Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 June 1882 — That “Pauper Labor." [ARTICLE]

That “Pauper Labor."

The Cleveland Leader is delivering lectures to the striking workingmen, suggesting a return to the mills and resumption of work. Among other things it says: Another matter to be seriously considered by tIiOHO engaged in mechanical production is the large amount of skilled labor now arriving from Europe. Emigrants are coming by thousands and tens of thousands, and in their ranks are to be found men of almost every conceivable h ade and occupation. They come from Great Br.tain, France, Germany and other parts of continental Europe. The newcomers, as a rule, have served long apprenticeships and are masters of their respective trades. They have fled from starvation wages and dull times at home, and the very lowest wages against which our own operatives ' are striking will prove attractive to them. They have come hither in search of labor, and they will not fail to step into places made vacant by striking trade-unionists. The Labor Bureau of New York is constantly on the lookout to secure employment for arriving emigrants, and the managers of that institution will not hesitate to forward skilled European workmen to manufacturing centers where strikes prevail, or may be inaugurated. Even the trade-unionists themselves are beginning to apprehend difficulty from this source, and tbeleaders are taking steps to place them*Jveg in communication with foreign wo-kmen on their arrival, with a view to enlisting their sympathies. But “ self-preservation is the first law of nature,” and the new comers will doubtless consult their own interests by getting to work as soon as possible and at such wages as may be offered. The surest way to provide them places is for our own workingmen to make vacancies by going out upon strikes.

As a matter of fact, the Barons are gloating over the influx of “ pauper labor,” as they call it. They do all they can to encourage it, because they can keep wages down and sell their goods at a larger profit. These workingmen who are “fleeing from starvation wages” are nearly all of them from countries where protective tariffs are in full force. As a rule they are the poorer classes of workingmen in Europe, and will work 50 per cent, cheaper than American workmen will work. The Barons say they are well prepared for strikes, as they have a big overproduct (usual in a protective tariff country), which they can sell leisurely. They do not care a straw for their workingmen, as is evident from the cold-blooded tone of tfie Cleveland organ from. which we have quoted The Barons, in fact, who in 1880 told the workingman that a protective tariff always gives permanent work and permanently-high wages, now say to them : “We propose to reduce wages and running time, and if you don’t like it you can go. We can get all the pauper labor we want dirt cheap. We know we made a great howl about the evils of ‘ pauper labor ’in 1880, but it was only a little trick on our part to deceive you and get you to vote m favor of keeping up our power to tax our fel-low-citizens.” This is the position of the Barons to-day. Will the workingmen allow the Barons to deceive them in 1884 ?— Louisville Courier-Journal.