The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-09-23

month-en0ugn, properly used, TO carry
on the entire city governUeut, or the State
government either. This was q popular
method Of opening streets. but the luxury
10 too expensive; the opposition Of the
poor man arises from the reason that be
can not reconcile it "a a fact good govern
ment demands such inequality as to give a
man $500 per month TO do nothing while
be can scarcely get work at all ard when
be does, be must work hard all day for les
than a fourth Of the amount.
THE RICH MAN OPPOSES 1T.
because be cannot see how it can be just that
he pays a commissioner $500 per month
for ornamental looking on, while be pays
his carpenter, blacksmith, or other me
chanic, but as per month for working bard
at ten hours per day; both the rich and the
poor agreeing upon opposition. They
unite in coudemning the party that lad the
power to prevent such calamity, as it is
now G nsilered by them, and they clamor
for repeal of laws so unjust to the poor man
and 50 burdensome to the rich; and the
Governor, having been re-nominsted, was
the representative Of the party, and the
people delighted in making the party feel,
through him, their disapproval Of thus piece
of legislation.
THE CALIFORNIA LABOR EXCHANGE
was created by the Legislature to bring
men to this country 10 excess Of our wants,
40 as to reduce the price of labor and break
down the trades associations. Five hun
bred dollars per month were appropriated
by the Legislature TO keep this up, and the
Governor signed the bill. The Mechanics
Labor Exchange asked but $3.50 per
month, and it was refused. 1t was bard to
convince the -workingmen that exact
Justice was lurking anywhere within the
limits Of these transactions Of the Demo
cratic party, and the Governor was made to
bear the indignant feeling of the men who
work for living. This was natural con-
sequence.
There are five State Capitol Commits
sioners. They have no doubt done the best
they could for the economy Of the State
and benefit Of the workingmeu. Among
the gas filters, coppersmiths, metal rOOfers
and blacksnlths, it is a custom In doing
work to charge for a mechanic and helper
from nine to ten dollars per day for the
two. The Commissioners we're offered the
two in those branches, or some Of them at
, IS per day, which they accepted as econ
Omy F; but the superintendent taking the
, advantage Of the necessities Of idle work
men, hired them for less, 50 that in some
cases they made as high as $25 per day
of the wages Of their men As soon al
this was discovered, the people became in
dignant the rich because Of the waste o
money, the poor because of the injustice
to the hired men. With this the party
was changed, and two Of the Commission
ers Governor and Treasurer) being re
nominated, the rich and poor united IN thu
agreement to vote against them.
: THE PRINCIPLE OF sUBslDIzING
, railroads, canals, steamboats,, &c, was a
! one time very popular, and the last Legis
lature we're lavish in their appropriation
, in that way, but it became unpopular, tn
{ Governor took ground against it, ate
signing several bills which had passed th'
! Legislature with but little opposition anC
could the other party have driven to taklnl
ground in favor Of subsidies, the peopl,
> would in a measure have overlooked othe
faults and still voted for Haight; but tn,
Republican Convention met in eight day
after the Democrats had theirs, and seeing
the point, adopted stringent plank 10 then
platform repudiating subsidies, thus neu
trallzed the popularity gained by the Gov
ernor in that particular and threw the de
mOcracy on the defence against the othcl
errors named.
SUCH ARE THE CAUSES
in part that brought about the great chan q
10 our State election. The candidates fol
Governor, Lieut.. Governor, with Senators
and Assemblymen in this city have al
pledged themselves to the labor interest,
as required by tie Mechanics State Coun
Gil and already some of the prominent
Republicans threaten to repeal the eight
hour law, the law to protect the wages d
laborers, and the Law requiring public work
to be done by the day, all of which have
been passed by the Democrats at the re-
: quest Of the Council. hope they may
not.
CONNECTED WITH THIS ELECTION
> there are some singular facts that show the
strength Of the trade associations when ex
| erted in the city, and which will be guarded
against by parties in future.
The Republican majority 10 this city il
about three thousand. Alexander Badlan
is an active member of the Board of So
pervisors, and in every way prominent
among the Republican be was nominated
for assessor against Democratic candidate
but little known, by whom he is beaten
The cause is this: Some two years ago the
journeymen printers proposed to raise Their
. wages about ten per cent, and nearly all
the newspapers and job Offices had agreed
} to it. The Bulletin would not, and being
short Of hands, and Badlam being printer,
, he took off bis coat and went to setting
type with the avowed purpose Of breaking
down the strike, in which be succeeded.
HIS being candidate was Just what they
wanted. They issued hand bill stating
the circumstances and asked the labor
leagues to help beat him; the result is that
over 5000 Of bis party have scratched Of
} bis name and put on the Democratic can
didate. Thus they havA shown that the
mantle Of party rests very lightly upon
their shoulders when the personal interest
of mechanics are at stake.
THE COUNTY COMMITTEE
of the Democratic party has been elected
by two conventions, in which the people
had no part they are expected to nomi-
nate the next convention, who are TO nom
mate candidates to do this they have two
years to fix it up, and it matters not how
well it may be done, the people will not
approve the nominations.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
taking the alarm, have ordered an election
for county committee, to be held at our
judicial election, which takes place on the
l4th Of October. They will be that much
| nm .rar tho aanEdonaa &c A.