The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-08-28
LABOR MOVING.

the preVaiAlng str1kes ana lhpor con-
ventions and congresses. Movements
of this character are not apt TO take
place except from the most grioyous
necessity. Laboring menare not like
y to devote themselves to tho serious
consideration Of political questions,
independent Of party, and TO create
conventions for the discussion Of
finance and tariff. It must be some
unusual consideration that induces
them to take these matters out Of tho
hands Of thepoliticiAns. When, through
misgoyernment, such . state Of
things arises that whole classes, ~ il
now the case in many large cities, can
not make decent living upon the
wages they earn. there will be such an
influence exerted in politics As is not
often felt. Prime necessity In o
powerful reasoner. The man who
withstands the most incontestAble ar
gument must sucsumb to the logic Of
hunger and cold. The laborer in New
York City has his admiration for o
high protective tariff considerably les
sened, when he finds that he must give
$40 per ton for the coal with which 10
warm his house instead Of IS so, and
that he does so for the purpose Of Civ
ing the coal monopolists bonus Of .
few millions. And what il true
of coal is true of nearly All Of the in
dispensable articles of home use which
are enumerated among the 4 900 in the
revenue laws.
And we presume that many men
who now approve and enjoy the spe-
cious logic Of newspapers like the Ore
gonian will become impressed with quite
different ideas when they find that they
must work ten hours for so cents in
stead of $500. merely because Chi
nese labor is Offering everywhere and
is everywhere being employed at that
figure. To find our wages thus les
sened and the purchasing power OF
money not increased and the demands
of the stomach and body not decreased
is apt to make quite easy what now
seem difficult propositions to some. To
hear an argument.and to feel and suffer
it are marvellously different.
We are glad that the laboring men
are moving and that they seem deter.
mined to arrive at definite results
The Convention recently held in Phila.
dslphia closed q protracted session
on the 2lst inst. in the adoption Of I
platform that will be read with interest
the telegraphie report Of which il
hereto appended:
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 21.-The LabOl
Congress has adopted . platform, o
which the following il = synopsis: AL
political powers are inherent 10 the pso
pie Of . free Government. founded OF
their authority and established for thci
benefit; that laborers in all department.
Of useful industry are suffering from tn,
: systems Of monetary laws, which Wers en-
acted during the Iatc war. 40 measures
assumed to be necessary TO the life OF thI
nation, aud which are now sought 10 b,
perpetuated in the interest Of the bond
holders and bankers, 70 subTert the Gov
ernment our fathers established or rais'
an empire in which all political powc
will be centralized, to restrain and oppres
the rights of labor and subordinate IL
voters to the mereiless demands Of aggre
J gated capital and supereillious authority
that the National banking system ha
been inimical to the spirit of liberty ant
subversise Of the principles Of justice
without warrant in the Constitution o
the United States, and wrongfuliy in
creasing the burdens Of the wealth pro
ducing classes millions of dollars Annu
ally; justice, the aspirations of honest in
dustry aud the spirit of imperrilled liber
ty, demand the immediate repeal Of th,
substitution Of legal tender notes as ex
clusiveIy the currency Of the nation tha
: the National Labor Union is opposed I,
the continuation of creating banks b,
acts Of incorporation, either by State O
National authority, with the privilege o
putting in circulation any bills or paper
of the bank to circulate rs money, cxcep
legal tender notes +, that the revenue law
, should be altered, so that instead of tn,
snbOrdination Of labor to capital, the,
may 10 some way afford just protection
TO the labor and the industrial interest
) of the whole country; that legal tende
money should be made legal tender 70
the payment of all debts, public or pri
: vate, and convertible at the option Of IN,
holder into Government bonds, bearinl
, interest at the rate of three per cent.
With the privilege to reconvert the bond
into money or money into bonds at pleas
ure; that the claim Of the bondholders
that bonds bought with. greenbacks, tn,
principal of which by Law is payable il
currency. should nevertheless be paid il
gold. is unjust extortion; that the ex
emption from tax on bonds as securities
is ia violation of the principles of tn,
revenue laws. The resolutions denounc,
land monopolies, declare in favor of es
tablishing an extra department, callct
the Department Of Labor" for the pro
lection Of the labor interests, and abov,
all others, recommend the adoption o
measures to secure the eight hour sys
: tenn; call upon all State Legislatures Il
follow the example Of Congress, recogniz
ing eight hours as legal days work
urge the full restoration of the civil anG