Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1895 — A Tariff Comparison. [ARTICLE]

A Tariff Comparison.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIGH TARIFF AND LOW TARIFF Continued V age Reductions Under High, and Wage Advances Under Low Rates Facts That Upset Republican Theories and Strike Republican Editors Dumb The McKinley bill was to be a wageadvancer, mill tpener and prosperity, producer—So said the protectionists in 1890 Instead it was a wage-reducer, a mill closer and panic producer, although it bad the help of other republican legislation to produce the panic of 1893 The whole McKinley period was one of wage reductions, strikes and riets Wages were reduced once, twice or three times in thousands of mills With one < xoeption (the Fall River cottou mills, which advanced wages less than 10 per cent,) there was not, in the whole four years, a wage advance worth mentioning in any protected industry Wage reductions began promptly and continued with increa ing icpidity to the end of the period Not a week went by without its list of reductions During the first two years the wageearners made desperate efforts to resist the wholesale reductions, and atone time the militia w .s out in four different states trying to suppress the labor riots During thelast twoyeais the wage earn rsoffered less resistance , although re ucticnsoame thicker and faster The protectionists claim that the “shadow of the Wilson bill’ was responsible for the trouble in 1893 and 1894, but the Reform Club in 1892 compiled a list of wngeredu dionsin ov .r 1,000 protected mills in 1891 and 1892 before the people had voted to turn the republicans out Hence, to be entirely fair, we will compare some of the results of high tariff in 1890-91-92 with the results of low tariff since last August Here are a few of the protected manufacturers who reduced wages or closed their mills during the first two years of McKinleyism who have increased wages during the first ten months of low tariff-both of these acts being contrary to their predictions and promises:

Protected Manufacturers. How They Were How They Aie BeMade “Prosper- ing "Ruined” Bv ous” By the Me- the V ilson Bill " Kinley Bill Bethlehem Iron Co , Bethlehem, Pa Dec. 0 1890, works May 30,'95, wages closed; 1000 men out advanced 11 per ct.; Jan 29. ’9l, wages 2,000 men affected, reduced 10 percent. June 15, ’95, b per afler Feb 1. cent, to 10 per cent.; second increase. Washington Woolen Mills, Lawrence, Massachusetts Dec 13, ’9O, mills . April 5,'95, wages closed of 4 000 men advanced. Acushnet Mills, New Bedford, Mass Dec 20, ’9O, spinners and back boys j an 4 >9; - w s struck because wa- i ncreaßed . ges had been reduced, John Chaseand Sons, Webster, Mass Dec 25. ’9O. mill April, ’95, wages running on three- of 300,*men advancquarters time. ed 10 per cent Carnegie Brothers' Steel Works, Homestead, Pennsylvania Jani. ’9l. wages reduced 9 per oi nt Feb 11, ’9l. 4.000 out. April 9,’91, wages reduced 5 eent. a 14 ’ . 95 ’ wa B ea Aug 15.’91, Open advanced 10 per cent He irth Department el 'Sed, 3< 0 men out. July I. ’92, 3.801) men strike ag-inst heavy wage reduclion. Several weeks of riot and bloodshd Hlmo s Steel Works, Chicago, HI Jan 8 '9l, works, except blast furnaces. closed; l;500 men out. March 9,’91,2,500 men idle—refuse to accept reduction June 20,’95. wages Ju y 2, 92, reduc- o f 7000 men increa--tion of 45 per cent.; ld ;o per cen t entire plant shat down Aug 3, ’92, men accept a cqt of 23 I per cent. Sanitary Ware Manufacturing (Pottpry) Trenton, New Jersey Jan-10, ’9l reduction < f 3'!J per cent proposed. April 30. ’9l, pres sers ieduced 22 per cent.;menhavebeen June ](’>, ’95, lOto on strike many 10 per cnt increase Weeks. May 14, ’9l, reduced 7 per cent. Laughlin & Company, Pittsburg, Pa Jan 15, ’9l, Eliza furu ce clos’d down . Jan 17, 91. an- /P' 1 * 95 increase other furnace closed 01 - 19 1° 15 cents I May 14, ’9l, one ? er da Y 'stack idle Bellaire Nail and Steel Cpmpany, Bellaire, Otyo June .’95 wages of Jan 15, ’9l, |lle 4,000 men increased seven months 15 per cent Aug 25, 'O2, steel June fft', 10 per idle sjnee J'u- fiept'; 2nd ineppage Jv. promised Aug 1 Iron W O pks, Shaion. Sbarpesville and i West Middlesex?Penirtylvauia Jan 17 91, sixfurnaoqs out of blast; 200 mon idle Ap 1 2. '9l, rolling mill 7'o 2 closed May 9. 95, wages Nov 1. ’9 1, miM °f 1.500 men inidle some months creased May 5, ’92, two| furnaces to close Pennsylvania Steel Works, Steelton, Pa Jan I", ’9l, after s Feb 1 will reduce Jire 4, ’95, wage, wages 8 and 10 per 01 4,000 men in" cent. cip iaed 10 per cent

Mahoning and Shenaugo Valley Iron Furnaces, Youngitown, Ohio Jan 22, ’9l, 15 blast furnaces clos- T _ ed; 10.000 men out. - Jn ? e '• 95 ’ wa ? eß June 11.’91, ave- of 2 ’®°? n “ e ? r “• rage reduction of 10 creaHed 10 15 P er a. cont P’April 10.’92, wa- ’ 9 ’ d 1,1 ges reduced 16 per cent; second incent; several thous- CTeilße and men concerned Cambria Iron Company, Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Jan 12, *9l, wages reduced 10 percent; 5,000 men affected. Jun e L ’OS, wages May 30,’91, wages of 5 ,000 men into be btsed on 2,600 creased 10 per cent tons instead of 1,800 Cocheco Mills, Dover, New Hampshire. Jan 24, ’9l, reduc- I Oct 15; ’94 wages ed|wages 4 percent. | increasedspercent