CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1904-09-08
Sentiment OF Workmen at the
Big Iron Mills at Bay
View, Wisconsin.
Dlsocaaer FOR FREE TRADE
iaferaai ceaierescs si Eas,syss q
which the Repsbllesa ssl Deas.
erstie Tariff Piasks We're
Diseased.


In the big Bayview iron mills and In 9th,
sr manufacturing establishments Ia this
vicinity have begun to- concern them
selves over the question OF how far their
interests are concerned In the coming
political campaign This IL entirely In
dependent OF the efforts OF the politicians.
and has nothing Whatever TO do with
the relations between the two parties In
this Stnte. The American workinEman
10 himself an educated finished product.
and he can no longer be attracted to this
or that political party by mere clap-trap
or by the insincers appeal Of unscrupu-
lcus demagogues. He has learned to
study out economic questions for himself,
and be has begun TO do this in the pres
snt campaign. on the theory that his own
living may be At stake, and that his vote
should be cast. not TO suit his sentiments
but 10 suit his own interests.
Making an Investigation.
Among the men from the iron mills.
this spirit Of Investigation has taken .
deep hold and already they have instj-
tuted several Independent Inquiries.
There have been quite 4 number of In
formal conferences. and Q number Of the
leader have begun to study the plat
form adopted At Chicago. and that adopt
ed At St Louis. These men have ignored
the personality OF Roosevelt and OF Par
ker ~ well. They have eliminated from
consideration the general folnIgn policy
Of the Eovernmest. the Philippine ques-
ton. the Panama canal. and everything
else which does not bear directly upon
the interests of the workingmsn. They
do not believe the platform treatment
Of tho labor question as such. or any
mere declarations of either party should
weigh much. but they have instituted
careful comparison OF the founda ton
principles and of the modern record Of
the Republicans and the Democrats. 70
far - II relates to the actual well being
Of the iaboring man to-day.
Almost everyone Of these labor lead
ers who has gone Into the question with
out regard TO political prejudice has be-
come convinced that In the treatment Of
the tariff question. the iaboring men OF
the United States will end the one great
isaue Of the political campaign OF 1904.
In the lumber csmps OF Wisconsin and
among the Iron mills. there are plenty
OF men Jet In positions of responsibility
In labor organization who remember the
terrible period from 1880 TO 1897. and
they have already begun 10 study every
phase Of the tariff question and TO con-
trast the record of the two parties ON
thia snbiect
The Republican Declarations.
As far a. they have progressed. these
representative workinEmen have discov-
cred that the two parties are really more
widely apart and their differences are
more distinctly outlined. on the tariff.
perhaps. than upon any other issue con-
tained In either of the platforms. At
an informal conference of Iron workers
the other night there was . friendly de-
bate between two Representatives Of tho
two great parties. The first speaker read
the tsnn plank Of the Republican plat
form a. follows.
Protection. which guards and develops
our industries. In q cardinal principal OF
the Republican party. The measure Of
protection should always. AT least. equal
the difference In the cost Of production
At home and abroad"
This declaration Of principles. II was
admitted By thoss present at the confer
ence. was In every way clear and satis-
factory. The Issue was fairly stated,
and those present expressed themselves
without hesitation as being satisfied that
the policy of protection to American In
duxtries would probably remain for
generation, . cardinal principle" Of the
Republican party.
The Dsmocratic Plank.
The Democratic leader started In to
read the platform adopted at 1t. Louis,
whirh begins its tariff plank with the
words;
1--WE denounee protection a. a robbery
OF the many to enrich the few, and we
favor . tari1 limited to the needs Of the
government economically administered"
He was at once met By . hre OF ques-
lions a. To whether this did not bring
the Issue directly before the American
1aboring man. no that he must choose at
once between protection and free trade.
voting for Roosevelt II he believed In pro-
lection and voting for Parker IL he be-
iieved In free trade.
The Democratic representative at this
significant shop-taik made the plea that
the platform adopted at st. Louis did not
actually mean free trade. hut that Il was
intended to pledge the party merely to
. fair aud equitable revision Of the tariff.
% ns to curb the power OF the trusts and
prevent the creation Of monopolIss. He
declared that the Democratic leadern ~
= whole were tnrin reformers rather than
free traders, aud he urged that II was
unfair to draw the lines 10 sharply, be.
cnusc the Democrats In their plank ou
the tariff question make . declaration In
favor Of q revision and gradual reduc-
tion Of the tariff.
seutinsns Toward Rspubiicass.
AT tho hrxt OF these Conferences, the
sentiment was strongly In favor Of the
Republicans on the one Issue Of protec-
tion, but two or three men who had
tcen accustomed to vote the Democratic
ticket sukgcsted that an adjournment
should be had. during which tine they
expected to bring mp the record OF
number OF the party irnders In Congress-
ne h. - -. sh..e
thu party orgAnsEa ton M q whole thco-
retically believes that Protection IL
robbery" the real leaders Of the party.
the men who would have the maslnR or