221

Protection and Pinkertonism.

(Interview in "Quincy Journal," 1892.)

"What effect is the Homestead trouble going to have on the campaign?"

"As far as I can notice it seems to be having the effect of associating or connecting protection and Pinkertonism in the minds of American laborers so that they come to regard protection and great trusts and Pinkertonism as being children of the same mother. Without stopping to reason it out, they feel that Pinkertonism has always been their sworn enemy. They believe that many of their number have been killed, and their own children have often gone without bread, because of Pinkertonism. Whether right or wrong, they have come to look upon the Pinkertons as armed ruffians, willing to shoot down the laborer if somebody will pay them for it, and having this impression the laborer naturally will oppose that policy and those institutions that support the Pinkertons.

"They have also noticed that the Congress which passed the McKinley bill had scarcely adjourned, when over 300 of the large protective establishments, that were especially benefited by the McKinley act, reduced the wages of their employes, and when the men threatened to strike these same establishments employed the Pinkertons to fight the men."