Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1883-03-17
LABOR MANIFESTO.

manllestO OF Ine DOdrl OF DIRECTOR
taving charge of national labor legis-
lation
The board of directors duly ap-
pointed by the central committee OF
labor legislation, organi zsd by au
thority of the last Congress Of Ma
tional Labor Unions, beg leave to sub
NIT to the organized trade unions
and assemblies of labor of the United
States the following manifesto
"In June last a resolution was
adopted By the United States Senate
without opposition, directing an in
vestigstion of the relations between
capitalists and laborers in this coun-
try and the cause Of labor st,ikea,
etc, and promised remedial legisla.
ton to alleviate the existing wrongs
imposed upon the wage workmen by
federated capitaIiuts. At the request
Of the Committee on Education anc
Labor Of the Senate list of eleven
witnesses was furnishe that commit
ee by the board of dlrec ora to ST.,
forth under oath the grievances Of
which the wage-workmen of the
country ara complaining. After
IN ach unnecessary delay Eve oil the
ell ven witnesses we're SUNNI ned TO
appear at tho Capitoi, but only par
tial ex mina,ion OF two OF the wit
nesses selected was made by the Sen
ate committee, when the investigation
was abruptly suspe ded, and iurihe'
authority obtained from the SENATE
for an extension Of time to said com
mittee through the Forty eighth Con-
gress, period of two years longer
delay, for the reason that more i'm
po,tant business, in their estimation,
demanded the immediate attention Of
the senator's. This action, coupl2d
with later proceedings inimical to the
interests of wage workers, csnvinces
the board CT directors of the insinceri.
ty and hypocrisy Of the professions of
the majority of the senators. A few
days before the close of the late Con-
gress deliberate plan was devised
by the standing Committee on Print
ing and seconded by the standing
Committee on Appropriations, to
break up and utterly destroy trade
union of workmen employed at the
CAPT al of the nation, which plan only
failed Of contamination by technical
conflict with standing rule Of TIE
Senate, which prevented its consider
alton in an appropriation bill, but
their blunder would have been olivia
ted had not our opponents been Pr ess-
ed for time.
1T should be remembered that
when the resolution passed the Senate
for investigating the relations between
capital and labor, the business Of the
whole country was agitated by strikes
of workmen to the number Ct about
10000 men, and the strikers were
daily augmenri1g in number They
had combined to resist manifest
wrongs Imposed up n them by Their
employers, and appreh ansions Of so.
cial anarchy, serious arrangement Of
bu"lness, AMI possibly suffering to the
i4miles of the agg'leved woikmen,
moved the Senate to adopt his tim ly
resolution. The local ntr'l commit
teo OF labor, more especially III view
CT the latter contingency, issued a cir
GUAR and earnestly advised thelr fst-
loA workmen ,hr.ugaout the country
engsle ed 10 ST. kes, 10 IN he t bsst
terms they coald with thor poy-
err and renew their lahnrs tsf ~ WIN
TER with It's disc inf rts sc, nd
Patiently sudmlt % wrongs n;ll ,hey
could learu ibe outcome vi ne SeGa'e
resolution. Tncy also Expressed Their
belief that the only human power
which coula Afford permanent rem
et:y to the wors men WAS the law.ma-
kla5 power OF the < vernment, and
asked ccepa ace of Its .uofe ea me-
diation IN gooi faith, uotwi hsta dog
that the Seua q Is eIlev ed to larg
ly composed Of lawyers specially re-
taiaed by federated capital to promote
the interests of their rich clients at
the EXPENSE of the poor citizens. The
fact is well known these so.calIed rep
resentatives t the people have lavish
ly donated 200.000,000 acres of the
public domain to wealthy eorporat!ors
in violation Of the organic law and of