Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-02-13
Dort obarro -Gimes
p o R 7 TO B ACCO:
Friday Morning, February........13, 1874.
Glass LEGISLATION.


Mr.. Fenton, of Baltimore city, has intro
duced into the House bill for the pur-
pose ofpreventing the attachment of wages
in the hands of the employers, except for
any excess over one hundred dollars. This
is considered bill of great Importance to
the laboring classes. If it become law
it is claimed it will virtually prevent them
from getting into debt For it is said
tradesmen will not credit, where they have
no process of law to enforce payment. But
there are two sides to this question, as
there are to almost every one. Any argu-
ment that would be favorable to this law, it
strikes US, would be equally applicable to
the abolition ofa laws for thedcollection of
debts. Why the wages of the laboring man
should not be equally applied to the pay
ment of his debts by process of law, as the
produce of the farmer or fees of the doc
tor, is something we do not understand
There is another argument in its favor,
which is urged, and that is the impropri-
ETY. of the employer being bothered by the
laying of attachments in his hands and
thus forced to collect the debts of other
parties. But this would apply with equal
force to the policy of any garnishment I'M
der the attachment laws. Again, it is
argued that it would prevent the laboring
classes from getting credit in bar-rooms
(Credat Judeus }, which would be very
good thing. The fact is, all such attempts
at legislation are foolish. If the working
man is not able to take care of himself
and does not known when to go into debt,
or when or how to spend his wages, it
would he better to appoint guardian for
him to attend to these matters. Besides,
nothing is easier than to evade all such
legislation. If men are so insensible to
the appeals to their better natures as to
squander their means in riotous living,
instead of providing for their wives and
children, no legislation of this character
can cure their infatuation. As to the an
noyance to the employers by being con-
tinually garnisheed by creditors, the RENE
dy is in their own hands and can be made
more effectual there than by legislation.
Let them give their employees to under
stand that if an attachment is laid in their
hands for a debt second time, the en-
plnyee will be dismissed. It is better
than the proposed legislation inasmuch as
it impresses upon each employee the ne
cessity of living within his pay, because
to run in debt will cost him his place.
The passage of this act would enable a
man to incnr debt and then laugh at his
creditor. We can see no reason why the
tected in the enjoyment of the fruits of his
labor than the merchant. 1t is simply
class legislation, disguise it under any
specious philanthropic pretext you choose
and as such we oppose it. Whilst we are
in favor of throwing every protection a
round the interests Of the laboring man
and we embrace in that class all who are
not drones in society, whether their labor
is intellectual or physical-we are oppos
ed to any legislation which will antagon-
ize the two great elements, which OF all
others should be most closely blended and
harmonious-Capital and Labor