Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-08-03
NATIONAL POLITICS
The CAMPAIGN OUTLOOK FROM
THE,CAPITAL.
WOrkingmen Conceded TO Hold Bal
anCe OF Power, and the Trusts are
Going to be Good TO Them Until
After Their Votes are Secured at
the November Election.
Especial Correspondence.

NopctIdl wi / cS SpOluGuCt.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., July go
The result of the national campaign
will largely be determined by the
voters of the laboring men, In for
mer campigns, after deducting those
who voted the Socialist ticket, what
is known us the labor vote has been
about equally divided between the
two parties. In the states where
the highly tariff protected indus
tries are ensconced, such as Pennsyl-
vania, New Jersey and Ohio the
workmen employed in the Iron and
steel and glass and textile and pot
terry industries have mostly voted
the Republican ticket. These work
men have been led to believe that
their employment depended upon the
Republican policy of tariff protec-
tiOn and only through that policy,
as the Republican national platform
declares, can be maintained the
high standard of living of the wage
earners of this country. who are the
most direct benefciaries of the pro-
tective system" This year, how
ever, it seems probable that the
workingmen of even the highly pro-
tected industries are demanding
something more than tariff protec-
ton, and Government by injunc-
ton is the paramount issue with
them.
The highly protected steel trust
managers evidently feel that some
thing must be done to hold the la
Dor vote for the Republican party
and II. c. Frick, who broke the
Homestead strike in 1892, and who
is now one of the managers of the
Steel Trust has set about to do it,
The plan is laid down in a dispatch
dated July 30, from Pittsburg to
the New York Sun. 1t informs the
public that:
THE H. C. Frick Coke company
today placed orders with many en-
plOyment agencies in Pittburg for
men to work at the coke ovens in the
Connellsville field. One stipulation
is that all must be Americans, or at
least must have been residents of
the United States for a certain num-
ber of years.
"One Pittsburg employer yester-
day let the contract for 100 houses
for his miners, each house to have a
bathroom
The dispatch you will observe
paid, but undoubtedly the pay to
these Americans will be the same as
it was to the foreigners, heretofore
employed, but the Americans are to
have bathrooms if they can pay the
extra rent charged for that luxury
The Bulletin of the Bureau of La
Dor just published by the Depart
ment of Commerce and Labor, con-
tains the latest official report on
the wages paid to coke workers in
Pennsylvania for 1906. AS that was
III tllc iClSnl vi tHt iilc u uSl DOOlu
wages were then at the highest
point. So the Americans are not
likely to be now paid higher wages.
The report says;
There were 1880 coke workers
to whom were paid wages amount
ing on an average yearly wage of
$526.60, That was equal to SAG a
month or S1.70 day of 26 working
days in month At the high cost
of living, in consequence of the tar
if protecting the trusts. an Ameri
can workman would not revel in
luxury on such wages. although
bathrooms were thrown in free,
though the Steel Trust, which con-
trolls the Frick Coke industry did
make such enormous profits that it
paid good dividends on hundreds of
millions of watered stock. Still if
it is true that over twelve thousand
coke workers, all Americans, are to
be put to work at $l.70 per day, it
is a great improvement if not actual
prosperity for these men, who have
been practically idle for the past six
months.
But somehow l feel it will be well
to await further advices before be-
lieving this good news. The bath
room story casts doubt over my
mind. 1t is too altruistic to be
credited to the Steel Trust and Pitts
burg.
The story has the earmarks of