The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-01-27

grinds the flesh OF the men, women
and children of textile mills against
the upper milestone Of trade.
Those who complain of higher
prices of shoddy of cotton where
there should be wool to protect hui
man flesh from winter chill, should
know all about Lawrence, because
Lawrence is positive proof OF the big
double-jointed political trayesty.
Business and Politics.
You are familiar with the cheerful
jargoI OF business and standpat polit-
ical interests regarding the merits OF
a protective tariff. They have led you
TO believe that it's all right for you
TO ray high prices for your wool and
cotton clothes because we arc a very
prosperous nation, live to q high stan
dard and our manufacturers must be
protected against the European en-
ployers of pauper labor. You should
not kick at paying $3.50 yard for
serge which retails at 78 cents in
London. II the wool trust didn't have
a protective tariff on serge that cheap
English product would be sent here
and what, oh, what would become OF
the serge weavers of New England?
Sounds reasonable, doesn't IL?
Listen again:
This article is being written at a
window facing the main street of Law
renee, city OF S5,S92 people drawn
from all parts of the world, mainly
from southern Europe. Fringing the
curbs of the street are files of militia
men in khaki, shouldering rifles with
bayonets fixed. In the distance
drums are beating, flies screeching
Yankee Doodle.
Fifteen thousand citizens are march.
ing men are Haunting Betsy Ross
foL Women are Juggling babies, wrap
ped in cotton shawls. Boys and girls
by tho hundreds are passing. Snow
Is up TO their ankles and they blow
their fingers and shrhg shoulders,
for II is a zero day and all are poorly
clad--though they are the people who
weave the cloth that clothes the ma
ticn
Here comes a squad of Fre1ch-Can-
adams, singing the Marseillalse When
thu marchers pass the locked gates
of a gaunt and silent mill, across tine
way, they boo and laugh. A swarthy
Italian woman has wrapped an Am
ericar flag over her shoulders and Is
Historically rushing through the file,
giving orders TO the marchers, TO the
amusement OF all.
The so militia men laugh and talk
with the paraders. Most of these sol
diers are weavers. Their fathers,
mothers, brothers, sisters, wives and
sweethearts are among the marchers.
The guns in their belts, the clubs at
their hips, are by order of the state
and these boys, most of them on
strike themselves. stand on duty in
fulfillment OF the oath of a soldier OF
the state.
The marchers understand this and all
along the line it's Hello, Jim do you
get enought to eat down at the arm
ory?" and Sure, Mike. much eats.
How's mother7"
The motley, babbling throng weaves
a crooked course to the common,
where there is speakers stand.
Here comes Joe Ettor, smart little
italian union organizer, 26 years old,
red cheeks glowing, brown eyes spark
link and as picturesque a figure as
any Victor Hugo imagined as the
builders of the barbados of Paris.
Joe mounts the stand and laughs as
he talks
This is a good day for cold feet,
Z but we amt got cold feet on this
strike. however"
Those, who understand English yell
in chorus. you bet we haven't, Joe. .
aud then there is a babble of poly
glot tongues and soon the whole
strange audience has received the
word and they all laugh win Joe.
Here then. is the other side Of the
dollar problem Here is the proof of
the gigantic tariff lie. AZ poor as
the poorest OF the ultimate consum-
ers are the original producers. Thirty
thousand OF these people went on
srtike. Jan. IL, because they could not
live and accept a cut of about % cents
per week
In addition TO the free soup kitchen
tho union is giving hundreds OF bags
of coke to keep the penniless hun
dreds from freezing. SO horrible was
The tragedy wrought by the strike
that a member c. The legislature OF
ihis great and rich commonwealth
asked the state to appropriate $4,000