Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-07-28
The Mckinley Bill and workingmen

The Mckinley Bill and Workingmen.
The American Wool Reporter, d
strictly non partisan trade paper and
one Of the greatest authorities on man
ufscturing in the world, has an inter
view by staff correspondent Oh
European Textile Mills" that contain 8
E UGH food for thought on the tariff
question. Among other things it says:
visited nearly all OF the great textile
centers OF Europe, and 1 found all
branches Of II In depressed aud most
unsatisfactory condition. Many Of the
mills are idle and labor is working for
starvation wages. A fair estimate of
quantity Of machinery running In 80 Of
the leading textile cities and towns on
the continent | should say IL to i
Of their full capacity, four days per
week. The average price of skilled
labor outside Of England il 40 cents pei
day. The foreign manufacturers have
strained every energy to retain their
hold on the American market. The
price of labor has been reduced to a
minimum figure, less money has been
paid for dyelDg and finishing, poorer
yarns have been used, and in spite OF
all this the Germans are losing money
on their American business, and they
fully realize that unless the democrats
come into power and repeal the McKin-
ley act, this market Is lost to them.
II the republicans remain in power
then We may look for an exodus Of
nuk.ra ~ oil ktpIo 81 t.xtfta gahrioa tn
this country. The foreign manufac-
turers take the most intense interest
in American politics aud If the demo
Gratis want TO collect money for cam.
plign uses, they will lind foreign
manufacturers most liberal subscribers.
An idea of the intense bitterness felt
for the party that passed the Mckinley
bill may be formed by the following
remark made by German manufaC-
turer: "A party that Will pass such an
unjust and heinOus act as the Mckinley
act deserves 10 be swept from the face
of the earth. Look at my people, many
of them starving for want Of employ
meni; my looms idle and suffering and
business depressed on every hand" It
was replied that when they had the
American market, keen and bitter
competition was INDUCED In between
the various makers of foreign goods;
prices were depressed and wages of
operatives cut down tOa small figure,
IN order that the manufacturers might
still continue to realize their profit.
The manufacturer continued TO get
rich, the operatives we're kept very
poor, because of the avaricousness of
their employers. II il hardly fair to
heap imprecations upon Americans
because they purpose to protect the
American lahnrers.
There is but one conclusion possible
after all study Of the subject. In every
way. the lot of the wage Garner abroad
is far less desirable than that of our
wage earners here; they are not as
well fed nor ~ well clothed and receive
much less pay,
The question is asked, what would
have been the condition of affairs W tn
our manufacturers il it had not been for
the Mckinley acty With the wholesale
failure of crops in Europe, the PUT
chasing power Of the people abroad WAS
very much abridged and consequently
they purchased wearing apparel as
sparingly as possible, This resulted in
a great accumulation oil goods in the
hands Of foreign makers, which but
for the high tariff, would have been
thrown on the American market at
prices which have been ruinous to our
home manufacturers. IL is pointed
out by democratic press Of the country,
here, that in no case has the price Of
labor been advanced since the enact.
meht of the new tariff, while in many
cases II is leas. If this true, is 1t not
fair to assume that with the present
condition Of affairs in Europe the price
of labor here would have been fan
below the present prices paid, and
many of our manufacturers ruined II
they had been Obliged TO compete with
foreign labor?