Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 June 1892 — How About This Mr. McKinley? [ARTICLE]

How About This Mr. McKinley?

Detroit dispatch to New Tork World; In February, Gov. McKinlet, of Ohio, who was here to attend the Michigan Clqb banquet, visited the new pearl button factory, and claimed that it was cae of the results of his won4erful tariff

law, wWt#i put a high rate es duty on pearl buttons, although the inventor of the new machinery which made the factory possible worked his ideas out before the McKinley bill was thought of. Yesterday the 150 girl employee, who ran the machines for drilling and facing the buttons, struck against a reduction of wages, ranging from sto 15 per cent A few of the older girls were getting $4.50 a week each, but the majority earned $2.50 to $3.50 and a large number of beginners got only. $2. Many a poor girl has had her fingers pinched in the machinery so that she could not work for weeks. All the girls are worn and sickly in anpqarance._—^ Twenty of the girls returned to work yesterday and their hair was pulled and they were called “scabs" in true man style by the strikers. The company called for the pbliee and the premises are now guarded. To-day seventy more of the girls were ooaxed back. Rather than let them go out at lunch time and meet'the strikers the manager provided ice cream, cake, and pie for them. The Trades and Labor Council has taken charge and will organize the girls into a union on Thursday evening.