The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-08-14
GhtqnteIliaenrer,


have had u nNmOeI VI '"S"' VI Nv N'o
burph since then, and on Saturday and
Saturday night last there were demon.
,,ra,ions fat Philadelphia and Gin.
cinnn.i, the proceedings Of which appear
cdin Yesterdays dispatches. AT tue latter
meeting full State ticket for the Ohio
campaign was nominated. The nominee
for Governor is young lawyer Of ClnciR-
natl, respectable man enough, but
hardly the person, we should suppose,
for workingmen'a nominee. Lawyers
do not, as general thing, stand very
high in the estimation Of working men.
They are supposed to be the paid agents Of
capitalists, especially Of corporations,
and always ready TO sell their services
for money. They are credited with the
authorship Of nearly all the oppres.
siye legislation that aiilicA the
country, such US bank and railroad char
ters and laws, Credi! Mobiliers, land
grant Jobs and subsidies, and nearly every
other species Of legislation against labor
Therefore, we wonder that one Of these
laWyerswas chosen for the first place on the
Wotkingmen's ticket Of Ohio. Why was
not man like Sam Carey, who boasts Of
his "horny hands," given the post Of
honor? Sam is aman to notice this sort
Of slight, and possibly to it.
But, seriously speaking, we are glad 10
see these meetings taking place. We take
pleasure in the fact that the city Of Louis.
willie elected several workingnenS cindi.
dates to the legislature OF Kentucky the
other day. They need an infusion Of that
sort in the legislature Of that State, and,
for that matter, in the legislatures OF
most all the States. We trust that
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh will send Il
number Of representative workiugmen
to The Pennsylvania legislature. The
labor agitation is now upon the country
and will be prominent topic for months
to come, perhaps as long AS the present
depression in business lasts.
As rule, most all legislatures in this
cpuntrycoutain too many representatives
OF the purely political elements, men who
ARE welded to the policy OF a political
party, and who are generally no EN-.
bArras'Cd by such relations rs to have
very little individual freedom when it
comes to question tina. demands per-
sonal independence.
The burden of the complaint of work
ingmen at this time is that they are
sacrificed between the two political par
ties Of the day, a. between the upper and
lower mill stones, and hence they declare
that they have no faith in either OF them
and repudiate allegiance to them.
We confess that while we arc rathe
pleased to the workingmen Of the
country disown any special allegiance to
political parties,we do not exactly see how
they aregoingto usher in millennium Of
their own. Neither their grievances nor
their proposed remedies are new. Both
have been canvassed many times in print,
and many persons have at one time and
an other in this country been elected as
representatives OF Workingmen's special
interests. Only few years ago the eight
hour law was passed by Congress, and yet
it is already dead letter. The Govern.
ment has lately refused to pay a full days
wages for eight hours work. And yet We
notice that at Cincinnati one Of the
planks Of the platform adopted calls for
"eight hours for the present rs normal
working day, and legal punishment for
all viOlators." The meaning Of this is
not exactly clear. Itdoes not call for as
much pay for eight hours work "a for ten
hours, and yet il men cannot more than
live on the pay received Tor ten hours
work, how can they afford TO shorten the
time il thereby the wages are reduced?
Our alluSiOn to this one particular
plank in this Cincinnati platform suggesls
to ns that perhaps it would be we'll to
publish the whole platform, inaSmuch as
many wOrEingmen in our midst, and the
public generally, would like to know the
programme by which u better state Of
things is to be brought about for labor in
this country, We therefore quote the
platform entire, rs follows:
R1olrsi, That In tho coming political clmpalsu
NelhNte the Cooperation Of all VOters who believe
lNhlo Tho lNboTer Justly and Ol right belongs the
FcMlt o. his lahnrS, TO the following demands:
l. The payment OF wages to the lahlrrr lu tho
,aNl"l money oil the cauutry and al lnleTvRlI Of
TINE not greater than one week aud that sultahlp
lrhaltlts 10 provided for failures 10 do NJ,
Eight houri Tor the present as normal work.
ins day and legal punishment Of all VlOlitots.
y Strict laws making employers liable for ull nc
chlenA tn the Injury Ol their CnplOycs
FOhIbitory laws against tho employment of
chill!rn under fourteen years Of aSc Ia irIusIrlIl
establishments.
., rcOhIbtIOn Of the use oil prison labor by pti.
yAtO employees '
., Abolition Of all conspiracy laws.
'' sanitary Inspection Of Rll conditions Of lIlIr.
means Of subsistence and dwellings iuClutlti.
s. Hratuitoua administration OE justice Iu al
courts Of law.
y Iratuitoas instruction in all educational In,
stltutinns,
10 Labor statistics In all States, as we'll as by III,
National Government; the officers Of these bureau
70 Oa taken from the ranks Of the labor OnSlniEt
llnt aud elected by them.
IL Tue repeal Of the patent and all other laws O.
chMlcf, giving special privileges to indlvdualI O.
tOmMneA iU the detEimunt OF labor,
IL The repeal Of all tariff and other acts whcl
provide ioT lhe collection Of the public revenue by
lhllrctt methods, and the substitution therefor d
I,,IStem Of direct MxAtiOn, graduated 10 proper
hIel. VI P'"PS''J VI 'ue"nae "
10. Railroads, telcSraphs, and all means Of tran,
PN',"ISh' I' 70 10 controlled by the Government,
~" TpI inc purpose Of ahOllshInE the wages syr
,I, h, -! INDUSTRIAL enterprises 10 10 plarC,I unip
tn9eontrnl o. the Government rs flr rs nTspiicshI
anu oISrSlcd by the cooperative unIons. lar in
good OF the whole people. ""''u'' ''' VI
10; Ihat the COnAiltullOn lc N amsnjlNj as 3,
r'qultu that all officers Of the lleneTsl RnJ Sta,
governments shall be elected by direct yois
ThertpOrt was adopted.
There ia, as any one can see, YER
heavy preponderance OF the impractica
BILE in this platform, and tho man VIII