The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-10-14
Labor Speaks It's Mind.
The Democracy Of Sand Coulee Shows
Itself Responsive 10 Good Doctrine.
a RouSing Rally Of TOilers Who Pa!
the Tariff Taxes.

SAND COULEE, Mont, Oct. 6.ITSpecial
to the TRIBUNE. LARSEN g. Williams
hall, headquarters of the Sand Coulee
democratic club. was crowded to meet
the delegation of twenty-five or thirty
from Great Falls, including the speakers
of the evening, Senator E. D. Mats, OF
Missoula; Jno. II. Smith, of Glasgow
Il. E. Collins, of Great Falls. The meet.
ing was started with enthusiastic cheer
ing from the miners at the entrance OF
the speakers. P. B. Gallagher, chair.
man of the county committee. opened
the evening with a short speech of in.
PRODUCTION of Senator Mats, who ex.
pressed his qualification on addressing
an audience composed of laboring men,
proposed to discuss the issues of this
campaign as relating to them. He in
tended to speak of principles without
personality, and said he credited each of
those present with as much patriotism
as himself. The issues of the campaign
were of vital Importance to miners and
other working men.
There are three parties in the field
four if we include the prohibition party
and the main question is the protect
i've tariff. Populists, democrats, ard
prohibitiopists unite in one view of Sill
yer and a reduction of the tariff. Legis-
lation should be for the masses and not
for n class. The republican party
claims to benefit the laborer by the pro-
tective tariff. Does it? The tariff has
nothing to do with the price of labor.
The republicans employ surface argu-
ments. Great Britain is a free-trade
country and pays low wages, the United
States is protective and pays high wages.
Therefore high tariff makes high wages?
But under a protective tariff wages are
low in France, Germany, Austria, and
in Turkey, with a higher tariff lower
wages are paid, while in China with a
protective tariff wages are at a slavery
scale.
Foreigners come here not because of
protection. but because of better advan-
tages in every line. Free education, free
land, the greater demand for labor. There
are thirty acres of land to the individual
in the United States, and three acres in
Europe. This explains the difference in
wages. A growing country always pays
high wages. Labor unions organize to
control the markets in this or that COM
modify. The trusts raise or depress
prices. Herein the tariff falls hardest
upon labor. The workingman meets it
every time he goes to a store and buys
household goods, and the laborer is
taxed higher in proportion to his
wealth than the capitalist. The pres
emit tariff legislation was entirely made
by the republican party, and it IL alone
responsible for the Mckinley bill. And
what has been the effect of this law?
Has it increased wages? (Cries of mot
much" and applause).
The Homestead trouble occurred be-
cause the man who had the fitting of
the tariff schedule on steel rails had re-
duced the wages of his w~orkingmen, in
spite of the profits of millions which
enable Carnegie to live in luxury in his
Scotch castle. Wages are high in Mon
tana because labor is scarce; low in
Pennsylvania because of the contrary
circumstances.
Why not protect labor in the only
sensible n by limiting the supply
from foreign countries? In the past
year five thousand strikes and one thou
sand lockouts have occurred, and the
majority of these were in protected in
dustries.
The capitalists hold the taxing power
and are prOtectionists for their own ben
eft. Protection taxes not the ~luxuries
but the necessities-the laborer as much
as the wealthy. l agree with the popu-
lists on the free coinage of silver and the
reduction OF the tariff, but am fearful
of the fiat money and government con-
troll of the railroads and telegraphs. This
would be a dangerous power to put in
the hands of the party in control.
Free coinage can come only through
the democratic party. In every vote the
majority of the republicans have opposed
it. Cleveland is as much a free-silver
man as Harrison, and he has been put
up to carry the country, and because
the tariff has hitherto been the principal
ISSUE
The senator's speech was interrupted
by frequent applause and evidently took
a deep hold upon the audience.
On his introduction of MI. Collins and
a biographical eulogy of him, the miners
cheered and applauded uproariously. Mr.
Mats made brief mention of the other
candidates, and then introduced Mr.. Col
Inns as the next speaker.
The candidate for governor said: ''The
people are kings in the United States,
and should decide which party's princi-
pies will conduct to general prosperity.
There are four parties in the field, and
one in power. The three against this
should combine for its overthrow. They
should decide which among them is
strongest and affiliate. The democratic
party started with Jefferson, andits prin-
ciples are incorporated in the constitu-
ton. 1t opposed Capitalization of the
government from the start. 1t has
increased the public domain in
every instance save the purchase
Of Alaska. The republican party
was honored in it's youth because it then
ahoI;oLad aInua.u LIT Al. .aa..ua -.