Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-07-15
PROTECTION LESSON
Comments of the Press ON the Great
Lock Out at the Homestead
Steel Works.
William l.. ScOtt's Speech on the
Profits Enjoyed by Carnegie
Now Recalled.
What Commentary This Who'll.
Affair Offers on the Purpose Of
High Tariff I"

q llJS ii dIIlI
s. racuse Courier: Does protection
protect the workingmenf Ask the
the 1900 Carnegie employees who
are cut on strike against reduction
of wages ana then answer the question.
Rochester Herald: The cry of the
Carnegies now is ''protection against
American labor" THIS policy they en-
force with barbed wire fences and cleo
trlcity.
Buffalo Truth, labor organ: Capital
cannot afford to invite ruthless conflict
with labor The masses when driven to
the wall have habit Of turning upon the
classes The pages Of history are full Of
such conflicts. The Carnegie's should
remember, too, that the masses have more
votes than the classes, and that the for
mer may bring down the protection
temple as Samson brought down destruc-
ton upon ms enemies. 1t is not good to
goad the nauzzcd OK.
Buffalo Courier: The excuse of Car
negle < %. IS that they cannot compete
with the 'pauper labor Of the new south.
But WY are wages so low 10 the new
south, which has exactly the same McK.n-
ley protection as the old north? Is not
this another demonstration that wages
are not regulated by the tariff, but BY sup
ply and demand? 1t may be said further
that as the tariff operates directly to limit
the demand its real effect is to reduce
wages rather than to raise them
Albany Argus: -Four years ago the
Hon. William L. Scott in his great speech
on the tariff, MAY 10, 1888, showed from
the books of the CarnegieB the way il
which protectionism operates OF a total
cost ut that time Of 526 70 for ton Of
steel rails, the labor employed by the
Carnpgles received only $500, while tie
profits ct the firm on each ton were SIS,
and Mr.. Andrew Carnegie himself con-
fessed to Mr. Scott that in one year ne
had drawn 81 100000 as his share of the
profits from the Edgar Thompson Steel
works, only one establishment cut of The
many united last week in the Carnegie
trust. Organization secures labor's
wages; protective tariff secures monop-
oly's profits.
Boston Herald: In spite of the asseg-
tlons of the supporters of the Mckinley
law, t4l0 protective policy has not done
what it was claimed that it would do.
/ he prosperity eff our country does not ap-
pear to be on the increase, if the state
ments OF these Pennsylvania manufacturers
are to be accepted. They say, tariff or no
tariff, wages are too high and should be
cut down; while we were told in congress
two years ago, and shall be told innumera-
bic times during the next four months,
that the effect of the Mex ,nley law would
be and has been to put up wages all
around and to make things better for the
and for those In their EN-
ploy.
Springfield, Mass. News: But what
a commentary this whole affair offers |
upon the alleged purpose of the high |
tariff to protect American labor! The |
IRON manufacturers are among its favor
ties and Carnegie is one of the weaIthiest |
men IN America and one of the stanchrst
republican advocates Of high tariff. Now
that it is made clear that he and his as
soclates nave only hate and contempt for
worklngmen and count one year wasted
that does not record some cut In wages or
outrage on the rights of labor, the whole
humbue of the argument that the high
tariff is devised for the protection of
labor is revealed. The object lesson st
Homestead will make more demo cratic
votes among workingmen than whole tons
of the Congressional Record.
Newport Herald: Closely following the
state of affairs at Carnegie's
iron works comes a vigorous complaint
IN the last issue of the Wool and Cotton
OF great weakness and depres
sion. The Mckinley bill has not done all
it promised, it is very evident
Hartford Times This is really not the
that workingmen have been
promised the past two years. Why are all
these men of industry locked out and
barred out? Why! Because they object
TO reduction of 80 per cent of their
pay. following contract of three years
ago, when their pay was then reduced.
The poor laborers do not ask for
look at their wives and child
rem, WHO are not blessed with luxuries,
and beg that their wages be not pressed
down to the amount of one-third. The
harsh treatment by the great rich steel
company of its workmen seems cruel.
Its owners are living in royal style in
Scotland, surrounded by 1000 acres of
land on which the wild deer roam and the
pheasants nest, and they enjoy the lux
uries of lords and princes, at a cost v
presume, of $4,000 day between them.
while screwing their hard working labor
ers down to almost starvation prices. tt
really seems to be cruel
Boston Post: On pay roll Of SOC, 900
month 80 per cent is d vary tidy sum.
It will go good way towards paying the
castles expenses, even after giving some.
thing to the republican fund. 1t remains
to be seen whether Mr. Carnegie will get
this 30 per cent. Cannot the republican
managers buy him off with the promise of
more pro seotion?" It would pay them
well to do it; for Carnegie's war on labor
Is killing Mckinleyism even in monopoly
ridden Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia Record: Mr.. Andrew
Carnegie and the rest of the Pitts burg
steel barons recognize the necessity of
making liberal subscriptions to the Har.
rlson campaign fund; but they want to
wiring the money out of the wages of the
men who toll In their mills
1T Is A SHAM.
Good Reason for Democratic Denunciation