New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-10
wORKMEN BEAR TESTIMONY.
PLAIN FACTS PLAINLY PUT TO THE WAYS
AND MEANS COMMITTEE. t e.
rup DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS THOUGHT THEY
MIGHT HAVE LITTLE FUN WITH THE
WAGE FARMERS, BUT THE FUN
WAS ALL THE OTHER WAY.
WAS ALL THE OTHER WAY.
fBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.l


WAS ALL THE OTHER WAY. .....
fBr TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE
Washington. Sept. 9-The members OF the
Ways and Means Committee found them
selves face to face with American working
men to-day. and the interview was a spicy as well
as an exceedingly interesting one. The repre-
sentatves Of skilled labor. who. as the chairman
OF the Philadelphia delegation. representing the
10000 wage-earners employed in the textile IN
dustries OF that city. remarked. ARE not self-ap
pointed walking delegates or demagogues anu
they not only knew what th1 wanted out 'hey
were able clearly and intelligently TO explain why
they wanted It, and the same remark is true or
the wage-earners from Newark. \. j." who came
TO protest against any reduction OF the duties o"
dressed fax and hemp The Democratic members
Of the committee evidently surprised ana uiS
concerted by the plain and telling statements OF 'e
wage-earners and several of them. notably Chail
man Wilson and Messrs Turner, McMillin. Tars-
ney and Bynum tried to shift the ground or as
cussion and entice the workngmen into he'uS
with which they could not be supposed u De
thoroughly familiar. The latter however sun
pretty closely their text, and drew lessons ,'oi.
their own experience the pertnence ana 'ru'" u
which no intelligent man could hohes"S '
ignore or fail to understand ,,,
Joseph Stewart. the chairman OF the rnliauo'
phia delegation. which consisted OF aoou' ~,
men, employed in various textile INDUSTRIES W
hat they repreSented
,pon whom at least 100000 other persons Ill Una.
ctv are dependent for their support Ihey hao
come from their humble homes to plead WIFI ''e
committee and appeal for relief. Ihey appedieu
not as partisans. but as plain workhs"eH ~ SUI"
mi. facts They begged for some assurances
e.. ~. .or,r on ,extile manufactures should not
no reduced so as TO lower their wages or narrow
their opportunities for employment. year ago
the textile industries Of Philadelphia were III
thriving and prosperous condition, the wage
earners were working full time wages were sooo
md everybody was happy and cheerful NO"
evervtbing is changed Factories are closed or are
running only three or four days week; thousands
of wage-earners have been thrown out OF EMPLOY
ment and now idle with winter approach
ing Mr. Stewart referred to certain establishments
In which 10 l09 persons were employed sixty hours
n week during the month of August 1882, and said
that by actual count only 7i15 persons were en-
ployed in the same factories during the mohth OF
August 1898. and that those employed had worked
only seventeen and one-fourth hours week.
In other words. the number of persons employed
had fallen off 20 per cent, and the total number OF
hours of labor performed Il per cent less than
IN August 1892. Mr.. Stewart said that the wage
earners have the best of reasons for believing that
the cause of this unhappy condition or anairs Is
the fear and uncertainty which prevail among en-
ployers on account of tariff agitation Inc same
opnion was forcibly expressed in the petition
signed by 1O22S textile workers of Philadelphia,
which Mr.. Stewart filed with the committee In
the upholstery and chenille industry, in which he
is employed, a portion of the workmen are work
ing four days in week. and many Others are I'M
able to find any work to do. He believed that II
1t had not been for the threats to reduce duties
90 low as open the gates to a flood OF foreign
importations the textile workers of Philadelphia
would be as we'll off to-day as they were year
ago.
At this point Mr. Turner Of Georgia, evidently
thought that it necessary for him to inter-
fere and try to confuse the witness. whose plain
speech and frank statements exceedingly un-
palatable to himself and his Democratic colleagues.
WHO suggested that you and your companions
ehoud come here?' he suddenly asked.
"Why, all the men who are working or have been
working in these industries. We are law-abding
Industrious American citizens. and we wanted TO
tell you about condition and appeal to you not
10 take any action which would make IL worse.
The fear of a reduction of the tariff has al
ready caused much suffering and thrown thousands
of wage-earners out of employment in Philadelphia
alone.
Mr. Turner wanted to know If the manufacturers
had not suggested this. and received prompt and
emphatic denial. He then opened a new line of
inquiry and tried TO draw Mr.. Stewart into a dis
tussion on the subject of free raw materials"
The Georgia statesman got rather more than he
bargained for before this diversion ended Mr.
Stewart said that ne believed that free wool would
first DESTROY the woogrowng industry of the
United States and that would result in higher
prices for imported wool Mr.. Turner suggested
that If that should happen the American farmer
would be tempted by better prices again TO engage
In the woo-growing industry. Like a flash came
the retort from the Philadelphia workngman:
Then you would be willing to destroy an in
nustry for the sake of trying an experiment.?
1t was evident that this shot hit the bulls eye
FOR the Georgian again shifted his ground, and
offered suggestions respecting the heavy
'tax paid. in the form of duties by the wearer OF
woollen garments.
well" promptly replied the workingman. Il
suppose the duties upon all the woollen clothes
wear in year could be paid with the wages
could in days. and am now losing two
days every week on account. as i believe. of the
threat 10 reduce duties, which, If carried out,
would reduce my weekly wages by an amount that
would pay my share of the duties for year at
least"
Mr.. Turner then sought refuge in the assertion
that shoddy goods only made in this country
while honest goods from Europe. Mr..
Stewart replied that the use of shoddy and other
authorizations of woollen goods is general (and
probably a good deal extensive) in Europe
as II is in the United States. He also vouched for
the truth of the assertion that the prices of textiles
In general to the American consumer. as low
(or lower, as before the enactment of the law
Of 1890.
MIR. Bynum came to the relief of Mr. Turner. but
he did not stay long. The workingman carried too
many guns for him. The Indiana statesman. who Is
somewhat noted for the solemn confidence with
which he puts forward assumptions and assertions
as statements OF facts, said that the prices of
American wool had begun to decline after the en-
actment of the present tariff law and lower
now than ever before.
WELL If you think the fall in the price of wool
has been caused by the Mckinley tariff law, why
are you so anxious TO repeal it, asked Mr. Stew
art.
Mr. Bynum could not would not give direct
answer to the question. Mr. Stewart asked
some questions about wages in Europe and in this
country. which ne preferred TO have answered by
members of the delegation who had worked in
Europe as we'll In the United States. One OF
these men was Mr. Fitzgerald. who is wool
sorter" He was employed in that capacity in