The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-05-18
THE MINER.
Brazil, Ind, May 6, 1877.

editor III his last issue to maintain his pc
sltion that there is not and never has been
III this country amy legislation favoring cap
ital and opposed To labor, and states that
he thinks Mr.. Trevvlhck did not make a
very strong point in the case. Well, We
beg t. differ with our friend If the Miner.
We think that he made a decidedly strong
case that legislation always has been in ia
vor If capitalists and opposed to labor, and
so strongly that the puny effort OF the
Miner cannot shake them, and consequently
had too much good sense to try it at the
public meeting, on the 9th ultimo. But
in the srclusion Of his editorial sanctum-
whether asleep or awake We know not-but
taking into consideration his editorial, we
should incline to the belief that he was
asleep ana had an incoherent dream touch
ing on our legislation and Mr.. Trevelick' s
lecture, and thus read the production but
whether dream or not, leave 1t for your
readers to Judge If We do not mistake
his argument MIR Trevellick 81 showed
that the great railroad corporations which
he instanced had tyrannized as much over
the operator as the miner, and that both
suffered alike from their aggression (no mis-
take at all, dear Miner. He gave, 1t Is
true several instances Of unjust and odious
laws which had been passed by our State
Legislatures, as in regard to turning miners
out Of their houses on few hours notice,
compelling themt to take store orders. Well,
all we know is that they were carried
through by unfair means, and were repeal
ed as soon as their injustice was made man
ifest. All legislation is but an experiment.
We pass law to meet a certain exigency,
not knowing whether il will accomplish the
desired end or not We try it. Perhaps
it partially or completely fails; then it has
u k abolished altogether, OF remodeled
and improved upon. The law may have
been framed with a good intention but it
is hard TO make laws so that they cannot
be abused The bad laws which are com
planned of are often good enough laws if
they were only carried out In the spirit IN
which they were made So much for the
production Of your fertile brain, friend
Miner but now to analyze the contents
Of your article. OF dream. In regard to the
railroad monopolists you have nothing to
Trevellick expressed himself in those terms.
If you had been an astute listener, you
would not need doubt the fact, but that
point did not suit your article of the 25th,
in which YOU state that Trevellick was try
ing to array labor against capital, which is
not the case He wants labor and capital
90 hand in hand, and 50 does every true
labor reformer We do not want to tyran-
nize nor be tyrannizel over.
Then, our worthy editor states that GER
tain unjust and odious laws had been PASSED
in our Legislature BY unfair means. We
know it well, and so does every man that
reads and does his own thinking But our
friend has fallen into another error here.
He states that they are repealed as soon as
their unjust character is visible. | say
they are not. Their injustice is as visible
as the brand 81 Cain, when they are framed,
but the money Of capitalists secures their
passage through the Legislature, and if
the laboring classes had not threatened to
overthrow the party that passed them they
would remain on our statute books to-day,
and not only that, but they would be en-
forced to the letter.
Then he states that all legislation is an
experiment Yes. we own it Is but this
experiment is always tried on the hapless
sons nf toll, their wives and children. Yes,
Mr.. Editor, it was dreadful experiment,
under the Tioga law, to turn a helpless
mother with her infant into the frost and
snow Of the Allegheny in mid-winter Did
1t need an experiment to prove that this
poor mother and child would perishl II
50, they must be blockheads, indeed, and
| would like to know where were the good
intentions in law that would enable tv-
rant to commit such disgraceful acts as
those. But perhaps our editor would say
if this bad law complained Of would be
carried out in the spirit in which it was
made it would be good enough. But if
tins be his opinion, he will find but very
few intelligent men TO sccede to it.
Our editor then came to that important
pont-the monetary system-a system
which he owned to Mr.. Trevellick that he
knew nothing Of, and he cannot see why
the wages of our laboring men could be ad-
vanced by reducing the interest on money.
] must say that he was a very inattentive
scholar and has not studied his lessons as
he should have done.
To wind up, he says he cannot see what
the Labor Reform is going to do for the la
boring class more than is now being done
by the Republican party. In short | would
say that we expect one great thing from
them, and that is to fulfill their promises
an important point always forgotten by
the other parties.
also see that he has an extract from the
Cincinnati Commercial, stating that
Judge Davis is granting free tickets to the
Cincinnati Liberal Republican Convention,
80 as to secure for himself the nomination
Of that party; but we would say as the poet
said
Let dogs delight to bark and bite
II is their nature TO-
But barking and snarIiDg is the most they
can do now, having spoiled their teeth with
the sugar of Office.
There was a meeting to organize branch
of the Labor Reform in this locality. when
John Holmes was elected President, Leon
ard Loate, Vice-President, Thos. H. Evans,
Corresponding Secretary, John Paitson,
Financial Secretary, and Henry L. Thorn
a.. Treasurer. We passed a resolution to
meet every Thursday evening at Z o'clock
D. m, when we will be happy to enroll
members that will work in our ranks. The
meeting will be held at the Miner Hall,
Cardonia, and meetings will be open to all
that are in favor of Labor Reform.
AMATEUR.