National Republican., 1878-09-10

terror, which was received and ordered to be
filed:
To The Oec,r. and Members qt Gc National Torking.
mons assembly:
In accordance with resolutions passed by this
Assembly at a previous meeting denouncng the
contract system upon the principle that II "inurcs
solely To the contractor, n was detrimental TO tue
interests OF the mechanic, and the appointment Of
committee to wait upon the honorable Secretary of
G nWot iHGoa SGCp 70 naTS @ imS M9Fk OF Ier2GlnS the
the Government. insteal OF through the interven-
tinn Of contractor, II being the opinion of the As
scmby that II was optional with the secretary beg
leave to submit the following report:
Your committee was very cordially received by
the honorable Secretary and the Interview upon
the resolutions In r"irrcrCe To rerOJtng the Pat
cnt.Oihcc thoroughly discussed, and general con.
vcrsatiun Cnsurd n u the merits aud dement's of
the contract system as affecting the mechanic was
INDUCED in. Continuing ourselves exclusively to
the resolutions plSei by the Assembly, the
answer. OF III" Secretary 70 que;ti3ns propounded
by your committee are Substantially as follows:
Congress pa,sel bill making AN appropriation
mtsi'DU1fnE rcrnuiing the burnt PARTON of the
Patent ONCE. aud directed In the same that plans
aud specifications bc sUcitcl from architects IN
IN" lu'tHd --HtCs said plsu> 10 be suhm tied To n
hnnrd Of architects, provided for. to nnkcn Sclec
ton. The plan adopted by The bJarl provides for
an nitltinnal story TO the building which he said
would give ample room for the workings Of the nC
parlmcHt, the present stfurturr not being large
enough 10 utcgmuIoiatc all the bureaus many
huildi'gs in tho.iICighburhond being ryntcl Tn
dec the D. III as Was passed. specifying that the
sleIED should be- cXprnlr in .rcrDnfng the build.
Ing, and another cn,i'C leaving the plan and .pcc.
iiydtOnS submitted 10 board # architects tu mike
Il scca catiOn. aud their hav,Hg adopted plans which
would Involve large expenditure Of money, Ear
ia excess ui the amount Appropriated, and per.
hiiE. .ut,n led, ly InTss, l. hc expended, ~
ulliIE m ll.tunal story 70 the bulldug, he did
not iuI at Nb.riy to undertake tho work un Ter the
Provisions Of the iii without having first sub.
init, the sprvltica.ipls ulrpted 10y the board Of
arsh ,rH's w.ii the GdIti"h cost "t the same. To
'vuE,t's aud HGvin- them stnCii mel hy that body
In reference 10 that pJriOn Of the re ,Olutoms
wh"h .tnt" TINT at Is optional with the secretary
rhN. the WORK done by contract u: day work" he
state that he hUd 4 Hs yet closely examined the
law Uu that puiut hUt was of the opinion that there
werc r,TlNiW prov that made obligatory on
him 10 have certain work PeriUrmCl under con.
t?ac'; bat where the law was mnI emphatic he would
t. lar u his time would adiIt Ufgiyius the matter
his pgrsuua, atigutun, have the work done directly
Gy The government; bui that nothing would he
done until tEC rvaSsrmbllng Of Congress.
In view Of these lacis your c1miutitre would ask
the indulgence "f the Assembly In II few remarks
which while not bearing directly upon the resplu.
uOus creating the COmnttcC, We deem OF sufficient
Importance To mention In this report.
10 subs'nntiale thst the contract systcmis an evil
TO the Interests of the abJrer 1t Is only necessary to
refer to the condition. financially Of the contractor
the nOnprUducer, and the yabUrGr the Producer
The labjrcr Is being degraded day by day through
the contract system whereby his given away TO the
lowcst bidder, compelling him to work at a price
that will scarcely keep sonl and body together,
Tie honorable Sc rotary, In general discussion
on the System, said that in many Instances the
GJverumcnt was greatly benefited, and In some re.
spccts where the system had been abused by neg.
lcCt un the part Of officials the Government had
suffered. The secretary frankly acknowledged
"H Hf y%E 90 hst Where II II. 'nG STen Sn1,
mcnt was benefited the producer. the mechanic,
| and lAb1rCr suffered. .
position Of a capitalist, calls 10 memory the words
! pf the lRlncnicl Lincoln, which we deem Of SUI.
llClCNi hlIr-tauCC to rcpsat here 10 demonstrate
the total dryIaid of lhusc In power to an uitrranCe
nom one whose motives were as pure as the rys of
| the sun
Labor Is PRIOR to and Independent Of capital.
