The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-03-01
Official Press of King county
Friday, March |, 1878.
THE LABOR MOVEMENT.

cies In the Legislature occasioned by
the deaths of Senator Angney and
Assemblyman Upton. shows what power
the labor movement has gained in
California. The laboring element nom
mated j. z. McDougall. of San Jose,
for Senator. and j. F. Clark. of Gilroy.
for the House. The election came of
last week, and Clark was elected by
over two hundred majority, while Nc
Dougall was beaten by less than twenty
votes.
This was accomplished by = fusion
of the Republican party with the De-
mocracy, each side nominating one
candidate The Republicans were
given the Assemblyman, and chose
William NJ. Williamson, Justice of
the Peace in San Jose and former
Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue
the Democrats. being allowed the Sen
ator, conferred their preference upon
s. w. Boring, formerly Sheriff of Plu-
mas county. but for the last eight years
& a resident of Santa Clara The latter
Is an adroit politician and an indeiati-
gable worker in any canvass where his
interests are at stake.
The fact that two parties having n
national existence buried the hatchet,
and struck up an alliance against the
labor organization, which has no deiin-
ito existence outside of California,
shows how desperate has become the
struggle for political power in that
State. Six months ago the lsLor party
was scarcely dreamed of: to-day it has
attained such power that both Repub-
licans and Democrats swallow their
past animosities and unite for self
preservation against it. The great
vote received by Bones, who beat the
Democratic nominee two votes for one
and ran over Eve hundred ahead of the
Republican candidate in the Alameda
election. shows how thoroughly the
working men are organized in all The
large cities. In San Francisco they will
control the next election beyond a
doubt, and Sacramento will go like
wise.
AS yet no move In this direction has
been made in Washington Territory,
but ii properly organized it would
easily control tho next election, esps-
cinlly if the loggers of Puget Sound and
the farm-laborers of Eastern Washing
ton would unite in its support. tbs
managers OF the Blakoly and Madison
mills. foreseeing an anti-Chinese out
break here at some future day. have
already dismissed all their Chinese help
and filled their places with white men.
In this they have shown commend a Die
prudence, believing it better to antici.
pate this movement of their own accord
than to hold out against and be ulti-
mately forced into submission.
II has got to come, sooner or later
for the legislation of the past twenty
years has been wholly in favor of CAPT.
tai against labor. Therefore we can
not wonder that a revolution tblood.
less. 1t is to be hoped), has been iuau.
gurated against the aggresaions of CAPT.
tai. which has system ,tically reduced
the wages of labor to enable dividend Is
to be paid upon watered stock. Ii i,
useless for notoriously subsidized organs
like the Sacramento Uaioa and San
Francisco Spirit or the Times to make
an outcry about Kearneylsm. Kearuey
Was the arch-ae itator of this grea,
struggle, but it has become too great a
conflict tor him to lead. aud he mus.
drop to the level of sergeant rathe,
than that of y brigadier. John Brown,
OF ossawatamie, was TIE agi,ator of the
great struggle which eliminated in the
overthrow of slavery. but he could not
have led it to victory had be lived.
just so with the labor movement. which
has passed beyond the control of mere
ward demagogues. and is now being
led by the intelligent mechanics of the
nation. IL is not to the lsborers who
ifle away their leisure hour. in saloons
that this tidal wave vii! owe its power
but to the diligent mechanics who pat.
ronize libraries aud reading rooms. and
endeavor to qualify themselves by dill.
gent research for lives of usefulness and
benefit to mankind.