New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-06-17

freed Some opposition was developed III the
Senate and Mr.. Lee, Of Peoria, Democrat
did himself credit by trying to have it re-
ferred to a committee. But the vote on TINS
PROPOSITION resulted in tie. and the Lieuten-
ant-GovernOr cast his vote with the Soclaiists'
and nassed the bill. Governor Cullom. show
ing the same integrity and courage WHICH
were called into action by the ridiculous SILVER
bill passed by the Legislature year ago,
vetoed this monstrOus piece of dishonesty anu
folly in message full of good sense ana
sound law.
During the tendency of the bill it was dis
covered by some of the rural members that
it wonld prevent them from furnishing sup
plies to their own harvest hands. Ii seemed
to them an excellent thing to prevent rich
manufacturers from making money out OF a
factory store, but when it came to subjecting
themselves to fine of hundred dollars for
putting off part of their corn and bacon on
their farm hands in place of cash, they
took more conservative views OF the mat
ter, and it became necessary, III order
to secure their votes, to except farm
laborers and domestic servants from TIE
operation Of the act This was done by an
amendment-which Mt once made the bill
wholly unconstitutional, bringing it under the
category OF class legislation, expressly FORBID
den by the organic law OF the State Inc
evident futlity of such a measure nld MOI
seem to strike anybody who was pushing IL
through the Legislature, and the Governor III
vetoing the bill forbears to dwell upon the
unconstitutonaity of this clause, evidently
thinking that this amendment, which tainted
the whole act with ilegality and made 1t I'M
possible of execution, was the best thing ABOUT
it, an opinion in which all sensible people
must agree
After the bill had passed the Legislature
and before the veto had been filed with the
Secretary of State, singular TACT became
known, which shows how utterly gratultOus is
most of this crazy legislation in the pretended
interest Of the labOring men. canvass was
made of one of the largest manufacturing
Establishments IN the State, which showed
that nearly all the hands employed there, num-
bering some five hundred, were opposed TO
the bill-for two very natural reasons. First,
they were satisfied with the corporation store,
finding 1t cheaper, better, more convenient IN
every way than the retail store in the neigh
boring city and secondly, their common sense
had pointed ont to them what had escaped
the notice of their bowling champions III the
Legislature, that the bill was positive injury
to them in reducing at once their credit and
their means of protection. Their credit
at the corporation store insured
subsistence for their families to the
full amount Of their monthly wages. III
this credit were taken away from them by
statute, their wages would become liable To
garnishee by any outside creditor, and OF
course no one would furnish an equal amount
of supplies Oh the same credit as their en-
ployers, because no one else would be so per-
fectly secured. The intelligence OF these mill
hands was thus safer guide, i'll the ease OF their
own interests, than the dishonest cunning OF
the dcmagogues who were seeking to Ingra-
tate themselves In their favor.
But it Is useless to accumulate arguments
in detail against legislative acts of this char
acter. They are absolutely devoid of sense
and of Justice from the beginning. They treat
the employer as tyrant without honor or
conscience and tie labOring man as an infant
without Will capacity, and they attempt to
shackle the former class and TO coddle and
hatter the last in a manner equally insulting
and Injurious to both If this absurd bill had
been suffered to go upon the statute book OF
Illinois, the merchants whom 1t intended TO
drive out of business, and the labOring men
whose liberty of action 1t destroyed while
pretending to protect them, would at once
have united to evade and trample it under
foot, until the courts had nullifed it; and no
such laws can ever have any other effect.
Everybody except those bnavish politicians
knows that American merchants and man
ulacturers are not cruel vampires, ana
that American worSingmen are not
lamb-lille idiots. They are perfectly
capable of making fair bargains with each
other, and keeping them honorably, without
any help from Congress or State Legislatures
Every one knows this; but so many sensible
and honest people meyer NEEDLE with pol
"itlcsn that the Legislature of great State
like Illinois is not afraid to pass such laws as
the "Truck Bill" and the Democratic party
of n great State like Ohio has the audacity to
nominate for ITS Governor man who is the
very incarnation of this wild policy Of spoia-
ton and ruin.
--------------------
There was plenty of news from the other side
Yesterday of a character interesting to the patriotic