Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-08-08
A Mlsstatement Exposed.

L
/ The New York Tribune insults the
Intelligence of it readers by printing
this plain misstatement in a recent is
sue: ..In October, 1892. the last month
before the Presidential election, which
turned over the law making and ex-
ecutive power to the Democratic party
the mills and furnaces of the country
were fully employed and hands were
getting the best wages. on the whole,
| they have ever received. As mat
ter of fact, reduction of wages set iu
within a year after the Mckinley tar
| iff law went into operation. and lock-
outs and shut-downs were common oc-
currences during the whole of the
year 1892. In the midsummer of that
year, when the Homestead slaughte r
occurred, wages had reached the lowest
| point in the history of the country
since the beginning of the war, and
| there were more idle mills, factories
| and men than at any previous time in
the history of the country.
In proof of this, take the industrial
record. The Mckinley law went into
operation October 6, 1890. On Feb
ruary /. 1891, the Bethlehem Iron Co., !,
reduced wages 10 per cent. On jan
uary /. 1891, the Carnegie Steel works
reduced wages 9 per cent: February
! 21 of the same year 1000 men were let
out. April made another reduction
of 5 per cent. August l5 800 men
were discharged, and on July 1, 1892.
$500 men struck against n heavy re-
duction and bloody riot ensued. On
January 8, 1851, the Illinois Steel
works, at Chicago, discharged 1900
men and reduced the wages of their
other employees. August II, 1892. the
Milwaukee Iron Works, owned Ivy the
same company, reduced wages 10 per
cent. On January %. 1891, fifteen
blast furnaces in the Mahoning valley,
Ohio. and Shenango valley. Pennsyl-
vania, closed, turning 10000 men out
of employment. June II Of the same
year the wages at the remaining fur
naces owned by that company were re-
duced 10 per cent, and on April 10.
1892, there was another cut of 10 per
cent. On January 15 and II and May
IA the three furnaces of Laughlin &
Co., Pittsburg, were closed On Janu-
ary II. 1891. the Pennsylvania Steel
works, at Stullic, Pa, reduced wages
10 per cent. and on January % and
May 80, respectively. the Cambria Iron
Co., at Johnstown, Pa, reduced wages
10 per cent. making total of 20 per
cent. The Crane Iron Co., Allentown,
Pa, reduced wages 10 per cent. Feb
ruary 2. 1891; the Illinois Steel Co., at
Joliet. locked out 2 800 men on March
6, 1891, and after period of idleness,
the reduction was accepted. On July
2. 1892, another reduction OF As per
cent. was ordered, and the plant shut
down, resulting in compromise on
August 8, 1891, on the basis of re-
duction of % per cent. On August II
another cut of 10 per cent. was Or
dered, and carried. The Edgar Thomp-
son Steel works, at Pittsburg, closed
March 10, 1891, and reopened at great |
ly reduced wages October 25, 1891. |
On April 10. 1892. some of the work
men were discharged, and August 6.
1892, two of the big furnaces shut
down. The Reading Iron Co., at
Reading, Pa, reduced wages 10 per
cent April 2. 1891, closed one mill
February %. 1892, made redution of
10 per cent. April II, 1892, and closed
two furnaces July 18, 1892.
These represent only single indus
try, and the very extensive operations
in that line. The Lackawanna Iron
and Steel Co., Scranton, Pa. the Lo-
chiel furnaces. Harrisburg. Pa. the
Junction Iron and Steel Co., MingO
Junction, Ohio, and. in fact. every iron
and steel works of every description in
the United States followed 10 the course
Of those named, and the measure of
distress that prevailed was pitiable.
The same conditions existed in all the
other industries of the country, and in
dustrious and willing workers to the
number of millions were forced almost
to the point of starvation. It was on
this account. more than any other,
that the Presidential election .s.turnei
over the law making and executive
power to the Democratic party" and
because the evils have been corrected
aud prosperity restored that party will
be retained in power indefinitely
K C. Times.
s.It is the best patent medicine in
the world is what Mr.. E. M. Hart
mant. of Maequam. Oregon. says of
Collie. Cholera and
Remedy what leads me