The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-02-19
Penal Legislation.


We demand penal zeo;s,ot;o,, ,
:, Nationals M platform; against what? Let
US ior a moment examine and see
Messrs. Weyerhauser and Denkm.n for
example, carry on the business Of mappfac.
'oii'g lam Der; they employ large number
" men; their employees voluntarily engage
IN their service upon an agreed rate of
wages and specified terms of payment
30 far then, there is no compulsion on
eltner side. Messrs. Weyerhauser and
DeOkman also carry on the business of
merchandising, which is something ou;te
as legitimate as the lumber business
Doth are acknowledged to be lawful and
reputable pursuits, They have large
amount of capital invested, and thew carry
on their business for the same purpose
tnat all business men do, to obtain profit
upon the Investment, The profit, if any,
MADE upon the merchandising business is
as Legitimate and proper as that made unon
iumoer-it is as proper and legitimate as
that made by any other person engaged in
the line OF merchandise When Messrs.
Weyerhauser and Denkman give their
employees who work in the mill and lumber
yard orders (script is the language of the
platform) on their store, either thew have
some compulsory power by virtue of the
terms of their engagement with the men to
oblige the latter to take these orders and
trade them out at their store. or else when
ever the men do take them the act is a
voluntary one on their part, The remedy
In the case seems perfectly plain; ii
they have made contract to labor upon
terms which are oppressive why not cancel
the contract? If their action is volun.
tary and not coerced by any compulsory
terms where is the ground for complaint?
The demand of the platform in substance
is that no one shall employ another except
he pays his wages in cash, and that it shall
be penal offence to do otherwise. With
the same propriety it might be made
a penal offence for person to ask credit
of the e-keeper-or in other words the
whole credit system should be abolished
and anything but strictly cash business
should be visited with the pains and penal
| ties of violated law. That would be re-
form and protection Of the poor man will
vengeance. 1t don't require any brilliant
effort to see which would suffer most, the
man with capital who could ifhe chose live
theremainder Of his life without giving EN-
ployment in the way of business toany, or
the man who has only his labor as the sourc,
of his living The next step would newt
ably be penal legislation to compel capita
to furnish employment, to furnish an en-
ployment paid for exclusively by cash, an,
upon such terms and for such number O
hours per day as labor may chose to die
tate. In short there is no end of demands
and no end of penal legislation, when gov
ernment is asked to step in and arbitraril
regulate the relation of labor and capita
and to make it penal offence for a perso
, to engage in one kind of business becaus
: he happens to be engaged in another, an
+ in business way makes one the auxilliar
: Of the other.
D Referring once more to Messrs. Weyel
e hauser & Denkman, by way Of illustration
5 suppose they have credited upon the
books to their employees say eight thousan
dollars (which probably is not fl
from the fact) and this sum hi
been advanced upon the expectation th
e it will be repaid by their labor, is it
0 matter that deserves penal legislation tn
they have befriended their men in hal
times and during the idle season of Il
e year to that amount? The great demar
of the times is give US employment" Il
manufacturers have not only done thi
but they have carried and still are carrylI
them, financially, to the full amount of 1
:. that they have extended them cree
at their storehouses, and yet, according
: the platform. their efforts to assist al
Z befriend their men and TO tide them oY
: the hard times with both labor and cree
%. are deserving OF penal legislation cons
:. quently the reprobation and indignation
honest men. No wonder, men of Ro
Island, you that propose such measure
to are desirous that your names shall not
ic, known as belonging to such an associate
nd nd and that you dislike to look an employ
S No in the face and say | am one of the n
iin' who propose to ask legislation to make
portion of your business penal often
> Do you think that is right? Don't )
think your would-be leaders are act
knavishly or foolishly in leading you il
2 making such Inconsistent and impractica
s demands. In short, are you going to all
Il yourselves to be brought into personal s
= political antagonism with your employt
that a set of pretended friends and lead
may enjoy Office and distinction, while
aa a. simply get. what? That is it, labor
hat men, what is your profit and benefit IN
eat crusade against capital?
nth -
m1ne m Don't ruin your health, and, besi'
o make yourself disagreeable to other pee