The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-07-15
Washington Letter.

washington LetttT'
WAsHINGToN, ID. c. July 9th, 1892.
The murder of Carnegie's locked-Out
workmen by Pinkerton's mercenaries
sent shudder around the civilized
world, and furnished the voters of the
United States with an object lesson not
soon to be forgotten, showing just what
sort of protection" Republican legisla-
ton gives to the wage-earner. Jerry
Simpson aptly said of it: II hope that
the people Will now be aroused to the
fact that protection only protects the cap
italist. who, in this case, builds himself
a castle in Scotland where he may enjoy
his spoils in peace" Representative
Tarseney, chairman of the House COM
mittee on labor, said: Every one must
condemn the employment of mercenaries
without the authority of law. TO kill peo-
pie. Their presence Is a menace to
peace, and their ought to be something
done to put stop to such business"
Even Republicans are found who con-
denim this crime, although it is one of
the direct OutcOmeS of their party'S
policy. One OF these Is Representative
Lind, of Minnesota, who said: This
employment of armed merchenaries can
not be justified and ought not to be per
mitted."
Representative .Caminetti has intro
duced resolution providing for select
committee to investigate this Carnegie
business, in order to ascertain why an
industry protected to such an extent as
that of steel and iron should attempt TO
reduce its laborers' wages from 20 to 60
per cent. and why this trust or combine
should be allowed to Introduce cOndl-
ton of feudal despotism 10y hiring armed
men to force its employees to accept the
reduced wages, and similar resolution
is before the Senate. The resolutions
are timely, and unless there is a great
change in the present sentiments of
members of Congress, a strong one will
be adopted. Many believe that the re-
duction of wages was ordered by Car
negie in the hope of staving off action
on the pending bill, reducing the tariff
on the entire metal schedule.
The Republicans are in a very de
moralized condition, owing to the reSig
nation of Mr.. Campbell as chairman of
their national committee, whether that
resignation was brought about by the
publication by ex-senator Farwell of the
statement that Mr.. Harrison had once
refused to appoint Mr.. Campell to
Federal office because of his being n
professional lobbyist, by objections of
the trusts for which Mr.. Campbell is at
tOrney, or, by reason of the threatened
revolt of the Republican farmers Of Hi
nOis. 1t may be that all of these things
were factors in causing the resignation,
or that none of them had anything to do
with it but the fact remains that the de-
moraliZation exists in the Republican
ranks, and political parties, like armies,
are always at disadvantage when they
are for any cause even slightly demora-
lied.
There is a lesson in the present con-
dition of the Republican party that will
not be lost upon Mr.. Cleveland, who will
soon select the chairman of the Demo
cratic National committee. He will
profit by Mr.. Harrison's error, and will
choose Il man for chairman who has the
ability to manage a successful campaign
and who is above even the suspicion of
being allied to any of the numerous
trusts and combines (fostered by Repub
lican legislation, notably the Mckinley
tariff law,) which are depressing the
people of the United States
Senator Berry, in speaking against
Hale's resolution as to the effective DIFF
ferences between the Republican policy
of protection" and the Democratic pol
icy of tariff for revenue only" showed
that the first whereas" " which says that
never were laborers so prosperous and so
well paid, was cOnspicuOuSly contrary to
facts by reading newspaper telegrams
concerning Carnegie's lockout. He
said that the Republican party believed
III high taxes and eXtravagant appropri-
ations, while the Democratic party be-
lieved in levying taxes for revenue only
and in practicing economy. "But,"
said Mr.. Berry, ''the issue of the present
campaign, which raises far and above all
other issues, is the force bill, to which
the Minneapolis convention and its can
didate for President are fully commit
ted"
The Democrats in Congress believe
that the nomination of Weaver will close
the career of the third party, as far as
the South is concerned, as his speeches
when he was a Republican-he has been
everything-were so bitter against the
South that few Southern men will vote
for him after reading them, and South
ern Democrats in Congress will see that
the foresaid speeches are given wide
circulation in that section. Representa-
tive Hemphill, of South Carolina, says:
''All this talk of any other party except
the Democratic carrying South Carolina
is bosh. Nine-tenths of our people were
for Cleveland, and he will carry the
state by larger majority than has been
given for years"
The Judiciary committee will go to
Pennsylvania to investigate the Pinker-
tons, under the recently adopted House
resolution. NJ.