The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-24
THE FIGURES TALK
Knocking Republican Tariff
Claims Endwise.
Senator Simmons Shows by the Commissioner
of Labor's Report Condition Of our
Workingmen,
Workingmen.
Especial to News and observer0

Especial to News and ODSeINei'J
Salisbury. n. c., Oct. Ex-senator Sim
mons spoke here tonight to a represen-
tative crowd of business, professional ana
laboring men. He made most impress
sive and convincing speech. one or the
most powerful. in fact, heard in SANS
bury for many years His remarks with
reference to the effect of the tariff laws
on the mill operators were both original
and striking The speech aroused the
profoundest interest of all who heard
Senator Simmons and did much good
here.
Speaking of Republican claims that the
Dingley tariff has helped the working
people of this State. Senator Simmons
said:
The Republicans claim that the Dingley
tariff has benefited labor in this State
The report of Mr.. Warner, our Commits
sioner of Labor for the year 1901 does not
sustain this contention. This report
shows that in ffty-three of the
ninety seven counties of this State the
financial condition of our working people
is poor and that in forty of these coun-
ties their condition is not only poor but
port shows that labor in the agricultural
counties is in better condition than IN
the manufacturing counties. In the great
manufacturing county of Rutherford the
financial condition of our working people
is reported poor and not improving; in
Rockingham poor and not improving; in
Montgomery AROr and not improving; in
Cumberland poor and not improving; in
Forsyth poor and not improving; in
Cleveland poor and not improving in
Lincoln poor and not improving: in Ca
barrus poor and not improving; in Neck
lenburg poor and not improving; in Dur
ham bad and not Improving in Mitchell,
the home of mica, poor and not improy-
inc.
The improved financial condition Of
farm labor in this State is, not due to the
tariff, because the staple products of the
farm are not protected. But the unpros-
porous condition of the operatives in the
cotton mills of this State is due i'm a very
large measure directly to the high and
oftentimes prohibitory schedules of the
Dingley tariff These prohibitory sche
dulles have brought disaster alike upon
the mill owner and mill operatives in this
State. BY fostering mOnopolistic trusts,
they have raised the cost of living to
these operatives. and by excluding foreign
importations they are closing, and in
many instances have already closed, the
doors of foreign markets to the surplus
products of these mills. and have thereby
brought about condition. of congestion
and stagnation in this industry which has
made an increase in wages impossible.
II the country is as prosperous as Re-
publicans tell us it is, if Imperialism or
colonialsm. or whatever name you may
give to our new foreign policy, is such a
great blessing to our cotton mills and
their employees; if the Dingley tariff
means prosperity to our manufacturing
industries and their operatives, will some
one please tell me why the cotton mills of
North Carolina are making no money and
the laborers in these mills arc poor and
getting no richer?