Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-09-21
TARIFF AND WAGES.
WHAT THE eLAsswoRKERs THINK
or THE MKINLEY BILL

Protection to Their Industry Brings low
er Wages and Unsteady Employment-A
Revision Of the Tari1 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. 20 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
and means and oppose the passage of the
Mckinley bill. At the time of its pas
sage he predicted that an increase of the
tariff would precipitate business revolu-
ton and financial disaster. How well
he guessed the future is best told by the
results which have followed.
IN 1888 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-
hcan party would reduce and revise the
tariff instead of increasing it, and every
election held since 1888 the friends of
lower tariff duties have been successful.
Mr.. Macbeth displays good Judgment
IL aoxra That %Ifa ,1-a
pared to compete with the world in iron
and steel. If in these metals, why not
in glass? 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 i'm
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 make 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 if we had foreign mar
kets for our wares and had American
ships to distribute our products? 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 a 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
making big man out of very light ma
terial 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 q benefit. They
are the last to learn. Only 6 realization
by the trying times we are passing
through has brought about this change.
"We have been led to believe that
high tariff meant high wages. The fall
sity of this is ezemplified by the notice
Of reduction of wages in the iron and
steel mills and glass factories. We read
in the newspapers that notice has been
posted in such and such mills and facto-
ries that wages would be reduced from
II per cent upon those earning $3.50 per
day, and is per cent upon those earning
above that amount per diem, and this in
the face of the highest protection ever
known in this county. 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-
tanning wages than all the Mckinley
bills you can pass till doomsday. We
have always been in favor of a moderate
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 commis6ion, embracing
all the classes, farmers, 1aborers, manu-
facturers and merchants, to adjust it,
, we would have a rest and give the coun-
| try trial of moderate tariff. We would
soon recuperate, and business would re-
vive.
"If 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 te
give our people cheap water transporta-
ton. How can we appropriate what we
have not got? Now is the time to econ.
omize by lessening the expenses of the
government. Make these harpies, who
neither toll nor spin, work and produce
instead of being idle consumers. Now
is the time to relieve the people of thei1
unnecessary burden.
Revise the tariff, open up other mar.
| kets to our manufacturers, build Amer.
ican ships to carry our wares all over
the world, strike off the pension list ali
persons who were not wounded or dis.
!; abled and are able to earn living. We
think any soldier who served his coun-
try and contracted disease or was dis.
abled is entitled to pension, but many
are on the rolls who never were touched
and who never contracted any disease il
the service"
To sustain prices the Sugar trust re-