The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-10-01
WHO ARE THE FRIENDS OF
LAROR2

In these Mark Hanna days Of corruption
and Doodle, when every effort Is being
made by the gold standard advocates TO
corral the votes of the men who work
with their hands, by pretense OF proteo-
tion to labor, but for no other purpose
than to further reduce wages and bring
the wage Garner down to level with
European labor, 1t is gratifying to be
able to point to the record Of man who,
while mem Der Of Congress, was instru-
mental In securing to the American work
ineman real protection, that the much
vaunted Mckinley bill never gave him.
Prior to the year 1875 the contractors
for our public buildings and improve
ments on our northern border, and for
the building of the looka In the Sault
Ste. Marie Canal, obtained from Canada
the necessary building stone and material
and had them prepared by Canadian
workingmep, outside OF the United States,
but they were paid by appropriation of
American money by the United States
Congress.
General Sherwood, as q member OF
the Forty.third Congress, had bis etten-
tlon called to this by the Stone Cutters
Union of his district, and at once set
about correcting the evil.
Public buildings and improvements
were at that time under the direction OF
the Secretary of War, and all appropria-
tions Of that character were provided for
in the Army appropriation bill. when
House Bill No. $3.50, the Army appro-
priation bill, was under consideration in
the Forty-third Congress on February
10, 1875, General Sherwood, the member
of Congress from the Sixth District OF
Ohio, by unanimous consent, submitted
the foil owing resolution which was read,
considered and agreed to-
Resolved, That when the Army appro'
priatlon bill shall be under consideration,
1t shall be in order to consider the fol
lowing amendment:
"'In all contracts for material for any
public Improvement the Secretary OF War
shall give preference for American ma
terial, and all labor thereon shall be per-
formed within the jurisdiction Of the
United States 4"
Later in the session, upon the final
passage of the pill, the following appears
In the Congressional Record:
"Mr. Sherwood-I offer the following
amendment, which was made in order
under a suspension of the rules" A.
Add to the bill the following:
"In all contracts for material for any
public improvement the Secretary ots.War
shall give preference ID American ma.
terial and all labor thereon shall be per-
formed within the jurisdiction of the
United States
1.-THE amendment was agreed to-"
This bill passed the House, was con.
CURED in by the Senate, and became a
law, and is law today. sss.
We have looked in vain in all the legis.
lation introduced by Major SMcKinley,
in his long term as Congressman from
Ohio, wherein, by word, act, or. deed, he
added single line to the laws OF this
, country that counted for as much to
Union labor as this amendment,s intro.
duced and passed through the instru'
mentality of General Sherwood. The
protection promised to American labor
by the Republican party has always
failed to reach the wage. Garner. Not a
} single protected industry of the country
a added single cent to the wages or pro-
vided an additional days work tc
American labor under the Mckinley law
On the other hand, these protected indus
3 tries imported foreign pauper labor tt
. take the place of American workiugmer
and reduced wages below the starvation
point.