Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-10-25

P'ti'''' anu IL titN Slldii ldht ANY an
tase of temporarily depressed condi-
tionS Of business and reckless partisan
declarations about the tariff 10 ,Otrrt
employees ~ accept starvation wages,
they cannot hope ~ have any measure
of harmony between employers and
employed when prosperous times shall
come, as they surely will in the near
future,
GN'at a> Is the interest of the work
Ing people on the wage question, il
has even yr:lvrr aspects for employers
at this particular iumcturC The man.
utacturrr who declares To his wotKing
people that he is compelled To reduce
wages because Of the Wilson tariff bill
rs 4 rule, declares what is untrue, aud
II must be but Il short time. 1T the
latest, that his employees shall learn
that he has deliberately robbed them
Ivy tal>rhnod With diStruSt thus dc.
lihcratrly created 10y employers them
selves amongst their own people, how
can they hope for amy measure of
mutual interest ON the part of the
choose between undrrpaid wages and
idlCnrSS:
We propose to deal platuly With this
question, for il is one of most vital
mony OF the industrial systems of the
country We present as an illustration
Il circular issued to the rmploNcS ol
Edward I. Steel \ co. nj their Bris
tol mills. who are asked tO accept Il
reduction of ten per cent on the very
former tariff bills This circular in
forms the old employees that the mNlS
must resume under the new tariff law
ito meet the foreign goods purchased
under the most favorable conditions
and 10y the lowest priced skilled labor
in the civilized world" and To this is
added the statement that "undrr our
present basis of pay, especially IN the
weaving departments upon most of
our goods now in demand is three
times per yard that paid in English
mills" Is this IN entirely honest pre-
employers are justified in asking II re-
duction of wages, If il is not the pre-
else truth, they are not justified,
The government under the new tariff
imposes an average tax of forty per
cent upon foreign goods such as are
manufactured at Bristol by Edward
r. steel X co. That tax is paid by
the consumers of their goods II Is
paid to enable employers to pay to
their wagc-rarnrrS forty per cent,
more on their product than is paid in
the English mills. and ii is levied sole
ly for that purpose. It Edward r.
steel X Go. have offered their rm-
ployrS the wages of English labor
in competing lines with forty per cent
added upon the product of their labor,
they have offered them what the gov.
eminent has declared belongs To them.
If they have offered them anything
less. they are denying labor its Just
rights for their own individual profit.
We are informed that the wcavrrS
employed at the Bristol mill have aver
aged about So per week, and Il rCduc-
tion of ten per cent would reduce the
wages of skilled labor to about 500
per week. Will ii br pretended that
wcaverS are employed at one third
thsc prices IN English mills We have
never heard even Il reckless partisan
campaign orator make such Il prrScn-
tatiun Of the prices of English .Wrav-
crS. and we feel entirely satisfied that
on this point the circular issued by
Edward +. steel X co. is not fair to
the labOrcrS to whom il is addressed
The protective features of our tariff
laws are intended to put our American
manufacturers upon fair equality with
competing manufacturers in any other
part Of the world, If they fail to do
that in our general productive indus
tries they are al fault. but the Wilson
bill is not At fault in that respect. The
employees in the Bristol mills are en-
titled To the average wages paid by
like competing mills abroad. with forty
per cent, added on every dollars
worth Of the product of their lnborS
Does the circular Of Edward r. Steel
Il Go. propose To pay such wages! If
it does, the firm Is right: If 1t does
not. it is wrong; and It Is especially
wrong in attempting to cocrce helpless
and starving laborers to accept less
wages than they are entitled TO under
the laws Of the country. We say en-
titled to, for the workmcn of our pro
tected mills are entitled to the protec-
ton that is given the manufacturer.
and the time has come when II II
shall be withheld as il was under the
Mckinley bill. the people Of the nation
will rise in their might and overthrow
all such taxation that Is taken from
the laborers to enrich the employers.
In addition to the forty per cent.
protection that the government gives
to Edward r steel & Co for the bcne-
fl Of tlRir labor, they have the addi-
tional advantage OF three thousand
miles Of distance and the cost Of ship.
ment Of competing goods. and they
have under The new tariff another
great ADVANTAGE In alaaYopaJ rn N, ,,,r