Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-07-19
ROASTING THE BAAL OF PRorEC-
TON.

public upon the hypocrisy Of the Repub-
iican press and politicians in connec-
ton with the Homestead trouble. In
deed it is such a complete aud argumen-
tative answer to the Mckinley wolves
who are masQuerading in sleeps cloth
ing that to condense it would be sin.
So the REGISTER produces it verbatim:
Governor MCKINLEY, as was to be
expected. rushes right into print to de-
clare that .'the Tariff has nothing
whatever TO DO with the occurrence at
the Carnegie works. Strikes occur in
free trade and protection countries,
and, assuming a lofty tone Of virtue, he
adds: cit must be regretted by every
friend of his country that there are
those who would make political capital
out Of the miSfortunes of their follows"
Now, let US suppose a case. Suppose
that on the first day of july Mr.. CAR
NEG1E had called his workmen together
and said; "During.all the past year we
have been shielded BY law from any
kind Of competition in the American
market We have been able to dictate
paying prices, and something more, for
our products. We have large contracts
on hand for the Chicago Exposition and
the Government Ihave called you to-
gether to tell you that your employers
DO not wish to monopolize all these ben
efts themselves and to inform you that,
from this day forward, your wages
shall be increased 10 per cent" Would
or would not Governor MCKINLEY be
trying to make political capital" out
of such an act? Would not he and every
Protectionist in the country be crying
from every housetoD, "See what the
Tariff does for the American work
iugman." Would not Governor Nc
KINIEY point TO Homestead as a tri-
umph OF Protection and eXclaim, as
he did at the recent meeting in New
York. See how "the Tariff protects
the American home, the American fire.
side, the American workmen and Amer
lean irdustries." And can he now COM
plain il we, who believe that his system
Of protection is false in theory and dis
astrous in practice, point to its con-
splcuous and awful failure at the. very
place Of an others where it should show
its best fruits?
We are not making political capital
out of anyone's misfortunes. We are
but doing as EuJAH did when he gave
the priests of Baal a bullock and wood
for fuel aud called on them TO show that
their god was q true god by causing him
TO send down FIRE to consume the offer
ing.
The people gave Major MCKINLEY
full opportunity to embody his system
into law. He made that law in cooper
alton with and at the dictation OF CAR
NEGIE and his associate employers.
Whatever they asked for he gave them.
Whatever he gave was given ostenSibly
and SYSTEMATICALLY in the name Of their
workingmen. If the Baal of Protection
could anywhere bring prosperity and
content to the American tresde, the
American home, the American work
men," Homestead was the place to
bring it. If, peradventure, content and
good wages had lowered there even for
the few months of the campaign, how
would these priests of Baal have shout
ed with triumph all over the land! But
now that the false god has been un-
masked, we are told by these same
priests that we are guilty Of "making
political capital out of the misfortunes
of our fellows" If like ELIJAH we taunt
him with his falsenesS and call on him
to make good his swelling promises.
But there is one word more to be said
about this Homestead fight.
Once upon a time q certain JOHN
JARRETT, who was President of the
Amalgamated Association Of Iron and
Steel Workers, the association of skilled
workers in the rolling mills which CAR
NEGIE is trying TO break up, or to re-
place by non-union men, testified before
the Senate Committee on Labor. He
said, in substance, that the working
men depended on organization for
wages. OF the employers he declared:
The majority of them, where they
have workmen in their power, the tar
i'll or anything else will make but very
little difference as to the wages they
pay; they will pay very little above the
wages paid abroad" And he testified,
Where the workmen are orgGHi-ed aud
understand that there is q tariff, and
understand what they should receive,
they do demand proper wages. Here is
true admission from one who is
now Consul at Birmingham as reward
for his services as professional advO-
cate Of Protection, that Capital receives
all the profits of the tariff AID that the
workingmen can only secure fair wages
out Of those profits where they are
orgGnized and understand HlereiS q tariff,
and kloir irhat Hcy ought to receige.
But here is capital, colossal capital,
which, having secured all the tariff
privileges it demanded from govern
ment, goes deliberately to work TO