The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-05-28
THE TRUE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICAN, TICKET
THE TEN HOUR SYSTEM.
Federal Loco-foco Hypocrisy towards the Work.
Ing ('lasses. .t A.fIa


The Globe and ". Y. Evening Post have ex-
hibited very sudden fit Of sympathy and affec-
lion for the laboring classes, whose wages they
propose to reduce by the Sub-treasury. The
President recently gave orders to make days
work Of laborer on the public works ten hours,
and the Federal Loco-foco newspapers refer TO
it as an evidence Of the sympathy Of the Presi-
dent for the laboring classes, which contrasts
favorably for him, with the system pursued in
the Eastern factories. A long rigmarole Of af-
fected sympathy for the poor factory children of
England, with statistics of their mortality form
part of these articles, by way of cloaking the
real design the Federal Loco focos entertain Of
reducing the currency, and consequently the
value of property and the rate of wages. But
how gross, also, is their hypocrisy For years
and years have the laborers employed on the
public works petitioned and beseeched the Exc
cutive to establish the ''ten hour SYSTEM and
give them some relief But their prayers were
vain-they struck deaf ear and a heart that
responded only TO the calls of self-interest--Mr.
Van Buren, was memorable. Two years ago
the working mems application for ten hours was
urgent, but Mr.. Van Buren, heedad not their
prayers But, when his partizans, in the heat
of debate, had 'let the cat out of the bag" and
confessed to the world that the great motive of
the Sub-treasury was the reduction Of the Cur
rencu and patriotic statesmen had demonstrated
that the proposed reduction would drag with it
the wages X labor and the value Of property !;
and when the notes of indignant remonstrance
came up 10 the Capitol from every quarter of the
Union and the authors of the measure heard of
the multitudes of laboring men in every direc-
lion, who were awakening to the dangers Of
their situation ii was then, and not until then,
that Mr. Van Buren,, in the hope of conciliating
and stopping the deserters, steps forward, and
with an air Of magnanimous condescension, and
pretence of watchful sympathy, boldly and
loudly, for once and at last, gives the order for
the ten hour system! What sort of sympathy
is that Its the sympathy which the butcher
shows for the stall fed OLA sympathy which
would prepare its victim for the blow of death
a sympathy moved by selfish fears, and looking
ultimately to the oppression Of the lahorer, while
the oppressor reyels in accumulated and per-
petuated power. l
The Van Buren, party cares nothing for the
working classes--it is party made up Of fede-
raIists and drones, the one Of whom would per-
petuate office in their own hands, and the other
live without labor on taxes wrung from the peo-
pie.
Gen. Harrison is the friend Of the laboring
man" the poor mans candidate" as the nabob
federal loco-focos style him in derison-the
friend Of humanity, as all his history shows, and
the advocate Of equal political rights-the repre-
sentative Of sound principles, and Of the practi-
cal wants and interest Of republican people.
Mr.. Van Buren, and his friends say that the
currency is inflated, and must be reduced.
What is currency2 A medium through which
commodities pass Do American commodities
now occupy the entire space of that medium in
passing through it2 If they do, why reduce
ii But it is said perhaps, that the commodi-
ties are at inflated prices. Are present prices
disproportionably high when compared with the
cost of productions And if the prices are high,
how are they to be reduced? BY reducing the
cost of production. What is the principal con-
stltuent part OF the cost Of production LABOR.
Therefore, to reduce the currency, must reduce
the wages of labor. This is clear to any man Of
common sense Let those who are iii favor OF
such reduction vote for Martin Van Buren,,
and they will be gratifed