The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-10-20
and aldermen in the city OF Boston for twenty

and aldermen in the city OF Boston for twenty
years that were not standing committee APP
pointed by the grogshops Of the city They
could not have been elected if they had not
concliated that force. am not uttering any
libel, am not stating any libel, am not stat
ing any fanaticism. There are the Republi-
cans; there are the Democrats. We will say
they are both men of ideas. They have at
least the pretence of an idea. In the centre
stand three thousand grog- shops Each one
represents vote, does it not? Does NOT IL
come nearer representing two, if were to say
that that solid central body of death repre-
scented five thousand votes?. 1t has not any
ideas. 1t has purpose: 1t Is tnat INC law
shall be trampled under 1907. IL says 70 ene
Democrats, give us candidate; give us can
date-we don't care who he is, if you will only
make him neutral on this point. / don't blame
either party. They could not do better. They
are obliged to succumb to wealth behind the
criminal classes of Boston as they do in New
York.
Mr.. Phillips then passed to a consideration
of the labor question, which represented the
interests, he said, of three quarters of the pop
ulation OF Massachusetts,:
Last winter went, with others, up to q Re-
publican Legislature. / said to them, and my
friends said to them: awe want an inquiry in
to the actual condition of the industry of
Massachusetts, We want TO know the wages,
the health, the houses, the ages, the sexes, the
| education, the mortality of the laboring class
| of Massachusetts We want the facts on which
| we attack nobody; we claim nothing; we on
| ly ask the industrial facts of MASSACHUSETTS,.
| Is the law in regard to the education of chill
| dren under q certain age, that are employed,
| obeyed? Is the law in regard to the treatment
| of children in factories Obeyed? We want an
| inquiry The leaders of the Republican par
| ty flung us out in the wind. We said, "Giye
us $1,000" They laughed at US. We went in
| private and besought them. We said, "Here
are fourteen Thousand votes for the labor party.
1t claims nothing 1t interferes with nobody
1t only says, I'VE are the great mass of Massa-
chusettS men and women; let us understand
| this question and be able to argue it." Ispent
fortnight; got down, you may say, on my
| knees; begged of eX-members of Congress
| and leading clergymen, members of the House,
and said, Grant us this little boom" They
laughed at us. With great effort, endeavor, a
great deal of exertion went to the outside
lobby, the members who know something-you
don't find them in the legislature [laughterl-
] and said to some of them: "Do you know
what fools your friends are making of them
| selves up there. Here are fourteen thousand
men, voters; hereiis one-half the people of the
State. 1t is the commencement of a new era
We want the facts" SWELL" they said, 80
course they are; you ought to have them. 7,
is the most arrant folly in the world not tx
/ conciliate your friends. As an act of justice
it is yours. AS an act of policy it is ten times
! YOURS. Well they went up to the State House
The republican party, mark you, that goes W
| to Worcester, and is indignant that any one
else claims the hem of the garment of any in
terest in the industry of the Commonwealth
yes, that proclaims its astonishment that any
body should presume to think that there needs
be any advocate of labor when they are pre-
sent; this very republican party-we sent up
Judge and we sent up general, and we sem
up this man and the other, and they failed, ant
all their selfish policy could not rouse th
boasting republican party in the canvass t
| even give us seven thousand dollars to get tn,
facts on which to base legislation; and it wa.
not till the manager Of some thirty votes elect
ed by labormen in that House and Senate sale
to the wire-pullers of the legislature, If 70,
want these votes give us something; if 70,
want to elect this man, and defeat that meas
ure, and pass that bill, and count on our TWEEN
ty-four votes, give us justice. And we bough
it in the usual legislative trafflc,-vote for vot
and no appeal, no entreaty, no management
nothing but fright, nothing but alarm, coult
move this boasting party. And then thes
critics and the newspapers come to us and say
why don't you get down on your knees AM
ask the republican party for ten-hour bill?'
Well, say, because asked them once not TO
stone but for pebble, and they would no
give it to me, do you suppose 1 shall go t
L them now and ask for q lnaf of hroaIC