Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-07-14
CHARGES A GIGANTIC CONSPIRACY.
The Tariff on Steel Billets Reduced as
Part Thereof

The Tariff on Steel BiIlets Reduced as
Part Thereof.
He was asked to make statement in
his own way and said. "I wish to be put
on record to this effect: | think it a
gigantic conspiracy on the part of this
company and it's representatives, aided
and abetted by vicious legislation, created
with view to depriving the workmen of
this country of their most sacred rights
under the constitution of life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness. think that
fact has been pretty clearly demonstrated,
and If an opportunity was afforded,
think we would have no difficulty in
establishing the truth" The trouble three
years ago was gone over, and he told how
about $50 deputies went to Homestead on
one train and were induced to leaver on
another.
Wanted to Rob the Laborer.
Said McLuckie: Then came the Nc
klnley tariff bill, reducing the tariff on this
very identical article on which our
wages was based, viz: steel billets, and
raised the tariff on all other articles of
production. 1t was gigantic conspiracy
to rob the laboring man Of a fair days
wages for a fair days work" The COM
pchbN ItlNA mortgages On UluCH Oh Ine prop
srty occupied by the employees some of
whom had bank accounts. The Pinker-
tons were cutthroats, thugs and lawless
invaders. There would have been no re-
sistance to lawful authority There had
been, however, in many parts of the coun-
try.
Taylor Wants Some Particulars.
Judge Taylor here interposed an objec-
tioD to any such sweeping declarations"
as he termed them.
Oates-IOur idea, then, is that the COM
pany, after having obtained a scale of
wages based on the market value of steel
blllets, caused the duty on steel billets to
be reduced: The witness replied Yes u
He declined to say whether it was true
that the less the tariff the less the wages
and said that high tariff did not always
secure high wages, but agreed that the
cause of reduction at Homestead was the
lowered tariff and increased production He
explained that the company could make
money 10y this process of reduction of tariff
because billets, while fixing the price of la
Dor, were small item in the productive ca
pacity of the mills.
Coming Mighty Close to Statesmen.
Judge Taylor asked who were in the
alleged conspiracy and McLuckie replied
the Pacific railway people, the Carnegie
interests, Frick and quite large circle y
ANY member Of congress:" asked TAYLOR
"The bill was passed, said McLuckie But
TO proposition that a majority of congress
must have been involved he said he did
not say so. Il am not here to insult this
committee" The Pinkertons were a class
of men owned and operated by unscrupul-
GUS capitalists. Taylor said that was
probably correct. Il have no sympathy
for them myself"
Nothing Too Good for Workingmen.
Taylor referred to the number OF COM
Portable homes at Homestead, and Nc
Luckie quickly asked if he thought them
too good, to which Taylor was quick to
reply not half good enough, but suggested
that very prosperous town had grown up
under the plan" "All of which denotes
progress" replied McLuckie. Taylor
closed with the hope that it might "imme-
diately resume its customary condition"