The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1892-07-20
is A FOE TO FREEDOM.
Evil results of tCarnegIe Company
Methods In Pennsylvania.

The Carnegie concern has cost
the American people not only
millions of money, but scores OF
lives, and has flooded Pennsyl-I
yania with the laborof the scum
Of Europe. When the troubles
in the coke region occurred a.
dozen years ago and the Ameri
can laborer refused to work at
reduced wages, the Frick Coke
Company filed up the region
with Hungarian and Polish
cheap labor. The dozens Of
bloody riots and strikes that
have occurred since then in the
coke regions came about largely
through this class of labor. Ig-
norant and debased, a strike
meant a fight to them, and the
destruction of property. The
wholesale importation Of this
labor by the Frick Company was
the turning point in the food
ing of America with this south
of Europe cheap labor, other
manufacturers being quick to-
take the cue, and it finally re-
suited in that easily evaded law
known as the "act to prohibit
the importation Of foreign labor
under contract"
Strike after strike has result
ed in the Carnegie works, the
Edgar Thomson steel works par
ticularly being the bone of con-
tention year after year. One
year the Amalgamated Associa-
tion would. have it out with
Carnegie, and after being crush
ed out Of the mills the Knights
Of Labor would organize the
plant and try their hand with
the steel king. No one has ever
credited Andrew Carnegie with
d lack Of brains, and he has
been shrewd enough in the past
to pit one labor organization
against the other. Where a few
years ago Braddock was the
stronghold of American labor,
today it is q non-union town,
ana q very large percentage Of
its population is Hungarian and
Polish, most Of whom were
brought to Braddock by Carne-
| gle at different times to break
strikes of American labor. just
four years ago, during the sum
mer of the last Presidential
campaign, the scenes now being
enacted ut Homestead, though
| In a modified form, were taking
place at Braddock.
The Knights of Labor then
had six local assemblies at
Braddock composed Of steel
workers and furnacemen, and
in their efforts to effect the an
nual settlement of wages were
confronted with the first Car
negie slide up and down (prin-
cipally DOWN scale Of wages.
Ii was based on selling prices,
Of course, but il was d qualified
straight reduction Of wages,
not on the earnings that hal
been paid, but as compared with
wages paid for similar work
elsewhere in America. The
writer aided in making com.
PARSONS Of the Carnegie scales
with those Of the Illinois Steel
Company and the Joliet Steel
Company and others, and the
Carnegie offers Of wages were
all below them and even the
prices paid in smaller concerns
The men made a hard struggle
for their rights, but they lacked
resources, and were finally de
feated through hunger. Then
came the most bitter struggle 81
all, and il il the recollection d
this and the knowledge tina
Carnegie does not only defeai
but crushes that makes the mer
today 80 bitter at Homestead
Those who did not desert th,
ranks Of organized labor were
: driven into other occupations
and the officers at the works
| from Superintendent Jonel
! down, seemed 70 take cruel de
light in inilicting injury on thl
sufferers. "A few incidents d
|, those times will explain TIL
situation.
Mr.. Carnegie, In his triumpha
I tours through Scotland, eve
I aching for that newspapernoto
riety which he seems 70 ge
! through his public gifts and hi
i labor troubles, has made man,
speeches, dwelling in glowing
terms on the prosperity of hi
workmen In Braddock. Ono
upon q time, at his native tow
|, Of Dumferline. Scotland, he wa
impressing his hearers with Chi
/ glories Of American life and al
vised them all to 70 10 the Unit
"a States. "Fellow-Scots," h
cried, sgo 10 America. Go 4
! Braddock. | will give you work
3 You will never want II 20
]. work for me. Any man who
h q Scotchman can have work d
3 long as he lives at Braddock.
!. Among the many who heard thl
i vain-glorious GRAFTON was