The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-01-23

pillar to post for explanations to justi-
fly the Payne-Aldrich tariff tax, stand
pat protectionists long ago waived the
theory that the foreigner pays the tar
iff and now stand on the assurance to
the people that prohibitiye tariff is
for the protection of American" work
ingmen.
When Schedule X, which places a
heavy tax on every article of woolen
clothing worn by every man, woman
and child In the nation, was up for dis
cussion, Aldrich, Lodge, Smoot and
other special privilege servers of the
House and Senate, declared their prin-
cipal motive in levying tax on these
articles was to protect" the "Ameri-
can" workingham In the WOODEN indus
try.
Schedule X became law, the prices
of all kinds of clothing, made wholly
of wool or partly of wool have ad-
yanced, and the combinations of mand-
facturers who contributed heavily to
the Republican party to have Schedule
X framed and passed, have made mil
lions. But how have the American"
workingmen been "protected?"
The strike of $4,000 textile workers
at Lawrence, Mass, one of many SINH
lar Illustrations which might be given,
throws some light on the subject. 1t
puts the lie to the statement that
Schedule X protects the American
| workman, because the information
shows there are scarcely any "Ameri-
can" workers left in the woolen manu-
featuring industry to protect. The
mill owners have protected" the
American" workingmen by driving
them from their employment with low
wages and unbearable working condi-
tions. and by filing their places with
contract laborers from the South of
Europe. Fifty-two different nationali-
ties are represented by the strikers at
Lawrence, and forty-five languages are
spoken there.
Bayonets and decreased wages for
the men, women and children workers,
instead of the workman's paradise pic
tured by Adrich, Lodge and Smoot, is
the definition Of Schedule K that the
mill workers at Lawrence are learn
ing by actual experience.
Bringing In Cheap Labor
| In view of the strike of textile work
ers at Lawrence, Mass, it is interest
ing to know how the woolen mill own
ers attract cheap labor to their mills
Congressman A. P. Gardner of Massa
chusetts, while speaking one day In
the House on the subject of irlmigra
ton. contributed some valuable in
formation to the subject. Mr.. Gard
ner Is a standpat protecti0nist OF the
Aldrlch school. For example" said
Mr.. Gardner, suppose am Syrian
conducting a Syrian boarding house
in the city of Lowell, Mass. Perhaps
some mill sends down to me for hands
II furnish them at somewhat lower
rate of wages than Is expected by or
binary citizen help. advance the
money for Syrian emigrants to come
over. tell them that If they do no
pay me back the money / advanced
will have them arrested; that the,
must hand over the full wages tina
they get in the mill. They are helt
in terror of the police Meanwhile
take all their wages while feed then
and keep them alive just as | woul'
feed and keep horse alive that l hat
imported for use in a livery stable.
Protecting American Labor
Whenever the steel trust has aske'
for a high tariff-tax 1t has based 1t
plea on the benevolent excuse that 1t
first wish was to protect the Amer
can workingman." Always, when tn
Republicans fixed high tarlff-tax o.
steel their orators and leaders shou
ed that it was done TO protect tn
American workingman."
Louis d. Brandeis, citing figure
' from the Federal Bureau Of Statistics
says: Under the guise of Protectin
:, American workingmen j. p Morga
( and the owners of the steel trust hav
( subjected the laborer to grossly exec
!. sive toll, and deprived him OF his III
9 erty. In England steel laborers wor
q only SIS hours week, while In th1
I country they average 72 hours weel
r About third work more than
q hours and fourth work twelve houl
i day and seven days week, wit
q an occasional "a hour day when III
!. shift is made. To work men this wa
not only makes them "old at forty" b'
necessarily degenerates the race, me
tally, morally and physically"
. Every Republican who will ask II
votes next summer will base his r
e nnest on the ulea that he wants