Capital Is unly the fruit Of labor, and could never
| have existed II labor hud not first existed Labor
| Is the superior Of capital. and deserves much the
| higher consideration"
| That uttrgance involves mountains Of truth and
Is deservIng the umaGmous approval Of all who
come under tho head of labor and the ind rise.
inent Of all rs truth who occupy the position Of
| capitalists. But whcu will the wuTkIugnpn rlse
IN their might and majesty, teach the powers that
be That We u w"rkin.Mel, have rights that they
are h!uni 20 respect Gul point TO them the truth
Contained IN the u,ternncc Of Lincoln and demand
! hNsty return to the days when CIutracturs were
| unknown and that lie who does the work must
| receive tile higher cons luratiOu.'
| What benefit Coulrl the Government or an indi-
| v.luH! receive from contractor II labor should
rCils" t. come p his rescue ani erect buildings?
The r!ntac'pr "ccui!es position similar To that
n'lr school bO,k., presented hEs .f before IN.
| mittCc OF WOEkIngmeI who hal the selection of
atcd No contractor IL mentioned as having ap
Feared. or he would have received the same cen
sure. Being nOn,psuduccr, they could prosper
| better with ut than with him.
| All our buildings, both Iutl!c and private, must
| necessarily be- planned before work is iscommCnCcd
and the l.crhanir following the IAns Of Inc arch.
te"t, rreri, tn" building but tie contractor, the
! middle man, who furnishes nnthmg, receives ALL
B"hre closing our report upon this subject we
CUuyiCl-lUbUr contract system which i even Iapre
detrimental to the interests Of the honest mechanic
whose labor is brought into competition with the
condemned tcon, than that of an interruptions
contrnci3r upon our public buildings.
We VII! qd1e y plank IN tho Republican plat
form OF West Virginia TO show that while the con.
NCHuGns Ot other Stutes. Of either party cOmprcd
by lLrI? majority of wIrk.ngnun, lost sight Of
this evil. the hottest mechanic Of West Virginia
with id.c sh"is Ut every hand. did not hesitate 10
dcn"uncc that which gave him haggard appear
Aucc:
1hrt the olry OF the Democratic members Of
CUH-r from tbs state In und,rUlllng her 81
aTy Of lis a c Se a oas - cPmTic PiTi by by c f~d
"r uIt. uf tie puntry, and th"n leIing IuI, this
p eng ,u"h Labor in direct compptl gu with honest
Iar an Iher"hy preveating tn honest man from
titles mn. blow struck at his NE ,ns OF liyllnpoi
Is pr judo ia TO the best Interests Ut tho wOrsusmun
Of he sac, aud Is hereby unTlahedly cord aimed
by this convention.
of the United states should snnd, The prpduC-
ton Of the cumrCts In the different rcuiirntiIrics
and T"rkh3n'rs Of thr Inite,l states from Il H,ss.
Ing glance i one yI little importance but II s'Utis-
tie. were rrpiu"Cd Ut the product Of such in'iIuI-
lious and the sales, based upon the price which m
honest mechanic wuuld receive for the same
amount Of work, the mag ltude Of the net rc.
tril would b. stuulhg,
How ron.,,'r,r The action Of the C1ugre~iuen
Fl ,Iu that stale II with the action Of Mr. Black
barn. chairman Of tho democratic tpnJrc,sipuN!
Committee, Nhp, Rlyvrl:ing Tor proposals for the
bturcmuC campaign work, opening the bhls
NNHr'llug the contract u gentlemen Of Tl.psrtthil
ily, l. based up0n fair compensation 10 The
MuTkmru, WuUl,ing TINT contract to CuU,i,ur q
lpwcr hi'l Nll"rnurl submitted by lhe rat % P,@.
AMI HNITiiug tue contract a. sHid paper, thereby
rec uEulLhg RHd encouraging the degradation
II the mvChauiC All uCu0n which Cnrl
forth wpTis OF condemnation from this
b dy rud should be followed by the ulpptmIl
OF lhvstlav vJuicmuatIry resolutions 10y all organ
| iNupu- IN the Cnliul States, erected upOn Dat.
form iDr the LnrliOrltiOu Of the wUrkingInru. and
STRIVING t. elevate labor to that standard in society
| II j. - justly cHtitIel 10.
| In conclusion. your committee would recon- mend
the Necessity Of such action being taken 10y the A..
scmbiy n would CHuse the wprkimgmcu Of the
United ~u,es 10 dc.ntmi II pledge from the Cndi.
dates who are now befDr" them asking their sul-
tulyHalily Of this evil aui. II found To be in
dircct conflict with the Constitution Of the United
States that they pledge themselves 10 support tuul
measures Will eradicate this evil Of cuy Wet ,abI
aud the contract Ey;icm, coming la con
hiCt with honest labor, believing II u
be in direct violation Of the mula
mental principles upon which this Republic wa,
formed and also believing thrt the prosperity AM
prrpetuly uf this Republic demands that no state
eprlDratipn, or monopoly Of nny character should
Le allowed IN any manner Whatever 10 enact AM
nlUrCe such laws u will tend 10 degrade any mo
chanical branch Of industry. .,-.
NJ II. GOODWIN.
The credentials Of Messrs. q. W. Spier, o
| II a IL.