Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-26
BILL SPRINGER ON HOMESTEAD.
Interesting Gossip From the Headquarters
in New York.
HARRISON NAY MAKE SOME SPEECHES

strong speech in favor of the Peoples party
crusade, and was followed by Congressman
William NJ. Springer, from Illinois, who
received fattering reception when he
arose to speak on behalf of Democratic
tenets. He discussed national politics,
dwelling particularly upon the tariff ques-
tion. Mr.. Springer, having made brief
Introductory statement, proceeded to dis
cuss national politics, and especially the
tariff He said:
One Of the stock arguments of the protec-
tionists is that under the system of protec.
tfon which has prevailed in this country for
| more than quarter Of q century our coun-
| try has been brought to the front rank in
| agriculture. In mining and in manufactures.
If protection has accomplished so much for
our country and people, it must also be held
responsible for the evils which have sprung
| up under 1t, and which it seems rather to
| foster than to abate.
Treasury Department find that during the
past 25 years, while protection has prevailed
| in all its vigor, just as its friends would
have 1t, vast army of individuals, firms
and corporations in the United States,
amounting in number to nearly 200, 900 have
succumbed to the pressure of hard times
and have gone into bankruptcy. Their ag
gregate liabilities have exceeded So, 5O0,-
| 000,000
A Feature OF the Failures
But this is not all. 1t appears that the
number of commercial failures increased in
1891, as compared with the year 1889, the year
before the passing of the Mckinley bill. Il
per cent and the liabilities increased 27 per
cent. The Mckinley law did not improve
the financial situation. On the contrary, it
seems to have added fuel to the f1ame.
In the whole country the interest charge
on mortgage Indebtedness, at an average OF
per cent, amounts to over $345, 600 900 year.
The people who are Struggling under this
mountain of debt are the victims of high
protective tariffs. I have given much
thought and study to the subject, and it is
my candid opinion. based upon carefully pre-
pared data and official statistics, that within
the past 80 years, during which time the
protective system has prevailed, the people
OF the United States have paid, in the in
reason OF the tariff on foreigf products of
like cnaracter,a sum exceeding SIG OOJ OO0, 600
Th1s is In addition to the s. 600 600 600 actually
received bv the Government on foreign
products. Every dollar of this vast sum was
wrung from the hands of toll and bestowed
upon the benef1caries OF the tariff or wasted
on on Improbable industries. 1t is the price
the people have been required to pay for 30
called protection to American Industries"
Strikes Under Different Tariffs.
From 1916 to 1860, period of Is years Of
low tarif-a Democratic tariff. if you please,
for revenue only-there were only "a strikes
and lockouts of which any official report has
been made There were quite a number of
strikes reported during this period, but
they were of little or no Importance. Alto
gether, there were not 200 strikes and lock-
outs during the whole period of Is years.
During the past Is years there have been
over 5000 strikes and lockouts in the United
States. From 1875 to 1880 there are no sta
but from 1851 to 1890, inclusive, there were
over bO0o QUO persons involved in such strikes
and Iockouts.
An effort is being made by the Carnegie
Steel Company, gigantic monopoly. Gre
ated and fostered by our protective tariff
laws, to reduce the wages OF their 8, 400 en-
ployes 10 to 40 per cent. The rates hereto
fore paid were not unreasonably high as Is
sometimes asserted. Only a few Of the en- |
ployes, and those most highly skilled. re-
ceived high wages; Nearly half of them
for eight hours work. Less than 10 per cent |
OF the employees owned the houses in which |
they lived, and those living in the COM |
pany's houses have been summarily evicted |
since the strike began. If there was ever a |
abor contest where the laborers were |
clearly in the right it is the one now being |
surrounded by the State militia, and the |
barbarous treatment shown to one of the |
soldiers by his superior officer for an offense |
which did not reach the gravity of a misde- |
meanor under the laws of the State shows |
that the militia officers are fit instruments |
for the work in which they are engaged.
The Pipkertons at Homestead.
This contest has attra cted universal atten-
ton from the fact that early In the strike or
lockout band of private detectives en-
ployed by the Carnegie Steel Company,
armed with revolvers and repeating rifles,
invaded the State Of Pennsylvania, fired
upon the crowd of workiugnen and pro.
voked a battle in which ten or twelve per-
sons lost their lives and a large number
were more or less seriously wounded. This |
important incident calls to mind the contest |
Tor Governor of Illinois. in 1888, in which the
Democratic party denounced the employ |
nent in the state of private detectives to
perform official functions in behalf of and at
The instance of private individuals and COR
poratfons. The Democratic candidate for +
Governor in that contest, General John nj,
Palmer, now United States Senator from
that state, was especially pronounced in his
was 'fn favor of Government as strong ns
The law, and no stronger; as weak as the law |
md no weaker" This is the doctrine OF the |
Democratic party. We hold that the off,
aw, and that the employment of private in
iiv1duals to perform official functions, ex-
,ept as the law directs, is revolutionary, and
10 better than mob violence itself.
II any evidence were needed to prove |
that the tariff does not in
'rease wages it is furnished by the report
mitted by Senator Aldrich, at the close OF
he last session OF Congress. Let me read a |
'ortion of that report. Under the heading
4 wages" 1t appears from the report of |
he statistician employed by the committee,
nat IN ntteen general occupations selected | ,
" the committee, wages were "thrse-
ourths OF per cent higher in September
se9. than In three months (June, July and
August), selected as a basis in 1889, and that
he wages in the special industries selected
Tere thtrty-one hundredths OF per cent.
igher than at the beginning of the period.n ,
Recent Incresse of Wages.
The Mckinley bill increased the tariff on
rejected articles 26 per cent ON a general {
verage, but its friends now clam that Q
ages have increased in these Is industries t
lnce Its passage, less than one-third of /
er cent. In other words, the laboreri in | /
1ese selected industries who received 81 80 | 9
day before the Mckinley act was passed | r
lay now receive one-haIf of a cent a day
lore. If this statement of alleged increase
! wages, after the passage OF the Mckinley f
lge; were not made by able and distin- +
uished Senator'S leaders of their party. tt d
ould be received with scorn and contempt
nd denounced as campaign lie, invented !,
wicked Democrats d
The Democratic party insists that the tax c
lall be heaviest upon articles of luxury o.
I'd l1ghtest upon articles of necessity, that n
shall bear heaviest upon articles consumed | e
Y the rich and lfghtest upon those who G.
o poor. 1t further insists that whatever | b
paid on account of the tariff shall go into
10 pubic treasury to support the Govern
ent and that no more shall be levied than
necessary for the purpose of Government,
her words, that it shall be a tariff for M
venue, and not to enrich one class of peo- y
e, the favored few, at the EXPENSE of the
ling millions. The Democratic party q