The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1900-10-26
His Record In Support of the interests
of American Workingmen.
CHAMPION OF THEIR RIGHTS.
For twenty-five Years the President Has Made
Constant Efforts In Their Behalf

There is no better friend Of Amerl-
can labor than William Mckinley.
During the g. years since the begin.
ming OF his participation in national
legislation lie has repeatedly shown his
devotion TO the interests OF the work
insman. The quotations from his
speeches here given are from public
addresses. aud they are necessarily in.
complete AMI fragmcntary, being In all
cases brief extracts from speeches and
addresses. They are sufficient. how
ever. 10 show that William Mckinley
las been At every stage Of his career
and on all occasions an avowcd. ear
nest and persistent friend Of labor and
Of its protection and Of the advance Of
lts interests by every Legitimate means.
In a speech In congress on April IL.
1878. MIR. Mckinley first took posi-
lion In regard TO this question. He
said. In reference to n proposition for
reducing wages:
II must protest against this or any
other measure which looks TO the seal
Ing down Of the wnGes OF labor. - .
Reduce the tariff and labor is the first
TO suffer. The difference between the
present and the proposed rate of duty
must be made UP somewhere. must nc
compensated In some way. As always
has been the case. when economy In
production Is TO be studied. the manu-
facturcr looks to his pay roll OF labor
and commences there first. 1t Is
our duty. aud we ought TO protect ~
sacrctlly and assuredly the labor and
the Industry Of the United Stntcs as
We would protect her honor from talpt
or her territory from invasion. We
ought tn take care Of our own nation
aud her industries first
Again. on the 9th of April 1SS2. he
said in the house OF representatives:
The fundamental argument for pro-
lection * lis benefits to labor. No
worthy American wants Ia reduce the
price of labor In the United States. II
ought not 10 be reduced. For the sake
Of the laborcr AMI his family anu tile
good OF society II ought To he main
tanned To increase II would he in bet
Ter harmony with the public sense.
Our labor must not hc dchas,El nor our
laborcrs degraded 10 the level of slaves.
nor any paupcr or scrvilc system in
any form nor under any guisc whIiso-
ever mt home or abroad. our clviliEa-
ton will not permit 1t: our humanity
forbids IL: our traditions are opposed
10 It."
Mases Higher Here Than Elsewhere.
In the house April 30. 1884. Mr.. Nc
Kinley made this statement:
we must not reduce the price paid
TO labor. II Is already sufficiently low.
We can only prevent II by defeating
this dow tariff bill and It should he
done without unnecessary delay = the
sooner the hettcr-and remove thismen-
ace which hangs over all of our Indus
trial life AMI threatens the comfort
and independence Of millions OF Amer
lean workiugmcn.
Al Petersburg. Va. he cloluently
championed the cause OF protection 10
American labor. chasing n follows:
The chief ground upon which we
can justify protcctiv" tariff to-day Is
that II Is in the interest of American
lahor-AmcricaS black labor rs we'll
aS American white labor-and the pro-
tcciive tariff we want Is u lax Sutii-
cicnt 10 make mp the difference be-
tween the prices paid labor in Europe
and the prices paid labor in America"
In a speech nj Goston Feb. .. 1883,
Mr.. Mckinley said:
Every yard OF cloth Imported here
makes demand for one yard less of
American fabrication. Let England
take care OF herself. Let France look
aficI her interests. lei Germany take
care Of her own people. but in Gods
name let Americans look after Amer
.ca. loud applause Every ton Of
steel Imported diminishcs that much
of home production. Every blow struck
on the other side upon an article which
comes mere in competition with like
articles produced here makes the tie
mand for one blow less NJ home. Ev-
cry days labor upon thu. foreign prod.
ucts sent TO the United States takes
ono days labor from American work
in.men. would give the days labor
10 our own first. last AMI all The time.
and that policy which fails in this Is
opposed TO American interests. To Sc
cure This is the great purpose OF a pro-
tective tariff
Labor Mu.t Re We'll Pnid.
AT Cleveland. Oct. j, 1881:
Il do not prize the word cheap. Cheap
merchandise means cheap men. and
cheap men mean cheap country. and
that is not the kind Of government our
fathers founded. and ii is not the Kind
their sons mean 10 maintain. LAP.
plause.l II you want cheap things. 20
where you can get them. That is where
you belong. This is not your abiding
plaee. We want labor TO he well paid;
We want the products Of the farm: we
wan. mechanical products: we want
everything we make and produce 20
pay fair compensation 10 the pro-
Queer. That is what makes good times:
that is what protective tariffs mean
a, ,,,,,.,,.,tf In nm address on Sept