The Evening critic., 1884-07-19
CIeyeIand,s Record.

The supporters OF tho Presidential candi.
daie whom the so.called "Independent Re-
publicans" forced upon the Democratic party
are trying hard to explain his vetoes OF meas
uree In which labor was Interested. 1t is we'll
known In New York that Governor Cleveland
frem the time he was elected determined 10
do hll he could to establish for himself the
reputation OF being eminently conservative"
IN the sense OF doing nothing to earn tho i'll
Will OF the corporations. This fact must be
kept In mind In order TO fully understand his
policy In dealing with bills affecting the In.
,sreets 0i the corporations: The yetoing Of
the reduction OF the hours OF LABOR for the
conductors and drivers on the horse cars,
and the Mechanics Lien bill, show clearly
In order that our w readers who do not live in
New York may fully understand Cieyeland's
veto OF tho Five-Oent-Faro bill, It may be ne.
that traverse the city city, OF New York charge osch
passenger ten cents except during certain
hours In the morning and evening. AZ much
OF the travel on the elevated roads is but for
very short distance, passengers going only
part OF tho route, their places being takon by
other passengers who are constantly getting
on at The disrent sSS s,aon, VIII be readily
railroads realize enormous profits.
The Legislature, recognizing the fact that
the people Of New York was being taxed enorl
mouely by Jay Gould, Cyrus W. Field & Co.,
passed bill reducing the fare to i've cents at
all hours. This measure, which is known as
the Fiye;oent-Fare bill, was adopted by an
and Assembly. No ono supposed that Gov.
ernor Cleveland would veto the bill In the face
OF such a majority, backed up as It was by a
strong popular feeling, .H
But Governor Cleveland, who was anxious to
win favor with the corporations, thought he
cav good chance OF ingratiating himself With
Them and hastened TO do the very thing no one
expected him to do. How important was the
service he rendered jay Gould and Cyrus W.
Field will be understood when we state that
statistics chow that nearly 97, ,O0O, 900 persons
are carried Tho alavatad raflrOaiQ
year. Consequently the veto securing tho
railroads ten cents fare instead OF fivo cents
The elevated railroads that they would not re-
veto.
1t will be seen, then, that the Democratic
presidential candidate has given the corpora.
lions very substantial proof that II ever,
through their help, he gets In the White House
and surely he has earned the right to count
upon their help-he Will not be negligent OF
their Interests. The message accompanying
the veto the Five.Cont.Fare bill was strong
plea In favor OF permitting the elevated rail-.
roads 10 continue TO tax the citizens OF New
York S5, 100000 annually. In this message
Governor Cleveland put forth the startling doc
trine that there was no constitutional power In
one Legislature TO regulate and abridge privi.
leges granted by preceding Legislature, how
ever oppressive those privileges had become.
Aiormer Legislature had allowed the eleya.
ted railroads TO charge ten-cent fare until such
time as the roads earned 10 per cent. on the
amount invested in their construction. II was
well known that the stock was 30 watered that
the elevated railroads were earning far more
than the stipulated 10 per cent. An. exami.
nation OF the books would have shown this,
Governor Cleveland, however, cared little for
that. He was anxious to show himself the
friend Of the corporaIions and he chose TO con.
slider the act OF the Legislature allowing them
10 charge the ten-cent fare In tho nature OF a
constitutional prohibition OF reduction 70
signing the hve.cent bill would be q violation
OF the State Constitution. He dwelt at such
length on this that ono would be led to sup
pose that there were no courts In New York to
pass on the constitutionality OF the bill II II
had received the Governors signature.
Governor Cleveland know we'll enough that
Jay Gould, Cyrus W. Field & 90. would appeal
10 the courts II he signed the bill, and ia that
way there would be chance for the proper
tribunals TO decide whether the Legislature
had violated the Constitution in reducing the
fare from ten TO nve cents. But this would
cause certain amount OF trouble aud ex pcnse
10 the corporations, which might In the end be
defeated In the courts. SO, TO save tho costs
Of an appeal and 10 guard the corporations
against the chances OF being defeated in the
eonits, Governor Cleveland vetoed the Five.
Does not oil this show that the Democratic
candidate for the Presidency is the devoted
servant OF the corporations
The bill reducing the hours OF labor for the
conductors and drivers on the street cars was
another good chance for Governor Cleveland
10 serve his friends, the corporations. 1t is
embrace IT. The conductors and drivers
worked fifteen hours u day, and the bill In
question proposed reducing the hours TO
twelve, Governor Cleveland again interposed
with his veto on the ground that the Legisla.
iure had no right TO interforo with the corpora.
lions In this matter.
Tho third veto wns that of the mechanics
Lien Law" which gave the workingmap, In
caseof his employers failure, O prior claim
for bis wages on the assets of his bankrupt
employer. The reason given by Governor
Cleveland for vetoing this measure was that
there was possibility of Its being used by
lawyers 10 their advantage. Ho was SO ex-
ceedingly anxious that the worklngmen should
not be exposed TO being cheated by lawyers In
one cnee out OF q hundred that he preferred
that the employers should have the hundred
chances OF cheating workingmen out Of their
wages.
Does not this show that the Democratic can
didate for tho Presidency eympathizos with
capital rather than with labor?
We have shown you the nature OF the vetoes
that have made Governor Cleveland so OBJ
noxious 10 the workingmen OF New York, and
now ask you, reader, In all candor can you
support such man for the highest ONCE Ia
| tho gift OF the people? The three vetoes we
have been speaking OF prove beyond the
| shadow OF doubt that Governor Cleveland'a
eympathies are not with labor. In the near
future the battle between corporations and the
| people VIII have TO be fought out. Imagine
| having such man as Governor
! Cleveland in 1.-The Presidential chail
should undoubtedly hear of his vetoing all
legislation looking to the restoration to the
| people OF the millions OF acres stolen from
| them by the railroads. Can such a man be
| trusted In the position In which the Demo
| cratic party askB the Workingman 10 elevate