The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-06-25

Oiuci " uc COuVIHCeU tuHV tne pres.
ent policy Of excessive protection is
a mistake, the American public sim.
ply demands evidence that workers in
the most highly protected Industries
receive no protection whatsoever, then
the country will 60 overwhelmingly
Democratic this fall. The evidence is
accessible.
The Lawrence, Mass, strike revealed
that the men, women and children
workers in the great wooden mills
the most highly protected industry of
all-receive S., So and 81 a week wag.
es for full time. The Stanley commit.
tee showed that workers in the blast
furnace Of the steel mills-the second
most highly protected industry-work
IL hours day. seven days a week,
and are miserably treated and under.
paid.
And now comes the most damning
revelations Of all, in the report Of the
New York Factory Investigating com.
mission, showing that there are $4,000
women at work in the highly protected
factories Of New York cities, and that
the average weekly wage of these wo-
men tailors is IS. The proprietors of
the factories told the investigators
time and again that they "use women
In place of men wherever possible. as
they are cheaper and do not strike for
better wages or conditions"
The report of this commission has
been verified by independent investi.
gators of big New York newspaper
Here are some Of the ways the factor
les and mill owners protect Ameri-
can workingmen."
Boys fingers, when cut of in the
punch" machines in the metal work
ing shops, are quoted at $500 pair;
singly, they are worth $50.
Women, some Of them gray haired,
stand ten hours daily, stripping pork
and making sausage.
Women, some young and some old,
Woih a. SoiC hohih6 III thS Stcci dhu
iron foundries. while they breathe car
bon monoxide, a poisonous gas, liber-
ated by the ovens in the same room.
Women polish marble with corrosive
acids in many of the marble shops,
work that would tax the strength of 70.
bust men.
thnnoo nd ~ uht1d~Av, In
gally employed long hours, doing the
work Of adults; children can do some
classes of work as fast as men, for
So and $4 a week. In one factory the
entire output is made by children, the
only adult about the place being the
owner.
Query-The manufacturers who use
their help this way receive excessive
protection, on the plea that they desire
to protect American workingmen."
Since they are not protecting their EN-.
ployes, why should they be permitted
monopolies on their products, which
enable them to build up enormous for
tunes by overcharging the consumers
Of the nation?'
Biggest Issue Of All
How is the cost of living to be re.
duced? This is the most import mt
question before the American people.
Its solution is more vital far than the
identity of the next President.
Under the present system Of exces-
sive protection, those who toll are each
year finding 1t more difficult to make
a living. while the comparative hand
full of millionaires who chiefly reap
the benefit Of this toll spend their time
in idleness and dissipation, their for
tunes meanwhile increasing In almost
exact proportion to the increase in
cost of living.
The result is that many Americans
especially the hardworking poor, are
becoming plainly disgusted with the
way things are going; disgusted even
with the form Of government. and are
turning to socialism.
This feeling on the part of the wage.
Garner is simply history repeating 1t.
self. Extravaganza and poverty, the
history of the world shows, never made
good bed.fellows In republics designed
as cradle of liberty" II is obvious
that the high cost Of living problem
should be solved before the unrest
grows greater. The earlier II is set
tied, the better for the republic. Which
party will solve 1t. the Republican par
ty or the Democratic party? The Re-
publican theory has always been that
the heavier the tariff tax on the things
eaten. worn or used by the people.
the better for that people. The Demo
cratic theory Is that to- reduce taxa
tion Is to reduce prices. The people
must choose between the two policies,
the policy of protection or the policy
of merely enough tariff to raise sufii.
cient revenue to meet the actual ex-
penses Of the government.
Why Slight Good Roads?
The United States spends annually