Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1908-07-30
THE LABOR VOTE A
PROMINENT FACTOR
In the Great Contest Now on Between
Bryan and Taft.
REPUsLIcAN LEADERs ALARMED

The Great Trusts Doing All IN Their
Power to Restore Confidence Of
the wOrkInsmen In the Protective
Tariff Policy.
Especial corresDondence.)
washington, ID c., July 2s. The re.
suit Of the National campaign will
largely be determined BY the votes Of
the laboring men. In former cam
paigns. after deducting those who
voted the Socialist ticket, what Is
known as the labor vote has been
about equally divided between the
two parties. In the States where the
highly tariff-protected industries are
ensconced, such as Pennsylvania.
New Jersey and Ohio. the workmen
employed in the iron and steel and
glass and textile and pottery indus
tries have mostly voted the Republi-
can ticket. These workmen have been
led 70 believe that their employment
depended upon the Republican policy
OF tariff protection and only through
that policy as the Republican Ma
tional platform declares, can be
maintained "the high standard Of liv-
ing OF the wage earners Of this coun-
try, who are the most direct beneficiaT-
les Of the protective system" This
year, however. Il seems probable that
the workingmen OF even the highly
protected industries are demanding
something more than tarifE protection
and Government by Injunction" IL the
paramount issue with them.
The hIghly-protected steel trust
managers evidently feel that some
thing must be done TO hold the labor
vote for the Republican party and n,
@. Frick. who broke the Homestead
strike In 1892, and who Is now one
OF the managers OF the steel trust. has
set about 10 do IT, The plan Is laid
down IN q dispatch dated July 20.
from Plttsburg 70 The New York Sun,
II informs the public that:
"The II. c. Frlck Coke Company
today placed orders with many EN-.
ployment agencies IN Plttsburg for
men TO work at the coke ovens In the
ConnellsyilIe field. One stipulation
II that all must be Americans. or at
least must have been residents Of
the United states for a certain mum.
Der Of years.
Zone Pittsburg employer yesterday
let the contract for 100 houses for
his miners, each house TO have 4
bathroom"
The dispatch YOU viii observe says
nothing about the wages TO be paid.
but undoubtedly the pay TO these
Americans will be the same az II was
60 the Foreigners. heretofore employ.
cd. but the Americans are 10 have
bathrooms u they can pay the extra
rent charged for that luxury
The Bulletin OF the Bureau OF Labor
Just published by the Department Of
Commerce and Labor. contains the
latest otiiclal report ON the wages paid
20 coke workers IN Pennsylvania for
1906 AZ that was In the height Of
the late trust boom, wages were then
At the highest point, SO the Ameri.
cans are not likely 10 Ne now paid
higher wages The report says;
There were 1880 coke workers.
20 whom were paid wages amounting
80 AN average yearly WAGE Of s5d260
'That was equal 20 SIS month or
sL7o a day Of 70 working days h a
month" Az the hlgh cost o. living,
N consequences OF the tarlr protect.
ing the trusts. an American work.
man would not reyel IA luxury ON such
wages, although bathrooms we're
thrown In free. though the steel trust.
which controls the Prick coke il.
inslry, did make such enormous prof.
ITS that Il paid good dividends ON
hundreds ~ mlilsons o. walered stock.
sun Il Il d, true that over twelve
thousand coke workers AL Americans.
are 10 be put 70 work az si.go per
day. Il Is a great Improvement Il no,
actual prosperity Cor those meR. who
have been practically idle Tor ne
past Six months
flut somehow feel Il win b. vel
40 await further adsiees before ~.
ilesng IRIS good news The hath.
room story casts donbt over nay
mind a A too altrulstic 10 10 credit.