The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-26
TARIFF AND WAGES.
WHAT THE GLAssWoRkERs THINK
OF THE MKlNLEY BILL.

Protection to Their Industry brings Low
err Wages and Unsteady Employment-A
Revision of the Tariff Is What the Coun-
try Needs.
The National Glass Budget, the organ
OF the glassworkers, often contains evil
dence of what the laborers and mechan-
les think of 100 per cent protection to the
glass industry. On Aug. a6 it said:
George A. Macbeth was the only
glass manufacturer in the United States
who had the judgment and courage to
appear before the committee of ways
ana means and oppose the passage of the
Mckinley bill. At the time of it's pas
sage he predicted that an increase of the
tariff would precipitate business reyolu-
ton and financial disaster. How well
- guessed the future is best told by the
results which have followed
"In 1883 both political parties were
pledged to revise the tariff, but Mr.. Har-
rison was elected because the people were
deceived by the free trade cry of his
champions. 1t never was the intention
OF the American people to increase the
tariff, and they believed that the Repub-
lican party would reduce and revise the
tariff instead of increasing it, and every
election held since 1889 the friends of
lower tariff duties have been successful.
Mr.. Macbeth displays gooi Judgment
when he says that this country is pre-
pared to compete with the world in iron
and steel. If in these metals, why not
in glass2 Before the passage of the Nc
Kinley bill we exported glassware in
large quantities, but our exports have
fallen off since 1890. If any individual
or newspaper has the courage to tell the
laboring people the truth, they are inn
mediately called members of the Golden
club, or it is said they are subsidized
with British gold.
1--WE now have had the Mckinley bill
for three years, which the Republican
leaders told our laboring men would in
crease their wages and mako the coun-
try prosperous. Has it done it? Have
you got steady employment No. Have
your wages been increased No. Have
you got prospects of steady employment?
No. With free fuel in many localities
manufacturers cannot resume operations
owing to the lack of demand. Would
this be the case il we had foreign mar
kets for our wares and had American
ships to distribute our productsp We
have the finest harbors in the world and
the greatest inland waterways to the
sea. Our railroads cannot be beaten.
yet we are going through period of
financial and industrial depression
brought on by the false legislation of
men like Mckinley, who possess neither
legal nor business ability, but are frothy
humbugs who can make noise in con-
gress and deal in platitudes.
"The manufacturers of Pennsylvania
and Ohio are largely responsible for
Taking a big man out of very light ma
Joi1al They have contributed large
sums of money to corrupt the voters of
Ohio to not only elect him to congress,
but to make him governor of the state.
He is like some poll parrots. He can re-
member what somebody else tells him,
but in originality of thought he is very
deficient. Our manufacturers are be-
ginning to realize that the Mckinley bill
is an injury instead of a benefit. They
are the last to learn. Only realization
by the trying times we are passing
through has brought about this change.
1--WE have been led to believe that
high tariff meant high wages. The fall
sity of this is eXemplified by the notice
of reduction of wages in the iron and
steel mills and glass factories. We read
i'll thepewspapers that notice has been
posted in such and such mills and facto-
ries that wages would be reduced from
~ per cent upon those earning $1.50 per
day, and 10 per cent upon those earning
above that amount per diem, and this in
the face of the highest protection ever
known in this country. Is it not about
time for politicians to quit fooling the
laboring classes! Can they be fooled any
longer?
1--WE say that one good. strong labor
organization has more to do with sus-
d tanning wages than all tho Mckinley
bills you can pass till doomsday. We
have always been in favor of moderate
4 revision of the tariff and the repeal of
the Mckinley bill. We think that if the
tariff was revised with care and the Sc
lection of good commission, embracing
all the classes, farmers, laborers, manu-
facturers and merchants, to adjust it.
we would have rest and give the coun-
try trial of moderate tariff. We would
soon recuperate, and business would re-
vive.
eff our pension list is not reduced, we
must levy an income tax to create reve-
nue. sufficient to sustain the government.
There are too many coffee coolers on the
pension rolls. We must revise it OF
bankrupt the country. Our waterways
must be improved. Our harbors must
be kept in good condition in order to
give our people cheap water transporta-
ton How can we appropriate what we