The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-10-15
TARIFF AND HIGH WAGES.

advocates OF protective tariff is that high
tariff produces high wages while low
tariff, or what they call free trade, will
lower the wages of the workingmen, in
whose welfare they affect to be deeply in
terested. The most convincing exposure
of this fallacy was given last Saturday
evening by Hon. Chris. A. Gallagher at
the great Democratic meeting in Armory
hall. Having referred to the statement
made by "Gen." Geo. A. Sheridan in the
same hall last August that the Mckinley
tariff caused brick mason in New York
TO get 81 day for eight hours work
while the British mason received only
$1.62 in consequence of free trade, Mr..
Gallagher asked the audience if they ever
knew OF brick buildings being imported
into the United States. He lucidly and
cogently demonstrated that brick masons
do not come under the category of ''pro-
tected" American workmen, and that tile
Mckinley bill had an adverse effect upon
that class of wage earners. If the Nc
Kinley bill, said the orator, caused the
difference in the wages of the American
and British brick masons, what caused
the difference in New York and Seattle?
While in the state of Washington short
time ago he found that the wages paid to
brick masons IN the city of Seattle was
s6 per day, and then he explained that
the rate of wages was entirely governed
by the supply and demand in the labor
market. To illustrate in practical man.
ner the folly Of attributing to the Nc
Kinley tariff the power of increasing
wages, he called upon any laborer within
the reach of his voice, whether Democrat
or Repu blican, to stand up and declare
that his wages had been increased since
the enforcement Of the Mckinley bill.
No }aborer present had got an increase in
wages. The speaker next asked if the
Mckinley tariff had stimulated the Min
neapolis Tribune, the organ of McKin-
leyism, to pay higher wages to its editors
and reporters since the bill went into
effect. On the contrary, it has lowered
the salaries of every man on it's staff, and
he challenged ex-senator Pierce to deny
that fact. The Tribune had not lowered
the scale of wages of the compositors be-
cause they we're protected by the Typo
graphical Union. He next referred to
Thomas Lowry, the street car magnate
who was protected by the Mckinley tariff
and by municipal franchise, and asked
if he had increased TIE wages of his
employees.
He had not, but Czar-like he had is
sued ukase that no man belonging to a
labor organization can enter his employ.
Mr.. Gallagher drew attention to the low
wages paid to skilled mechanics in
this city, and from his remarks we
inferred be was somewhat indebted to
the Minneapolis Tribune for the informa-
ton. This high tariff sheet has been pub
fishing in it's Sunday issue series of ar.
ticles from the pen of Mrs. Eva McDon-
aid Valesh. In the Sunday issue of Oct.
l that enterprising lady had an interest
ing article on the workers engaged in and
around the electrical power houses of
Tom Lowry and others, and showed chat
the Inc men, lamp trimnlers and repair
ers are paid only from $1.25 TO 50 day
for 10 hours work. OF what benefit
was the Mckinley tariff to such mon?
A great deal Of political capital is being
made by the Republican press out of the
report OF Labor Commissioner
Peck Of New York.
The protected manufacturers can Ger
tainly pay higher wages to their opera
lives in consequence Of the Mckinley
tariff, but have they paid them? The Re-
publicans say they have, and they en-
gagged the services of the mercenary New |
York official to issue false report to |
back up their assertions. That protected I
had diminished wages In
stead Of increasing them was proved to
The world in the bloody scenes enacted /
st Homestead last July, and that wages
have decreased in all protected indus
tries during the operation Of this tariff |
has been demonstrated by figures that
10 not lie. American Industries, paper
published in New FORK, has shown the