The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-10-29
CLEVELAND AND LABOR.
Ai'insy n PreteHts for the Hue ana CRY
Against CIeVeland-IIe Il = Frtc-f -
Labor and the VyorkInrD,.,

-, PuOllc record IN connection
WIN labor legislation are being hourly
IeIuted with telling effect. saws an All.
'ui Dany dispatch to the New York Herald
= e Inc ISLANDERS Of the Blaine fuanaeers
I :, aroAse only indignation and sympathy
lai 'hlch materially strengthen the Cleye.
sn land canvass. The workingmen's eve,
Oh are now opened.
Mr. John Parr, editor of the U,o0r a
We daily paper published here IN the inter
est OF labor, gave some interesting
ny views on the political situation. Mr.
ne Parr was one of the charter members
le of the state trades-assemblv i'm u3s
Sat city and has for many years taken an
20 active part in the passage OF labor
- measures through the legislature lTe
- has frequently appeared before various
:, governors to urge the approval Of such
u u measures. AS practical printer he Is
II widely known 10y his fellow-craftsmcu
y throughout the state. He is also q
- charter member of the ALBANY TNpl.
Il graphical union. No. 1.
\ I'm this campaign said Mr.. parr
g Il and my paper are for Cleveland.
e Briefly, my reason for supporting him
= Is because he has signed more labor
. bills than any previous governurdurinw
my thirty years residence i'm ALBANY.
!, His approval was secured to five Of thr
!. seven, measures with less trouble aud
= argument than were required 20 secure
|. the approval of one measure hy some
\ governors with whom | have come ia
1 contact"
Then you believe Gov. Cleveland
has friendly leaning toward the cause
: of labory"
"AIost assuredIy. False leaders. for
: : what cause | do not know, have at
: tempted to deceive the workiugmcu nr
i the state regarding his attitude i'm that
respect. II appears to me that ii these
leaders were as true TO the interests of
labor as Gov. Cleveland is we would
have seen less of this cavil and petit
Jogging. There are only two bills
which he failed to approve-the me-
chanics' lien law and the car conduct
ors' and drivers bill. The mechanics
lien bill was offset by a measure the
governor signed in 1888, making me
chanies preferred creditors.
| Even the man who drew the me
chanics' lien bill of 1854, which the gov
ernor failed to sign, admitted, when he
saw the governors reasons of disap-
! proval, that they were sound and lOgi-
cal. This was also admitted MS true
| after patient investigation by James
| u. Hooley and Mr.. Walter n. Thayer.
| president of the state tradeS-assembly.
| both of which gentlemen worked aSSid-
! uously to pass the bill in the legisla-
ture. | should think the governors
| reasons of disapproval, backed as they
are by such support, should have weight
and influence among workingmen. But
the mechanics lien measure, sincerely
believe, was one of two bills on which
the basis of opposition was made in tho
hands Of those eminently false leaders.
1t was used as Cudgel to excite en-
nifty and antagoniSm among the work
ingmen against Cleveland.
In the disapproval of the twelve
hour car conductors and drivers bill
the governor acted from sincere mo-
tives, for he believed that a reduction
of the hours of service would result IN
a corresponding reduction of pay
There is diversity of opinion on this
bill. The president of the car drivers
organization says the bill never had his
sanction or that Of his organization. In.
the Legislature it was known as polit-
ical bOlster--One of those bills which
members vote for in order 10 catch the
sympathy and the votes of the work.
ingmen so they may be returned to the
legislature. The governor says mono
OF the parties interested ever appeared
to explain certain features which he
was desirOus to ascertain. This is true.
and the member who introduced it
knows 1t. and has since said the COVER
nor acted wisely in disappearing the
measure, because there were certain
technicalities not discovered on its pas
sage which, before astute judicial
minds, would render the bill practically
of but little consequence for the puI-
pose intended. While admitting that
the hours of service are long. it Is n
question whether legislation of the
character intended by this bill would
have been of any benefit. True friends
OF labor say that it would not. In their
opinion concur, and also firmly be-
lieve that it is llimsy pretext on which
to build hue and cry against Gov.
Cleveland.
"There is another point the working .-
men of the state do not generally know.
In my experience in Albany il has al
ways been extremely difficult for a COM
mittee of workingmen TO appear before
previous governors to explain Hen
grievances. Gov. Cleveland receives
all such delegations freely, and not only
listens to them attentively, but also
asks them questions and urges them to
suggest remedies of their own and fully
the extent of the grievance
involved"
do you know whether Mr.. Cleveland
was a sympathizer with labor before
he was elected governor"
Yes; / will quote one or two in
sheriff of Erie county one day put the
minor criminals-such as ten-day men,
imprisoned for being drunk, yagrants,
OF other petty offenders-On the streets
hanacled. They were set to work un-
der the eyes of armed guards, and were
called Sheriff Billy LawsOn's chain
gang" OF course there was n cry OF
among the working people.
The trades-assembly of Buffalo, com
Vatx fNHf MI flnnanngnI
The chain-gang system in strong TCsu-
utions. The citizens generally joined
with the assembly in denOuncing the
lumiliating spectacle, because many
Df the prisoners had friends in the city.
and it was a terrible spectacle to see
hem chained like so many slaves. One
morning placards were found in the
piles Of dirt swept by the chain gang,
Inscribed: This dirt was swept by
Billy Lawson's chain gang. Down
with the chain-gang system
"The trades-assembly sent a commit
zee to Mayor Cleveland asking him TO
interfere, as it was depriving the regu-
ar street sweepers Of employment
deprivation they could not afford.
Mayor Cleveland said he could not put
| stop to the system, as the mayor and
sheriff were two separate officers, and
neither had power over the other IL
vas case of county VS.. city, but he
assured the committee of his hearty
and promised them that he
would do all he could to put stop to
he system. He had no objection 10
lis repugnance of the Odious system
becoming generally known, on the legal
md moral grounds that there were
,ther and less degrading ways Of en-
)loying these minor criminals. His
ympathy becoming known In this way,
he business men quickly joined ISSUE
With the united tradeS-asSembly, and
he sheriff was forced to take his chain
rang off the streets.
"In another instance the pay Of men
Employed at setting curbstOnes was
threatened with reduction by the city
but Mayor Cleveland streuu-
Dusiy objected, and the pay was not re-
luced. These two events occurred
ong before he was even thought Of for
governor, and when he was nominated
he Buffalo trddes-assembly emphati-
ally refused to pass any resolutions at
he instance of certain republican emis-
aries intended to depreciate Cleveland
IS friend of labor. In the election
Il 1882 he was recognized as the wage
workers. friend. After considering all
hat he has done as governor, his sig
lature to FIVE labor bills. and his attil
ude toward contract convict labor. III
le is not friend TO labor in 1854 then
lot one friend to labor exists He
makes no parade of his friendship. like
Blaine and Butler, who are viewed by
he workingmen here as demagogues.
nut quietly and unostentatiousy pro
eeds to do all he can for labor that is
consistent and right
Joseph's Brethren.
This is an embarrassing year for the
Toys and the Bergners and the other
epublicans who used to go about tell
ng hard stories ON Blaine. A great