Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-09-06
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Politics in the State--Conlx1in ana |
Henton : The Labor Question |
The Telegraph and RAILROADS, |
and the Hxpresss Business
New York, sept.l. 1877.

the intentions of Senator Conklin
Senator ConkIin did not come home
to organize raid upon the admins
tration, he is not in opposition to
President Hayes, nor will he be. OF
course Senator Conklin would have
liked it better had he been allowed to
control the patronage of the state as
he has done for SO many years, but
he recognizes the propriety and justice
of the Presidents action, and acqui-
esces heartily in the new order Of
things. And next winter he VIII be
the most effective supporter the Pres
ident will have in the Senate. And,
by the way, the Republican party of
the state of New York was never in
so comfortable a condition as now,
and the Presidents civil service re-
form is what has done it. The spois
question out of the way, there is no
longer any difference. Gov. Fenton
is back in full accord with the party
of the state, and all are working to-
gether as amiably as could be wished
The people of the state, of both par
ties, believe in the President, and
they will show it at the polls. Only
the disappointed are growing, and as
everybody knows the impelling mo-
tive of their growls, they can do no
harm. The best capital the Presi-
dent has is the fact that within two
weeks over a hundred useless officials
have walked the plank in this city
alone, and there are more being led
to the slaughter. The fact is, the
President is gaining ground daily,
and whoever opposes him will be
ground to powder by the people for
whom he has instituted reforms that
are actually reforms. He has smashed
machine politics, and all honest men,
Democrats as well as Republicans,
have faith in him, and are having
more every day,
The Labor, Question.
Robert 3. Roosevelt, an old citizen,
and very good man, has addressed
an open letter to the mayor, asking
that the city begin public works in
order to give work to the starving I'M
employed. It is true that there are a
vast number of men in the city who
would work if they could get work to
do, and it is also true that unless they
get work the city will have to support
them. Roosevelt argues that the city
might as well get the value of the as
sistance it will have to render, as to
give it in the shape of aims. The
newspapers are crlticising his letter
severely, but | can't say but taat he
is right, and that all other cities and
towns that have unemployed labor
should not do likewise. Roosevelt's
proposition does not go far enough.
The thousands of professional mendi-
cants, the beggars, organ-grinders,
thieves and tramps should be arrested
and compelled to work. Every man
who cannot show visible means of
support, should be compelled to work,
even if corporal punishment should be
found necessary, and that would re-
duce the burden imposed upon the
people about half. Then, why not
set the honest poor at work on public
improvements which have got to be
made sometime? Should not the
municipalities of the country take ad
vantage of the cheapness of labor to
build their new railroads, their public
buildings, and their streets, and their
everything that they have got to
build sooner or later? This is the
precise time in which to do it. IF
they do not set the unemployed at
work of this kind, the public will have
to support them anyhow, and why not
get the worth of their support ont of
them? In short, why not get the
value, in permanent Improvements, for
what we have got to pay? | believe
in a strong paternal government,
which will act as regulator. When
private enterprise is active, the goy~
eminent can be quiet. But when from
any cause private enterprise becomes
stagnant and thousands up
on thousands of men, who would
work if they could get work to do, are
thrown out OF employment, why
should not the government step
in, and taking advantage Of tho
cheapness of labor, give them EN-,
pioy ment on this work This is tho
time that houses, post offices,
and other public buildings that the
Government will have to have in ten
wears should be built, and every
thing else of a public nature should
be done. If city or town has q
railroad to build, school. house to
erect, or anything olse of the kind to
do, it cannot do wiser thing than
to commence II now. By this
means it will get its improvements
done at half The cost of four years
from now, and il will give employ
ment TO that portion of the poor who
will work. The tramps should then
be compelled to earn their living,
and the labor question would NC set
tied.
Donahue, the leader Of tho rail-
road strikes at Hornellsville, was
released from Ludlow ST. Jail, hav-
ing served his time out, but was ar
rested Immediately by tho Sheriff of
Slueben county, and was taken TO
Bath, and put into tho common jail.
Donahue don't like this, for it inter-
feros materially with bis purposes.
He had made SO much notoriety by
his connections with the strikes, that
he had made his arrangements to
utelize it, by starting q paper in
New York, devoted to communism
and ali sorts Of wild labor vagaries
His sheet was to DO named "Tbe
Striker" and be confidently expect
ed that every laboring man who had
dollar to spare, would send in his
money, and that he would at once
be elevated to the place Of o leader
of the laboring people, and possibly
get to congress on the strength oil
that hobby. For be it known that
Mr.. Donahno, like all the leaders oil
great movements, is the most con-
summate demagogue that ever
breathed, and there is nothing that
he will not do to advance himself.
He il still languishing In the jail Of