Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-06-08
REFORM CLUBS BILL.
ITS PROVISIONS FIND FAVOR WITH
THE LABOR LEADERS.

workingmen See That Protection Has In
creased the Price of Everything They
Have to Buy and Reduced wages-Trade
Restricted and Prosperity Dead.
The American Economist, the chief
organ of the protected manufacturers,
has been publishing q series Of letters
from working1nen employed in protected
factories. OF course the great majority
Of workingmen voted against protection.
Outside of Pennsylvania there is scarcely
a City, no matter how many protected
mills it contains, that is not Democratic.
There are but few labor organizations in
favor of protection. The Economist did
not find prominent labor man to say q
word against the Reform clubs tariff
bill, and the few letters it has obtained
arc from foremen or workmen who were
probably coerced by their employers.
The opinions of these workmen are SO
crude and the logic so weak and falla-
cious that it is wonder that even the
slpshod Economist printed such rubbish.
American Industries is publishing the
opinions of representative laboring men
on the Reform clubs bill. Under date
of May 20 it published the opinions Of
Mr.. James P. Archibald and of Mr..
James ]. Murphy. Both were most fa-
vorable to the bill.
Mr.. Murphy is the assistant general
secretary of the National Paving Block
Cutters union, o strong labor organiza-
ton with more than 5000 members. His
duties frequently call him to all parts OF
the country, and he has many discus
sions with his fellow members on the
tariff question and is well able to voice
their sentiments. In speaking with him
on the Reform clubs tariff bill he said
in part:
"As far as the question of tariff reform
is concerned all the workingmen come
| in contact with are of one mind, that
protection has increased the price of ev.
erything they have to buy, and the only
thing they have to sell-their labor--has
either been reduced, remained station
ary or been increased by the aid of their
union. In no single instance, however
have 1 heard of mans wages being in
creased through the protection the man
ufacturer was getting; on the contrary,
the manufacturers always pocket the in
creased profit or else put it by as Re
serve for the purpose of fighting the
union should they make a demand fol
more pay.
"The working people have been groun(
between the upper and neither millstones
and well they Know it and knew it las
November when they cast their votes, fol
if any one element carried the Democratic
party to success it was the working peo
pie, and it was done as a protest agains
the evil results Of protection for th,
manufacturer, wrung out of the pocket
of the worker, because in reality he hat
to pay for it. The working people ais
recognized that McKinleyism restricted
J trade, and that the general prosperit.
} was bound to suffer.
"Now, in relation to the Reform
i clubs bill, which Ihave carefully read
the chief point which struck me was it
simplicity. Every one could see tn
method under which the tariff was to b
imposed, and it appeared so CAREFUL
graded that the lowest duties would fal
on those goods which enter into Amer
lean manufacture and the higher dutie
on the things that are finished, or nearl
| SO, and luxuries. This, in my estima
I ton, is real protection to American labo
! and not American monopolists. ! hav
no means Of Judging the details of tn
work in those branches of industry, out
side my own, SO do not care to pass othe
! than general opinion.
/ Sin the matter of the stone trade, wit
t which am connected, the stone cutter
D of this country have not the least fear 9
8 low tariff, but rather desire it. Th
stone workers have certainly no interes
] in high tariff on the material they use
but they can see no reason why the
s should be taxed for other things whic
!, give no benefit to the workingmen, bu
t only enrich the monopolist."