National Republican., 1883-07-10
THE MAN ON THE AVENUE.
smnl rnlk About Men and Measures

The labor question is the coming political
issue in this country. The tariff question
will sink into insiguifcance in comparison
with the labor problem before the next ten
years have passed and IL the organization of
the different branches Of labor shall continue
for that length Of time in the same ratio that
has signiGed its progress since 1870 there is
no question but that those who earn their
bread by the sweat of their brows will have a
fair share of the profits accruing from the
soil and the manufacturing industries of this
glorious country. | remember we'll when
there was not labor organization in tho
land and what is the extent and the power
welded by the workingman today Every
where and in every form of labor from the
doctor and the lawyer to the hod carrier and
tho roustabout, the voice and the power Of
their demands for a fair days wages for a fair
days work is treated with respect. Even
that august body called tho United States
senate has at last been compelled, through
the concert of action all over this broad laud,
to succumb and give the workingmau hear
ing. 1t now has its committee on labor inves-
tigating the strikes of tho coal miners and
iron workers, and have strong hope that
something beneficial will come of it,"
as there any movement on foot to CONSOLE
date the different trades organizations into
one bodyp
"Well, yes; but nothing definite has been
done so far You see we must grow. We
first had local unions, and then state and ma
tional unions. Then the state unions organ
lied into what is known as trades assemblies;
but these different state assemblies have not
as yet formally consolidated, although they
are now in sympathy. / think before long we
shall have grand confederation Of all the
different unions and societies, and the head
quarters will be here in Washington-som
thing like the Knights Of Labor, only on n
larger scale. The knights of Labor is a Sc
crct and an oath-bound institution, and ex-
per fence has taught that the best method and
the one surest to win in the end is to have
everything open and above board"
Have the labor unions formed any ten
dency of joining either OF the two great par
ties?"
"Well, that l can hardly answer. The
workingman has good and bad friends in both
parties, and even in the same state as is in
stanced in the New Hampshire senatorial
contest The Washington Federation of
Labor no doubt voiced the sentiments Of
every union man in the land when it sent a
written protest against the election of Rollins
and favored Blair. Senator Blair has shown
opposition to consider our grievances, while
Rollins has not. But the grand kick will
come when Stlson Hutchins shall put on his
war paint for clerk of the next house of rep
rcsentatives. The Columbia Typographical
union has already sounded the tocsin, and
when the battle shall have been begun you
will find the democratic members of congress
smothered with petitions from all over the
country to allow Mr.. Hutchins to remain in
private life. He has been one of the very
worst enemies to the typographical fraternity,
both here and in st. Louis, and / have no
doubt that he will meet the same fate as when
he ran for congress in the latter city-that is,
get left"
"How does Ben Butler stand among the
laboring classes?"
Zip top. He has always been onr friend
and il he ever comes up for president he will
get nine-tenths Of the votes of the men who
belong to labor unions. If the democratic
party only had sense enough to nominate
him, with man like Judge Algernon S.
| Griggs, of Indiana, or Gen. Oscar Dunlap, of
Kansas, for vice president, l have not the
least doubt in the world but that party would
win. But it hasn't sense enough, and that
ends that question. But you can invest all
the spare change you have on the fact that
no matter who is put up for president on any
ticket the vote of the workingman will be
deposited hereafter where it will do the most
good.'
a@&
"What do you hink of the Irish emigra.
tion question:" was the question asked of q
resident Irish patriot.
"Well I can hardly give an answer to that
question until know which side oDonovan
Rosa is on"
"He is in favor of Ireland for the Irish
and wants all the destitute emigrants to re-
main there"
"Well then, l want to see them come ovel
here, and I'll tell you the reason why. About
ten years ago there was an Irish convention
held here in Washington, and was keeping
q place on Fifteenth street at that time
Like every other Irishman in the city,
wanted to be in style and decorate my place
of business. l had q friend in tho Navy de-
partment, and through his kindness | wa
given an order for tho flags of all nations
from the navy yard. / procured them, and
spread them all over the front of the house
OF course 1 didn't pay any attention
to the colors, nor the stripes, nor the crosses
of any Of them, but put them up Al
they came to hand, After the procession
was over, Rosa and two or three other strap
ping Irshmen came down tho street, ant
noticed that I had the English flag on thu
awning right over the sidewalk. Of course
they would either have to pass under tina
flag or go round They refused to pass unde
the flag, and passed by in the middle of th
street. They inquired on the avenue as t.
who kept the place, and were told that it wa
a fellow Irishman. The next morning whel
went to take down the decorations l founC
the English flag town into shrods and if
handnt had influence in the Navy depart
ment I'd been badly salted for my ignoranc
in not knowing where to stick the Englisl
flag. But you can bet that whenever yol
find Rosa on one side of question am jus
on the opposite"
3Fs
"Can't something be done to preserve the
town pumps?" inquired tho thirsty individual
"You see" he continued that if it WASH
for the town pumps the poor population
in this city would suffer untold hardshi
in such warm weather as we have had for tn