GOODNESS and
discretion of those directing the workmen-
The employment of the Pinkerton army
was 10 hasty conclusion. The preparation
made in armoriug the boats and provision
ing and equipping them was not the work
of day. The employment ofthe Pinker-
tons was determined upon some days pre-
vious. They were in readiness before the
sheriff was called upon, and that officer
played the ridiculous part of going to
Homestead with dozen or so of men to
confront band of five thousand. He and
his deputies were quietly led out of the
place, and he SEEING to have given himself
no more concern. Even while the sheriff
was going to Homestead the Carnegie
navy was in readiness to carry the Pinker-
ton army there, and a few hours after the
sheriff was sent home the Pinkertons tried
TO land.
It is true che Carnegie company had a
right to offer their employees less wages,
and the employees had right to refuse TO
accept the new scale The men rebelled
against reduction because they knew the
profits of the company were large. They
could see their princely residences, their law
ish style Of living, and in their minds eye
they could view the castle Of Carnegie, the
president, over in Scotland, and his large
game preserves. They had been promised
fair wages in return for their votes for Pro
lection, and they wanted the promises full
filed. They had committed no overt act,
anti they saw the shops converted into
fortresSes to compass their defeat, and a