The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-01-30
WASHINGTON NEWS.
BY c. II. Tavenner.

washington, driven from Pill
lar to post for explanations to
justify the Payne-Aldrich tariff
tax, stand-pat protectionists long
ago waived the theory that the
foreigner pays the tariff and now
stand on the assurance to tn"
people that prohibitive tariff is
for the protection of American"
workingmen.
When Schedule X. which
places a heavy tax on every arti-
Gle of WOODEN clothing worn by
every man, woman and child in
the nation, was up for discussion,
Aldrich, Lodge, Smoot and other
special privilege servers of the
House and Senate, declared their
principal motive in levying a tax
on these articles was to protect"
the American" workingmen in
the woolen industry.
Schedule X. became a law, the
prices of all kinds of clothing
made wholly of wool or partly of
wool have advanced, and the
combinations Of manufacturers
who contributed heavily to the
Republican party to have Seized
ule K. framed and passed, have
made millions. But how have
the American" workingmen
been "protected?
The strike of $1,000 textile
workers at Lawrence, Mass, one
of many similar illustrations
which might be given, throws
some light on the subject. 1t
puts the lie to the statement
that Schedule K. protects the
American" workman, because
the information shows there are
scarcely any American" work
ers left in the wooden manufact-
uring industry to protect. The
mill owners have protected"
the American" workingmen by
driving them from their employ
ment with low wages and I'M
bearable working conditions, and
by filling their places with con-
tract laborers from the South of
Europe. Fifty-two different ma
tionalities are represented by the
strikers at Lawrence, and forty
five languages are spoken there.
Bayonets decreased wages for
the men, women and children
workers, instead of the work
mans paradise pictured by Aid
rich, Lodge and Smoot, is the
definition of Schedule K that the
mill workers at Lawrence are
learning by actual experience.
Bring in Cheap Labor.
In view of the strike of textile
workers at Lawrence, Mass, it
is interesting to know how the
wooden mill owners attract cheap
: labor to their mills. Congress.
man A. P. Gardner of Massachu-
sets, while speaking one day in
the House on the subject of i'm
migration, contributed some val
liable information to the subject.
Mr.. Gardner is a standpat pro-
tectionist of the Aldrich school.
For example," said Mr.. Gard
ner, suppose / am a Syrian con-
Quoting Syrian boarding house
in the city of Lowell, Mass.
Perhaps some mill sends down to
me for hands. l furnish them
at somewhat lower rate of
wages than is expected by ordi-
nary citizen help. I advance the
money for Syrian emigrants to
come over. / tell them that if
they do not pay me back the
money ! advanced / will have
them arrested; that they must
hand over the full wages that
they get in the mill. They are
held in terror Of the police.
Meanwhile take all their wages
while feed them and keep them
alive just as l would feed and
keep horse alive that / had i'm
ported for use in a livery stable. "
Protecting American Labor
Whenever the steel trust has
asked for high tariff tax it has
based its plea on the benevolent
excuse that it's first wish was to
protect the American working.
man." Always, when the Re.
publicans fixed a high tariff-taS
on steel their orators and leaders