The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-09-29
POWDERLY' S SAY
The Knights of Labor Leader
Discusses Politics.
LABOR AND PROTECTION.
No Campaign Document for Either Demo.
cratic or Republican Party,

bf the Knights of Labor Of the 22d inst
has a special article from the pen Of Mr..
~ Y. Powderly regarding an abstract
Akeh from New York letter in the
Philadelphia Ledger of the 10th. The
Abstract is as follows:
"The Democratic national committee
IS distributing as a camp ign document
bart OF T. V. Powderly's article on
Jabor and Protection in The North
American Review"
Mr.. Powderly says regarding it: "The
letter does not say just what part of my
North American Review article is
quoted, but 1 presume it must be the
following: The Carnegie Steel COM
bany and like concerns owe their pros
berity to the protective laws of the
United States. These laws were passed
In the interest of labor. During discus
sion on the tariff laws it was never adj
vanced as q reason why they should be
passed that capital would be protected
Ehe argument was always that labor
Mould be protected. The workman has
DOT been protected from foreign compe-
Htion by the government. He has had
10 fight the battle himself through the
lsbor organizations. Not only has he
had 10 fight against foreign competition,
largely attracted by our delusive tariff
laws, but he has had to wage war with
the employer for a share of that protec-
Hon which his government decreed by
law that he should have. Our govern
@ent has enacted protective legislation
Ib the interest Of labor if we read con-
Il s..l,A 4 lx,,A -
eecently allows the manufacturer to alb
6orb the bulk of protection and then
throws its armies around the establish
hent at the slightest provocation when
the workmen ask for what their govern
tnent admitted that they had a right TO
enjoy
The appointment of Harrity.
Mr.. Powderly then goes on to say that
In a measure he was instrumental in
making Harrity secretary Of the COM
Monwealth of the state. This was ac-
Gomplished by his support of Mr.. Patti
tbn for governor. Mr.. Pattison was
elected on ballot reform issue; he was
Openly pledged to a constitutional con-
Yshtion. He told the people Of this
ttate that he favored a constitutional
E5pyention; he sought our votes and he
Rol them on that issue.
Mr.. Powderly, after speaking of the
appointment of Mr.. Harrity, then shows
that Mr.. Harrity has been instrumental
Ia defeating the will Of the people by
opposing the constitutional convention,
And adds: Had that constitutional con-
vention been held the people of this
state would have been in position to
hethroLe the imperial Reading combine
~ totn infA
silence through its cowardly, or worse,
pfhoials. 1t does more; it is an enemy
10 American labor; and on top of all of
that, it is supported and upheld by the
Chairman of the Democratic national
committee, who now attempts to make
use of my words to help the cause that
he is interested in and which he would
have people believe to be friendly to
American labor.
In my North American Review arti-
ole l have not discussed the merits of
protection, one phase of it alone is re-
terred to- and, in saying that it does not
adequately protect the American work
lngman, / state truth which can in no
way aid party which dare not avow
Itself in favor of free trade-the oppo-
site of protection.
When a national committee will make
use of a mans words and statements it
should be in possession Of sufficient
honesty to assert that it intends to carry
pht the intention of the author. / said
That the American workingman "has not
been protected from foreign competition
by the government. Will the national
toinmittee of the Democratic party dare
"A AloA L. -, 90 -
the American workman in the way that
had in mind when / wrote that? l
believe that if it is right to place duty
ph the manufactured article in order to
project the workman on this side of the
Atlantic, it cannot be right to allow the
foreign workmen to come here in droves
10 take the places. at reduced wages, of
the Americans. Will the national COM
mittee declare in favor of the restriction
Of immigration to such degree as will
telieve the American workman of the
crushing burden which makes it utterly
impossible to stand erect and take what
he should have? There is no man on
that committee who does not know that
the great railroad interests Of this coun-
try stand more menace to the welfare
Of the masses than the tariff. They all
realize that the volume Of circulating
medium should be under the direction
bf the government and that it should
Issue and be controlled by the govern
hent. They know that the filching of
public land and the escape of its Just
jhare of taxation Qand)is great burden
bn the workers, but none of them will
Hare stand on platform which advo-
tates a straightforward remedy for these
btils.
A Slap at Both Parties.
The Republican party has been
charged with being the party of plu-
tocracy, of wealth and monopoly, but
the Democratic party has the supreme
ing ownership, the privilege of debating
lust how workingnen should vote. It
claims to be the party of the poor man.
grant that it ought TO be, for the poor
have given it the strength to live long
Enough TO see its candidate for the
presidency write against free silver at
the dictation of Wall street. long enough
10 see its national convention frame a
dishonest declaration In favor of Wild
bat banks, long enough to see the prinei-
BAL actors on its boards squirm and shift
With every wind TO catch the votes OF
Door men, Yes, the Democratic party
b the party of the poor man. and If he
sontnpeg 70 vote that ticket he W /
hever Be anything else but poor ma l..
have written no Campaign document
fof either the Democratic or Republican
party, will not write any, and will not
tupport the candidates of any party but
the one which had the honesty and man
hood TO lay claims to the votes OF
knights Of Labor by adopting the pre-
amble of the Knights Of Labor as its
national platform--the Peoples party