New-York tribune., 1878-05-11

number OF Government employees. I'D
both cases the dissatisfaction OF the
large majority, instead of being removed by the
attempt to fix prices by law, would
be increased by the favoritism shown the few.
We regret the necessity that compels us to
such constant criticism of Mr.. COx's political
action, for he is a man whom we should like
once In a while to praise, if lie would ever
give us the opportunity. The truth Is, ne Is
n very persistent and very mischieyous dema-
goguc, and this kind of legislation is pure
demagOgIsm. Nor does the fact that the
measure had the support OF Messrs'
Butler and Banks initiate against this
view of it. What these gentlemen want 10
be understood as doing is the promoting the
welfare of the working classes by offering ten
hours pay for eight hours work What the
actually do is to increase the general discomfort
by making a privileged class of Government
employees, and out of that long train OF added
evils flows.
The same day, at Albany, Mr.. Ambrose III.
purdy, Tammany statesman, was, on
smaller stage, playing the same role III the
same sort of dismal farce Mr.. Purdy's little
game was in connection with bill " for the
better protection of mechanics" by prohibit
ing the employment of cOnvicts i'll mechan-
ical trades. His theory is that cOnylctS
in our prisons should be maintained III
idleness at the expense OF the state rather
than that they should come in competition
with honest Labor by being compelled to earn
their own living. For every convict employed
in mechanical pursuits he says one honest
laborcr is thrown out of work. So this states
,.,I bn ID
openly disclosing the dcmagogism of his pro-
posal-that all the cOnycts III our prisons
should be kept idle in order that the demand
for hbOrcrs may be increased by Just the num-
her Of unemployed prisoners. And he thinks
that it Tammany Hall gDeS to the people next
Fall with its banners Inscribed down with
Convict Laborw 10000, unemployed iaborers
in this city will rally to its support and carry
the election triumphantfY. We know nothing
OF the accuracy of Mr.. PlIdy's figures he eyi-
IDENTITY believes that, even if not $4,000, there
are enough unemployed lsborers in the city to
make it worth while to court their support
Whether the whole 10000 would be so jolly
green rs TO vote the DerhOcratic ticket upon
the suppO,itIOn that the withdrawal of few
hundred conyicts from mechanical pursuits
would 50 enlarge thef demand for labor
as to give them all employment, is question
! Mr. Purdy seems not to have considered.
And it is not impossible that the very large
class of voters who pay taXcs-farmers, mer-
chants. small prop.ictors, and men Of limited
! mcans-may likewise take tins question OF
! convict labor into serious consideration. What
more likely than they should reason in this
way: of the number Of cOnyIcts N Our
'prisous is so large that their compulsory
&" employment or enforced idlcncsN affects
! d" the market for labor throughout the state,
.'is it not worth our while to consider
"at whose expense they are to be
maintained in idicnesS, and whose and
&" how great is the benefit r. If there is any
! thing in Mr.. Pmdy's argument it ia an aTgu-
/ mcnt that culs both ways. Ii ought not 10
| affect favorably greater number Of unem-
| ploycd lahorcr, than thcre are conyictS, for
| only that number can hope TO get chance TO
do the work from winch The c0nyicts are with
/ drawn But 1t will affect unlayoraDly every
! thinking man who pays tax, for every one
will see that somebody must pay tho eX-
| prnsc of the maintenance OF these Idle crlml-
/ nails. and that in the end the taxpayer will
! find 1t in his bill And it will not be easy
/ To- convince him that a man should be eX-
cmptcd from the duty of earning his own
! LIVING by the mere flrt of his having COM
mittcd a crime. Bur perhaps Mr. Purdys
notion is that taxpayers have no rights that
rou-iaxuaycrs or politicians are bound 10
respect. Under Mr.. purdys party lash
! Mr. Eiastus BROOKS voted for this bill,
though confessing that 'to keep conylcts
lille is a crime against the State.' That
WAS the crime however, which this bill con-
| templaicd and for no other purpose than, as
/ openly ayOwcd by Mr. Purdy, TO win the
| votes Of $4,000 unemployed laborers. 1t
would have been not only u crime against
/ the state, but trick upon the work
mnnen, swindling imposition upon the
! taxpayer and cruelty to the con-
victS themselves. And yet we cannot help
| thinking how picturesque Tammany process
/ sion will be next FAN, with banners inscribed
Down with Convict Labor!' 1t would be
so hard to tell whether they wanted to get
work or get rid of It.