The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-15
sPxRxx OF xzz PRESS.
Editorial Opinions Of the Leading Journals
upon Current Topics Compiled Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
POLITICS AND THE WORKING MAN.
Eero7n tbe N. Y Times.

POLITICS AND THE WORKING MAN.
From the N. Y. Times.
Is there any reasonable hope that the mass
of our working men are beginning to appre-
ciate the character aud designs of some of
their leaders? No election has taken place
for some years without the active inter-
ference of professional agitators, who claim
for themselves a special mission on behalf of
the rights of labor. They are not usually
working men themselves, although they may
possibly have had trade before undertaking
to act as politicians. They are now lecturers,
orators or secretaries; and their chief Office
appears to be to foment dlscontent, to
magnify evils that are unavoidable, and to
invent others that do not exist-the ultimate
purpose, of course, being to fill their own
pockets, and, when that is possible, to favor
some candidate for Office who is not
ashamed to pay them for their trouble.
There are some Indications that the inhu-
ence of this class of politicians has some
what declined. But that is only reason
why working men should ask themselves
still further what they have gained by lis
tening to these fluent and plausible ''labor
reformers.' No substantial service has been
rendered by them. The legislation upon the
eight-hour question is considered, by those
best qualified to judge of its effects perfectly
terests of the workman. No efforts have
been made to procure reforms in matters of
vital Importance to the laboring classes.
National banks are assailed, capital is de-
nounced, the Chinese are threatened, and
that is about all that occupies the attention
of the so-called labor reformers. They earn
their money, the elections pass over, and
they retire upon the profits.
Meanwhile there are grievances, and those
of very ominous nature, which concern the
whole mass of laboring men, and with which
politics have nothing to do. Demagogues
have continually assured the workmen of our
large cities that they must look for prosperity
to legislation alone. They are called from
their factories, and yards, and workshops, to
listen to harangues about "rights" of which
no one SO far has sought to deprive them.
They have their unions, which, one would
suppose, gave them protection enough But,
led to throw away the substance for the
shadow, they are taught that in politics only
can they find remedy for almost everything of
which they now complain. But what is the
truth 4? Is it not one of the chief lessons
taught now, that one of the rights of the
working man is to be paid for duties which
he too often practically evades? And how
meny industries owe their decadence, and
will owe their ruin, to the vicious doctrine
that leisure is the chief aim of life, rather
than that fair and honorable work is our mis-
sion, and will bring it's best rewards The
idle classes which swarm and threaten to over
whelm our cities are chiefly created by these
doctrines, and those who teach them are the
worst enemies of the working classes in this
country.
We are witnessing period of depression
in many industries, but legislation is not
entirely responsible for it. AS we have
before pointed out, the bad quality of work
is very powerful influence in this direc-
tion. During the war great deal of money
was acquired very rapidly by many persons,
and they spent their money recklessly.
simultaneously there grew up system of
giving the semblance of work for real work
The rapid accumulations of fortune have
now ceased, but the same substitution of
''shoddy" contrivances and of ''scamp work
for honest duty continues. If man with
moderate means wishes to build, he hesi-
tates, because he knows that his house will
be so badly constructed, both as to material
and workmanship, that in few years he will
pay more for repairs than he would have paid
for rent. Adulterations are the rule rather
than the exception with almost every article
of consumption. Clothing is tackled together
only to become worthless before it has been
worn q month. The same remarks apply to
a long list of the articles by which the people
live. The consequence is that the industries
languish, OF that customers seek in other
countries what they cannot find at home.
This is more alarming and deeper evil than
is generally supposed. ''If 1 want good
leather" a shoemaker will tell his customers,
81 must send abroad for it. Our tanners use
oxalic acid to give skins tanned appearance,
and when they are dry they snap like a
carrot"
What our working men ought to do in the
coming elections is to disregard the dema-
gegues who ignore these truths, and who
urge the claims OF spurious advocates of the
rights of labor. Labor is always worth what
it can honestly produce. The hope of the
future lies in its improvement, and not in
political quackery. And when the artisan is
called upon to exercise his voting power,
he had better study the character of the can.
didates for himself, recollect the course OF
the parties with which they are allied, and
form his own independent judgment upon
them.
ITALY AND THE POPE.