The Shasta courier., 1872-07-20
DECLARES FOR GRANT AND WIZ.
SON.

General A. NJ. Winn, for many years
the leader of the Workingmen's organiza.
tions in California, and prominent Demo
crat, has declared for a.l1rant and Wilson
as against Greeley and Brown, and given
his reasons at length through the columns
of the San Fraacisc papers. Gena Winn
says: - ---.------- :
am asked why I-censder Grart less
evil than Greeley? There.s the rub! ]
will give the. reason for my belief: Grant
was Democrat up to the b ginning of the
war. 1t was So doubtful about his change
of opinion after it was over that the Democ.
racy talked of nominating him for Presi-
dent then, and would have done so if the
Republicans had not Has he changed
since then ? Weishali see. The Democ
racy is the poor M aus friend. The party
has adopted the-eight hour system OF labor
as party measure. This interests. more
ian half the voters of the Tinted States.
When eougress had the eighehour bill
under consideration there was mighty
struggle be ween right and wrong. Irrthe
House the Democrats caucussed upon it,
and agreed to support it as party mea-
sure. The Republicans could not afford
to allow them to carry out such stroke Of
policy. They, too, caucussed, and also
nade the light hour law party measure,
and it passed the House unanimously In
the Senate, Morrili, of Verm, ut, tried to
kill tn measure with amendments lie
proposed to so amend it as to reduce the
wages one fifth for all men working but
eight hours. As only eleven Senators
voted for it, the amendment was lost. On
its final passage only six Senators voted
against it, aud the Eight hour law was
signed by the President, at which nation
of workmen -rejoced, and other nations of
producers saw better times in the near
future. The superintendents at the public
works refused to comply with the law, and
required Of the workmen just what Nor
rill's lost amendment proposed. The work
men appealed to the Secretaries of War,
Navy and Treasury Departments The
heads of these departments sustained their
subordiDates, and refused to pay full day s
wages for eight hours labor Then fol
lowed an appeal tn the Attorney General,
who also sustained the rulings of the Sec
retaries and their subordiuates. All the
leaders in power thus pervel ed the inten-
ton Of the act of Congress. The poor
mans path seemed to be completely block
ed. Not beam of hope cast cleaning
light upon his darkened prospects. The
hopes Of more than two millions of hard
working men were cast down. As the
telegraph told the sad story in the cities Of
the Union, the hearts of poor men were
burdened with sorrow. They were dis
gusted with the deception that had been
practiced upon them. As soon as they
recovered from the shock, they looked
around for friend to advocate their cause.
Senator Wilson, who is now candidate for
Vice President on the Grant ii ket, under
took to lay the poor mems case before the
President. Armed with law and justice
he appealed to General Grant For this
great service to the workingmen Graut and
Wilson were denounced by the opponents
of the labor movement, and by the manu-
facturers. Viii on was ridiculed as a shoe
maker; but, like bold, brave and good
man, he continued his efforts in behalf Of
the toilihg poor He consulted with the
President IS last resort. What pround
moment for President! Millions OF wealth
had succeeded throughout all the subordi-
nate branches of Government. No one
thought for moment that General Grant,
backed by the Attorney General, and by
the opinion Of all the heads of Departments,
would attempt to II nder different decision.
Smiles OF defiance covered the faces Of the
poor mans enemies, while the faces Of the
mechanic and laboror were wrinklcd with
despair. | recollect distinct he depress-
ing effect it had upon the mechanics and
other laborels in this very city of San
Francisco. But it was the darkest hour
just before the breaking of the day" The
President rose above the petty spite of the
syeophants who surrounded him, aud dar
ing to do justice to the poor man, he issued
his famous proclamation, that wages must
not be reduced because of the reduction of
hours ln few hours the telegraph told
the story in every city in the Union
What glorious day for Grant aud for the
toiliug masses! A million of men, their
wives and children, praised the act which
elevated them in the social scale. The
rainbow of promise appeared through the
clouds Of despair Tears of JOY ran down
the cheeks Of many laboring man a
million of mechanics and laborers rejoiced
in their Unions; hundreds fred cannons,
burned fireworks, Illuminated their houses,
and got Up, meuento parties.