Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1892-04-07
BUILT UP BY PROTECTION.
Cheers From Happy and Prosperous Work
men for Alfred Dodge and Cover
nor Mckinley.
MR.. D0LGE's SPEECH.

DoLGEvILLE, New York At the
twenty-third annual reunion of the
employees OF Alfred Dodge, which was
held in this village, over five hundred
wockmen gathered about the banquet
tables and cheered themselves hoarse
for Dodge and Mckinley. About
eighteen years ago Mr.. Dodge came to
this village. It was then known on
the maps OF Herkimer county as
Brockett's Bridge. He purchased an
old tannery plant and in a modest
manner. began the manufacture of
piano sounding boards and felt. A
few years after the felt shoe industry
was added. Today he is the largest
manufacturer OF the above named ar
ticIes in the United States. From a
hamlet OF 200 people the village has
grown to place of 700 inhabitants,
while the name OF the town has been
changed in honor of its founder, to
Dolgeville. The name of Alfred Dodge
is now familiar to both continents.
He has in successful operation in his
factory a system which he terms the
lust distribution OF earnings, that is
economic and equitable. This system
cuts the entire ground from under So
ciaiism, first guaranteeing laborers
against the menacing contingencies OF
accident, sickness and old age; and,
second, in addition to giving them the
full wages established by their social
standing and. living, it also gives them
all the profit and surplus product
they create. 1t is also free from phil
anthropy and paternalism, giving
nothing TO anybody except what he
produces, and exacting nothing from
anybody but full service. 1t places a
premium upon intelligence and energy,
stimulates individuality, integrity and
social freedom, and tends to elevate
the social life OF all concerned.
Mr.. Dodge is also an ardent protec-
ZIONIST, and in his speech the name
OF Mckinley electrified the workmen
and they responded with cheers that
fairly shook the building. The village
principles OF the Republican party.
Free traders do not thrive here and
as n result at every election Dolgeville
NOltES Ill aluloSt
verdict for the Republican party.
Here is a part OF what Mr.. Dodge said:
"Our friends of the free trade press
had good deal to say last year be.
cause i told you that on account o.
the Mckinley bill Icould increaseyoul
wages about 12ls per cent and reduc,
the hours of labor to nine and one,
half They pretended with an impu
dence that was sublime, that L was
getting 40 per cent more for the teli
We make, and was making an extra
profit OF over S500,O0O, because ol
the Mckinley bill, the raise in wages OF
IL per cent was not near enough and
should have given you much more.
All of you know that we do not get
one cent more that we did before for
the goods which we have made since
the passage OF the Mckinley bill. On
the contrary the prices OF some OF our
goods have been lowered. And with
all that | find myself in a position
where can raise the wages OF some oi
you felt makers another ten per cent
this year, because OF this very Mckin-
ley bill. We are no longer at the
mercy of the importer OF foreign felts.
We can keep our machinery going the
year round, and know that our com
petitor cannot sell any cheaper than
we unless he has superior methods oil
making felt.
"If protection prevails, if We have a
period of rest from agitation, so that
we can conduct our business on the
base OF it's present adjustment to tar
iff laws, / believe the hours OF work
can be reduced within year or two
A a... l. x.raIt t,rt
with me that this can be safely done
after the experiment and experience OF
this year.
at is true on some OF the machines
less goods have been made, because a
machine cannot possibly make as
many revolutions in nine and one-hali
hours as it does in ten hours, but on
the whole we have turned out AS many
goods during the last year while work
ing nine and one-half hours IA We did
working ten.
"At the risk of again being accused
of making propaganda Tor political
party, | must state that this reduc
tion of working hours and mainten
ance oi the present rate of wages If
only possible il protection prevails.
'"The free traders cannot say "a
they did last year that this IL al
empty threat. Hardly have they as
sembled in Washington than II bill IS
offered putting wool on the Tree list
In the speeches they make and IN the
newspapers they argue that the roao
for free trade will be clear as soon as
the wool tariff is smashed. The Ire,
traders appeal again Jas they Away:
dol to seliishness; this time to th'
selhshness OF the manufacturer, ant
they seem to think that they can maxi
the Manufactured believe that ire
wool would be a benefit to him anC
his work people. You might as wei
tell a teamster to kill his horses be
cause he has to pay for their feed.
s"The phrase tariff smashing, IN
vented by the free traders, Is charac
teristic. Smashing means to breal
to pieces, to destroy; free trader
have never been known to build up, t
preserve or protect anything. The,
have always been bent upon smash
!. ing, breaking, destroying whateve
, they could.
II do not believe the American pee
pls will look on and see the free trader
smash things! | believe that protet
ton has come to stay, that we ma
WOFh Out OuI ucSliuy anu pcSouic vi
greatest industrial nation this cart
known. If protection prevails, and
7 do not doubt a moment that 1t viii
, you will see one factory after anothe
put up in our village as you have see
factories put up along the Mohaw
valley during the last year. Dolg
vile will prosper as the entire countr
E has prospered during the year and
l quarter that the Mckinley bill hs
: been in operation. Fifteen months I
l practical experience with the McKil
7 lev bill have demonstrated its benei
0 cial results in all directions, and y,
the free traders are threatening to di
turb all our business relations, thro
the country into turmoil, smas
break up and destroy what has SO fl
been beneficial. | believe l voice ii
Il sentiment of the majority OF busine