Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-10-06
KEPNER AND SEABRIGHr
A DEMOCRATIC BOON IN The FIRST
WARD.
The Views Of Democratic Candidates for
tie Legislature on Labor Wants
staff Presentation.

II was the intention of the First ward
Democrats TO have had Hon. Ross J.
Alexander, of Bridgeport, AID ,. A.
Kepner, Esq, Of this city, address a
meeting at their club room, last night,
but owing to a misunderstanding, Mr..
Alexander was absent. The moderate
assemblage which had gathered was,
however, sufficiently pleased and enter
tanned by Mr.. Kepner. He is a PLAIN
man, and his speech was charac,eristicti
him. 1t was plain and s:raightiorHard
throughout. The points weremaG" and
illustrated in comprehensive Anglo
Saxon. and were delivered with an earn
estness that carried conviction Will. 1t.
He BEGAN with n general review q
the pal.,ica! situation and, rrrsTmlng
he was a wOrking:nan lircSslnG ""iE'
inynlen, lie lhDrUughiy '%P.":Lrd lt'
publican financial legislailpn aGd It's
operation against them ami IN the m
terest OF the rich, making them richer,
and the poor, poorer. lie held thatthe
Republican party, with its sectiona!
Y ews, was opposed 10 the iaOOr!ng
classes. ~SectiOnalism, provoking "a II
does, a feeling o! insecurity and DIS
trust, is an~tdgOnis,ic 10 business, n
whatever interferes with commerce,
il prejudicial 20 the ~workingman.
The Republican rarty, hy keeping
alive the wal spirit, caused a Northern
dis,rust OF the South and that would
operate against u industries Ill THIS
way: The South is now rapidly rec0v-
eriny from the effects OF the war. Its
exhausted energies are rallying and 1t is
rising 10 its proper place in the mon.
Soon it will demand our stoves. nails.
glassware and cigars, with other pro
ducts OF the Wheeling manufacturers,
The sectional cry oil the party promoted
the feeling OF ilI.wiIl between the North
and South and chOked the commercial
vein. Hence, labor looked To itS Inter
est to support the Demo rattle party.
The tendency Ci the Republican party
toward a 'stfong 9ovcrninen; Was
fully explIined. IL held that too much
" was vested in the people and too
little in the general government. lis
representative, Garfield, had declare"
the country WITS tending toward a
stronger government, ami he was gIadc'
il. This was no new idea. 1t emanatc",
from Those directly under ;he shadow Oh
the British throne, the British Mi>i)-
Gratis in whose bones the desuQ..c idea
Was bred. 1t Was opposed tn . govern
ment 10y the people, and held That al
bower should be- vested III the govern
mant o~iIi,cis. II MAS opposed u tine
Democratic idea, which was based en-
tirely on the constitution. When :hr
States gave the constitution to the gov
-. -. .l.l.s.,,s.t ..ptu.f, ltf.kSiTs
IN il. they reserved t. themselves ami 10
the people all the powers not there
in delegated TO the general govern
ment. This is the balance wheel oi our
government. the sptahe, wanted a
government, strong enough 10 protect
every man in his constitutional rights,
but not strong cncu IN to cypress IT,
humblest citizen, whicu sentiment was
greeted with applause. The story @!
Martin kOsts vas cited Is an illustration
oil what q strong government sGouIh re-
Dir. kepner proceeded to show that Il
party which has ~squandered the publ"
domain as has the Republican, - not
the party iOr poor men. over Ijr,Oo,-
600 acres oil Western land have ncen
voted away by Republican Congresses,
instead OF being reserved f1r the use OF
settlers.
The PARTY that does not protect lis
home interests is not the party tor the
poor man. 70 illustrate this, the SPEAK
cr brought up various tariff acts oi the
Democratic party when in power, and
showed up Gartield's record OF having
voted TO reduce the tarlil on iron an,t
steel, and increase il on tea, collie AMI
sugar.
Turning TO purely local matters. Mr..
kepAcr said he had the honor 10 b. the
Democratic candidate for House OF
Delegates, not from any cXeilipns ut his
own, but because he had long been
identified with the labor interests Of the
community. Ii elected, rs he believed
he would. he would consider il his duty,
as il would certainly be his pleasure. 70
do all in lis power To correct certain *.
isting evils. The laws wer" az fIrit,
and it was the province Of tie lpg!~ia
ture TO provide the remedy.
First oil all, the iabo; intCres; de
manis the repeal OF the contract con
Wet labor system. This system, which
brought the product Of prison labor into
competition with general Labor outside,
must of necessity have Il tendency t.
reduce wages to Il prison standard. ~
Moundsville the average price paid Tor
labor was - cents a day. Outside, tins
price meant starvation and stirvati"n
I means revolution. IL was not to lie
supposed that labor would ever de
! scend 10 such 4 ti:ur", but that was cei-
tainlv the tendency OF the contract sys-
tenn. In the interest of honest labor
a repeal OF the law WAS pcrcmp:orliy de-
manded. What t. substitute i"r the
present system was a matter Tor the
consideration OF the legislature. The
first duty of the state WAS 70 be JUS. II
her law-abidins citizens.
In the second place, labor demanded
such modification q. the present at
tachrlent law asnot to work INJURY 10
10 the labOring man. The present law
il simply a bonanza for justices. Costs
upon costs are piled upon eases and
amount, in many instances, to lar more
than the o%ri.ina. claim. This VA illus
trated in a way TO bring it home 10 hi
hearers.
Then new mining law Wis demand. I
cd. An Inspector must be appointed
and means found 10 protect t!c health
and lives of our mining classes. Cars
must be officially branded. In too
MANY cases were miners PAID Tor -
bushels, after digging%j o. 10, because
of this want.
Labor demanded Il change in The me.
chanics' lien law, making the wa."s ii
labor a first lien on property. There
were too many looph0les i'll the present
law-too many meansby which the poor
laborer could be deiraudci Of the price
OF his honest labor. And last, the in.-
quitous store order system must be abb.
ishel. This WAS too familiar to all To
REQUIRE an explanation. These points
were clearly and conciseiy stated and
were received with great favor aud GP-
plause. Mr.. kepner concluded with an
expression OF his belief that the siInSol
the times promised brilliant and fruit
full victory Tor the Democracy, both in
October and November.
At this juncturr, soEic one eSPlc'i
Commodore Seabright in the hall and
called for him. The cry was taken NJ
and Charlie was compelled TO come ont
- H. IL, ,,,es, H.. Sail ha Ilsl Is