The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-05-01
FROM PENNSYLVANIA.
PHILADELPHIA, April ", 1865

NUN IENNO Il LN ANA
PHILADELPHIA, April ", 1862
| To the Editors Of the woRENsxAss ADv01ATE.
As did most probably the taxpayers Of
other cities, Philadelphisns reished the az
nouncement Of the adjournment 81 Congress.
But our citizens have reason 10 be doubly
gratef I'll, for the State Legislature has fol-
lowed suit and gone home. Very few Of
the many measures upon which they passed
during the sitting. were Of a character to
enlist commentator, while many Of them
we're particularly obnoxious to popular sen.
timent. Thanks 70 the vigilance Of the in-
dependent press, many Ubiquitous measures,
which would otherwise have been enacted
into law, without our being vouobsafed
even a glance at their provisions, sustained
deserved defeat.
Some bills, which bore up0n their aces
evidence Of having been framed for the
purpose OF misleading the people into q be-
lief that the Legislature was keeping a vigi-
lant eve open TO their interests, we're intro
ducel especially 10 be dsflted. One Of
these was farcicaI measure permitting
loauers OF money to charge seven per cent
4
not believe there il one il a hundred OF our
, citizens 80 poorly informed az not to know
, that il is impossible 70 borrow money az al
{ low as per cent. True, the iaw only per
, mits the owner to charge per cent, wv
1t does not Drohibt the party loaned pay
lng in bonus what be cannOL be compelled
70 pay as interest. There is scarcely a az
upon our statute books that citizen nav
n in
. c0gnlEed as legal
There u one law which e1empts $500
worth Of the tenants personal property
from seizure for nom payment of rent OK
other debts, Bat In nine out VI every ten
written contracts between landlord and
tenant, the latter ziErs away bis light TO
the privileges or that law The law ~
+ therefore practically imperative The me-
, tropoiitsn police biz mentioned heretofore
! as having been defeated, was exhumed,
passed one branch, and was only defeated
in the other BY a majority Of four votes.
This was a measure particularly obn11-
ious" TO our cItizens, yet nearly every Phil
afelphia member voted for its passage.
The tax bill passed the house, and was
sent u The Senate for action. The next
day il was discovered that the bill imposed
additional taxes on coal, oil and whisky,
and relieved railroad companies W their
share OF the burdens Of taxation. OF course,
J Immediately this was made public, CRY Of
J Indignation went up 20 Harrisburg from
} the people the bill was called back and
rec0nsidered, and virtually defeated; the
( very men who had been most active 10 Sc
7 curing it, original passage. becoming urgent
solicitors for reconsideration might con
{ tinue this chapter Of delinqne ncies al in
\ rfDfstyp1 huk tha sarnr1a vfvau ,r1lI snfFsa
I to show your readers Why our citizen. bail
with satisfaction the adjournment Of the
D Legislature.
( One measure which 7 am confident will
be unanimously commended, did become q
law, and that was bill exsmpting he sew
! ing machines or seamstresses from levy and
execution. A like law should be enacted In
every State. The reports Of their proceed
ings furnished US through the daily rapers
I are extremely meagre, and were 10 not for
\ the energy Of Sunday paper, Of indepen-
dent politics, ia ferreting out the true IL
tent and effect OF the many measures pass
D ed yearly, our citizens could have but an
E extremely inadequate knowledge Of the laws
} BY which their abatement is enforced
''Mr. Rogers called up the Senate bill TO
permit wrts Of estIepement to issue, after
writs OF error taken 10 real actions
Passed"
/ This is the extent Of my knowledge Of
the bill referred to. No other mention OF
its existence has been made a the assoc
, ciated press reports, which ! believe ap-
A prOach nearest reliability. How are the
people 20 know what obnoxious provisions
( may net be contained 10 the bill In Every
I man who rents a house is peeuniarily inter.
ested in it, for estrepement is injury 70 pro-
: - M. - A.. 49,
ant. Landlords are already vested with
more than justifable privileges, and although
we have no evidence that such is the case,
this bill may add to them. IL 20, IL is in
imical to the interests Of a majority OF the
, people, for minority only reside ia their
own houses. Ii il palpably requisite that
full aud explicit details Of the provisions
contained in such bills should be given 20
the people, and we are sure they would not
consider themselves mulcted 10 being taxed
to pay for their publication. Il 10 well
known that Ia the hurry and hustle which
! inevitably precedes adjournment, many
measures are passed without even being
read, II is denied that such was the case
. during the session Just expired, bus the evi
dence OF the tax bill above alluded 20, rem
ders this statement doubtful. The PhilA-
! deIptia members, IRE are told, BY tacit
: agreement, have not allowed any bills
= bearing upon the interests OK our citizens
: to pass without thorough sitting but We
1 are Inclined to doubt all such rtats4- -nts.
: have been thus, perhaps, prolix lpon
, this subject, not because | deem the parti
cular measuEes alluded y Of general inter-
! est, for the unsuitable supposition is that
the PennsytFahia LegislaEEre IL no worse
!. chan those Of other States, bot because, 10
its shortcomings, | find evidence that the
4 bind prejudices Of workingmen, In erjoin-
J. ing upon them the support OF one or the
J, existing political parties, are an indirect
Il tacit countenance of such malversstions
e Legislative and other official corruption.
v which reflects 90 haFshly upon the interests
;, Of workiDRmen, can never be eradicated BY
u continuing allegiance to present parties.
Korkingmen must make a comfy of their
2 several interests, and unitedly do battle e
. any and all powers that oppose them, err
0 they can be justified in expecting o cessa-
ZION OF official jobbery and robbery.
, An effort was made By Representative
K David FOy, Of this city, u get bill legal
D King Trades Unions through the Legsla
ture the one be proposed being fac eiHiL
OF the New York bill. He succeeded il
:, getting il through the House, but i was no
h voted upon in The Senate. Mr.. F0Y wa
: also the author Of bill enabling Banking
: and Loan Associations 70 oolleet debts afte
!, the expiration Of their charter. have beei
y unable TO ascertain its fate. For these twl
I acts Mr. Fey will net Be forgotten.
" m In trade matters | have nothing 10 tel