Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1894-06-20
Communicated.

uT6 now important lC IS TO keep OH the
grass" think deserve little notori-
ETY. too. / once was puddler by trade,
In Pittsburg. / was wild republican,
republican without sense or reason.
1t was the browning pride of my life to
be one of the 5000 majority In the
"Old Keystone state. voted for pro-
lection because protection kept wages
high. and bread and butter on my ia
bic. For years, worked in the steel
rail mills. The men who could do my
work were few and far between; so my
wages remained high. But finally one
of my brother puddlers invented new
process by which the work we were do
ing was rendered far less difficult; and
as Joe was confidential friend, he let
me into the secret, and often we con-
graduated ourselves on the fact that we
could do our daily work much easier
when his new process was introduced.
After much red-tape with the patent
office he succeeded in getting it patent
ed, and Immediately sold it. not realiz-
ing Its immense value, to a monied
man for several thousand dollars which
bought him a comfortable little home.
But the better days we looked for, we
are looking for still. 1 always voted
high protection, because they told me
if my employers made liberal profit,
he would then continue to pay me high
wages. didn't think much about 1t
myself. My employer was a clever genial
fellow and of course, 1 thought he
knew, and l voted accordingly. But
when my partners new method was
put into use, men of less skill than our
selves could do our work. Steel rails
were produced more cheaply and sold
as high as ever. Now of course, under
republican theory, my genial employer
should raise my wages. Did he do so?
L was given to understand that other
men could fill my place for less money
and must not therefore growl at re-
duction. Meanwhile 800 foreigners
were shipped into the places of my
comrades who would not accept a re-
duction; our employer erected brown
stone front, and went On to work at
20 per cent less. The new process did
MT shorten the hours of my labor or
make it easier / only worked harder
under machine process and produced
more for less pay. | wondered why
the patent protection should cause my
generous employer to lower wages and
ship in foreigners who to me, seemed
degraded companions, when he was
making larger profits and building
brown stone fronts. But L saw no use
in grumbling, and kept still and work
ed hard and thought harder. Mean
while Carnegie's patent went off from
the steel process, and the price of rails
suddenly dropped to fraction of
what it was before. This was the ex-
cuse for another 25 per cent cut which
under the circumstances, we could do
nothing but patiently hear; but L no.
ticed that the fall in the price of rails
was many times greater than the fall in
wages, so they might at least have di-
vided profits before the fall. Still
voted my ticket, for high protection;
and as Bill Mckinley taught US that it
was foreign competition that hurt us,
and we needed more protection. l
shouted and worked hard for more pro-
lection and looked of course, for higher
wages. But, alas! 1t was not long
until a number of the men who voted
against high protection were replaced
BY negroes, and finally L was told that
L must go too; but successfully prov.
ed that l had voted as desired and was
retained with evident reluctance.
Meanwhile other mills were closing
down and strikes were everywhere, so
| feared might be unable to obtain
work if thrown out of job. Election
came on again, so as had lost consid-
cradle faith in Mckinley, 1 ventured a
democrat vote. A short time after we
were given notice of 10 per cent cut.
We could not stand 1t. We told our
employers so. The cut was stayed, but
only for few months. Then we, too,
struck. Negroes took our place. Out
of work, out of credit; with a home
partly paid for. l was desperate. My
wife took in wash and started to hunt
new place. All about the region l
went, begging, almost with tears in my
eyes, for something to do. Each time
l was asked where / last worked, and
told to call next day; each time, next
day brought the word I'VE don't want
you" About this time a friend of
mine who 'stood in" with the COM
pany called and said he was sorry for
me, and being friend, wanted to help
me. You are black-listed" SAID be;
but if you will promise the manager
to stand by them the next time the
men get rampant and go to tramping
on the grass of the Office lawn, l will
get you a better place than BEFORE
To this 1 replied Indignantly. that l
would be 10 mans slave. VERY well,
Phil" said he, 1 am sorry; but L see no
other show for you" Convinced that
work was hopeless there, determined
to go elsewhere. / had no money, and
walked. You see, had been a leader
in the strike; failed to keep off the
grass of the Office lawn.
But this is not all. While tramping,
my shoes and clothes wore out. So
while reclining on the grass of nice
Ohio town, resting on my way to mill.
I was taken in charge by blue coated
thug, and impounded like dumb brute.
l had no money and nothing to eat. /
failed, you see to keep off the village
grass. Finally however. poor farmer.
God bless him, took pity on me and
gave me few days work. Sick at
heart, returned home, to help my wife
do washing for living. Most of my
companions in the strike were scatter
Cd n tho four uinda Thar b0y11no In of