The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-03-17
WAGES AND TARIFF
Joseph Dana Miller's Views
Upon the Causes of
the Silk Strike.
HIGH PROTECTION FALLAcIES.
MeKinIeyism Makes American
Labor Cheaper Than
European.
HIGH PROTECTION FALLACIEs.
West Hoboken Strikers Awaiting
the Result of a Conference Of
Mill Owners Tonight.

bne IOrner Guy nave TesoIteu 10 dcto Vi VIZ
lence which have drawn toward them the
attention of the entire State. Various
causes are assigned for this unfortunate
state of affairs, and the calamity howlers
place all the blame for it upon the Wilson
bill The employees themselves say that
they want their share of the protective
tariff The manufacturers are SO highly
protected that they make immense profits,
and the workmen think that, instead of hav-
ing their wages lowered, they should have
them raised
A reporter of THE JERSEY CITY NEWS
called upon Mr.. Joseph Dana Miller, whose
recent letters in THE News in answer to the
tariff speech of Thomas B. Reid attracted SO
much attention, and asked his views upon
the relation of the tariff to the strikes.
AN UNFoRUNATE TIME.
1.-THE NEWS would like to have your views
ON the present strike among the silk weavers
in Paterson and West Hoboken," said the
reporter to Mr.. Miller.
II think the union of silk weayers chose
an unfortunate time to enforce the new
scale of wages. But more serious refec-
tion is suggested by the present troubles in
Paterson. 1t is the fact that we are living
in time of industrial war, when the hand
of the employe is against the capitalist and
hand of the capitalist against the employe,
and the hand of every union workman
against his non-union brother.
st is folly to talk of the evils of trades
unions in connection with uprisings such as
these. There are evils in trades unionism
and the methods by which the unions seek to
enforce their regulations. But against the
downward tendency of wages they are the
only barrier; and resting primarily as they
must upon force, their only and last resort
is strike-a refusal to work and a combined
effort to force the capitalists to 1ubmission.
This is warfare; warfare intensified In
bitterness and increased in violence as time
proceeds, as wealth concentrates as poverty
deepens, as the sense of injustice grows more
keen without a corresponding intelligent
perception of the course and the remedy
The mysterious thing is that men do not
seem to realize the nature of the volcano
over which they tread. Talk to workmen !;
how many of them feel bitterly the sense of
their own humiliation, and are nursing the
passion of resentment against WRONGS they
feel. but cannot trace to their origin. Many
of these men have lost faith in the honesty
and wisdom of their legislators. This is a
dangerous mental conditions consciousness
of wrong and loss of faith in the ballots"
THE TARIFF AND THE SENATE.
'sWhat, in your opinion, is the relation Of
the tariff to the strike of these silk weaversp
asked the reporter.
at is an attempt on the part Of the weav-
ers to get share in the profits of the mills.
These profits are abnormal, for when times
are good these mill owners aceummulate
large fortunes in brief periods. These ex-
cessive profits are made possible by system
of protection, which, if we are to believe its
advocates, is imposed entirely for the benefit
of the American workman. 1t has been
shown that the Crefeld, German, silk
weaver, though he works longer hours and
LII ft,n
Paterson weaver, who works shorter hours
and gets higher wages To put it another
way: Wages in Crefeld, Germany, are sixty
per cent. of the cost. while In Paterson they
are but thirty per cent. Which is the
cheaper laborY
ssIn view of the fact that we import silks
and silk ribbons even under the present
high rate of duty, what changes would you
advocate in the tariff on silkp
81 should advocate placing silks and silk
ribbons on the free list with everything
else, and doing it at once The effect OF
this would be to make ribbons cheaper, for
at present nearly the whole duty is added to
the price. There would be less adulterated
cotton silk ribbon, for the bulk of what IL
sold as silk has very little silk In it owing to
the high prices charged for the real silk
goods. Another effect would be that impor-
tations of silk ribbons would cease. The
pfotectionist viii wonder why this should be
goods are largely bought because they are
less apt to be adulterated than the American
article beng made where the raw material
is largely untaxed, and this applies to silk
ribbons in some degree, though to woolens
in much grenter measure: AS Ior those
and his dollar-a-day workman-for wages
in the silk mills of Paterson are but little
over dollar day-Why, with free coal,
free dyes, free machinery, there would be an
increased demand at home and abroad, by
reason of cheapened products; and abroad,
by the opening up OF foreign trade.
FREE TRADE MEANS HIGHER WAGES
ssThe silk business would go where the in
dustry was most advanced, where machinery
was most perfected. where the workmen
were most efficient, SO it would go nowhere
else but in the United States; and If the
Paterson weavers should strike Tor Iree
trade they would strike for higher wages
than most of them ever dreamed of obtain
ing .,..,,a.a 49, trada
Would not law to abolish the tariff, to
take affect at once, occasion unnece ssary
hardship, destroy or disturb values, and
bring an immediate and Overwhelming influx
of foreign goodsN
Il do not think 1t would have the effect
which you suggest. It would not occasion
an immediate disturbance of value, nor
would 1t at once be followed by increased
irnportat1Ons. flhlnK mOment now sucu q
law would effect prices in Europe. Every
ship would carry and cables flash with orders
to Europe. A few of the first Of these
would be filed, but prices would rise SO
suddenly in response to this vastly increased
demand from 10 600, 900 of people suddenly en-
franchised that for days and perhaps weeks
10 cargo of anything could pass or enter New
York harbor. Then prices would begin to
settle, industry become normal and wages,
II obedience to cheapened production and
increased demand to rise, and values slowly
but certainly to adjust themselves We
must remember that such q law would affect
ali values and it does not require an extra
ordinary effort of intellect to see that this
svollld occasion no deduction from the real
wealth Of any individual. The holder Of
sfs,ex ia trusts and monopolies, which exist
hv reason Of high tariff would lose some
WHIST. but the only way to save this class Is
Is continue to maintain trusts and mono
polies. - .-...,<.,, -
stIn tle agitation that is now going on-in
fine drift Of radical ventment among the
neople. there IS danger that the Democratic
pt bait may miss its opportunity The Re