Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1872-10-17
FIRST EDITION.
ACTION OF THE woRKIEcMEN.
Answers of Legislative Candidate



MEETING OF THE LABOR REFORM LEAGUE-THE An
swERs OF THE LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATEs-A PRO
TEST AGAINST sHORTENGNG THE HOURS OF LABOR.
large meeting Of the Workingmen's Labor
League was held at the Water Witch Engine
House last evening, Thomas ]. Wood acting as
President. After the reading of the minutes,
Geo. Day read very elaborate and interesting
address to the workingmen of Delaware, on the
importance Of the Labor Reform movement
generally, and asking cooperation in securing
rights now denied them. The reading of sim
liar address by George W. Roberts, WAS post
poned until next meeting of the League,
The reading of the answers Of the candidates
for the Legislature, on the interrogatores ad-
dressed to them by the League, was then taken
up. The following are the interrogatories to
which answers were asked;
LIST. Do you favor, and will you vote for the
repeal of the attachment act, and to secure a
liberal exemption law O.!
I'd. DO you favor and will you vote for the re-
peal of the tax on Loan Associations.
3d.-DO you favor and will You vote for a
Constitutional Convention, to secure represen-
tation according to population, for this county,
and the removal Of property qualification for
holding office III this State
The answers to the foregoing interrogatories
were read by Geo. W. Roberts. the candidates
all having answered, except Mr.. Ferris the Re-
publican candidate from Peneader Hundred
Of the Democratic candidates, j. Pouson
Chandler, Candidate for the State Senate, from
Christiana Hundred, answered aflimatively.
| William s. McCaulley of Wilmington and Benja-
| min FTam also answered atfirmatiyey to all the
| interrugatorles, except that part relating to a
| property qualification, which he thought of mi
nor importance. Albert U. Newton OF Red Lion
Hundred answered qualIiiedly, but volunteered
to vote for the repeal Of the usury law, ques-
tiOn not under consideration. Richard Furgu-
SOIL of Appoquinimink Uriah s. Wier Of White
Clay Creek, aud L. L. j. baldwin, gave evasive
answers, Mr.. FurgusOn questioning the right OF
| any person to interrogate
OF the Republican candidates. d. b. Ferris OF
Pencader did not respond, lit is doubtful if he
received the interrogatOries) and Joseph q.
Hutchinson of Appoqulnimink answered quail
tedly. l.. L. Riddle candidate for State Senator
from ChTistiana Hundred, William Silver OF
Brandywine Joshua Maris, of Wilmington, Lewis
| Thompson, of Mill Creek and joel thompson
OF White Clay Greek, all answered attirmatlyey.
On motion OF George W. Roberts, the answers
of the candidates were referred back to the Com
| mttee, with instructions to have them published
in connection with sharp stirring address to the
| wurkingmen, after which 1t is Understood tick
ct will be made up from those answering most
| favorably to the lnterrogatories. j. l.. kulgore
| q. W. Roberts, j. L. Richardson, MIR. Bonner and
| Thomas L Wood, were appointed committee to
| collect subscriptions, to detray the expenses OF
| publishing the address.
| The Committee appointed at the last meeting
of the League, to protest against the habit Oi
| some employers, of shortening the hours with d
corresponding reduction OF wages during the
short days, oifered the following protest, which
| was ordered to be publlshsd,-
| WHEREAS, in consequence of the short days
some OF the employers IN our city have resortet
| to the practice OF diminishing the hours OF labor
and consequently de reciating the rates of com
| pensatiUn therefor; and
| WHEREAS the burden of this usage falls mos
| heavily upon these least able to bear IT, lnasmucl
| az many of the workIngmen to which it applies,
are cassed among those who ordinarily work at
/ day laborers, anu at low pay and every CEN
| deducted from their wages, is keenly felt as al
abrldgment of tue necessarles of life; therefore
| HesOlUed-Ihat We the members of the work
| ingmen's Labor League deeply sympathizinl
WIN our oppressed brethren, do hereby protest
| against this parsimOnlOus and oppressive usage,
| and while we pretend to no power to dictate
| terms, do. as an act Of common humanity ap
| peal to the conscIences OF those who have re
| sorted to this practice, and pray that they re-
consider their action and allow at least to those
who work at low pay, their usual rates of com
pensaton for full days labor, during the con
tnuance Of the short days They have received
the profit and benefit of their labor during the
| busy season, and it seems hard now to reduce
their pay, when OF all other time, their needi
are the most pressing. That this Leagne, de
precating strikes, has stood between the work
| men any employers, and by Its action, STAYED on
| most disastrous strike and thereby saveC
| uHS Sl'y anu tue enlplo9oin' tl!o ioeo " 'hOa
| sands of dollars and feels that 1t has right t
issue this protest and make this appeal, witt
some hope of its receiving respectable consid
| elaton
Rpsolred, That we invite the workingmen from
every department of labor, to cooperate with Ut
in our efforts to modify the grievances of which
the .workingmen have a just right to complain
| That in looking to the diminishing OF tho
hours of labor corresponding with the syeten
adopted by national government, we protest
against this overt infringement of its plalnes
provisions.