St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-30
THE LABOR VOTE.
The Workingmen's Convention viii
not Discuss Candidates at All,
Especial Telegram to the Globe.

IOPSNie-A iC4oe5 Jill W LLIO OlODO-
CHICAGO, July 29 james A. Thompson, pres
ident of the Car Drivers union, of New York,
who is in the city as a delegate to the Labor
convention which meets tomorrow, inter
viewed by the GLOBE correspondent to-day in
regard to the twelye-hour scar drivers " bill
vetoed by Gov. Cleveland.
81 am not Cleveland man. he said, ''but
not oppoposed to the man because he vetoed
the bill, which was simply political clap-trap.
1t put through the legislature,
not because there any desire to benefit
the workingmen but to catch votes. The car
drivers had nothing to do with it, and they are
not now in favor of twelve hour law. They
know, at least the majority of them do, it
would do them no good. There is not line in
the city that does not pay the drivers by the trip
except one and that one pays So per day, the
days work consisting of trips which require six
teen hours to accomplish. To limit the time of
work to twelve hours would simply reduce their
wages, and the majority Of them are willing to
admit that"
'.Who originated the twelve hour bill?''
cit John Farrell, former street
car driver, and now driver of one of the
''black marias" in New York, and a man
named Green. These fellows started the idea,
and it was taken up by the politicians in the leg
islature The bill went through on the quiet,
and was never heard of by the most of us until
we heard that the governor had vetoed it,
''How do the street car men feel about it
now?''
''Well, some of them of coarse condemn
Cleveland for vetoing it, but those who under
stand the matter fully do not. For my part,
although l don't believe it would have done the
drivers any good, would have been just as well
satisfied if he had signed It, Among the drivers
who are too ignorant to understand the matter
it will cost Cleveland some votes None of them
have much time to read, you know. l think the
men who put the bill through had that in view,
too, but among working mon of any intelligence,
and with New York people in general, there is
no feeling against Cleveland for vetoing the
twelve hour bill"
Delegates to the convention of the independent
labor party. which meets at Hershey hall to-
morrow, have not yet arrived in the city in large
numbers. The arrivals up to noon to-day in
cluded representatives from about dozen states
The Hon W. A. A. Carsey, of New York, presi
dent of the Independent labor party, said this
morning that he did not expect large number,
although it was certain that labor organizations
representing great variety of the industries
would send delegates.
1.-THE delegates are compelled to pay their own
expenses" he said, % and that prevents a great
many from coming who would otherwise be
here A large number of such labor leaders as
John Jarrett, of Pittsburg, and William Weike,
president of the iron and steel workers, and j.
D. Weeks, secretary OF that organization, will be
here"
''Will this convention have any political sig
nifcnce?" asked the GLOBE correspondent
"Only in u very general way. When it was
called by conference at Philadelphia in January
it was thought its duty would be to endorse the
nominees of one or the other of the two
parties That conference, which consisted
of Representatives of the Greenbackers, anti
Monopolsts and various labor organizations re-
solved on the foundation of a balance of power
party 4 committee was appointed, and in
structed to make an effort to have one or the
other of the parties embody some of our princi-
pies in their platform, II one of the parties had
yielded to the request of the convention and the
other had refused, the convention which meets
tomorrow was to have indorscd the nominees of
the former. Contrary to expectations, both
parties treated the convention graciously and ac
ceptcd our principles and now are in a pecu-
liar position. We can't endorse and condemn
Cleveland nor can we do the reverse. Some Of
us are for Blaine and some for Cleveland, and
think no attempt will be made
to indorse either Of them. The
delegates and their constituents viii be left to do
what they please as far as the presidential ques-
ton is concerned
''How about Butlers' suggested the cores
pondent.
There will be some Butler men in the con-
vention but nothing will be done in regard TO his
candidacy. We will meet and hear the report of
the committee which was appointed to confer
with the platform committees of the Democrat
and Republican parties. Then we will take
some step toward eifecting more complete or
ganization, and adjourn. All that we will do in
regard to politics win be to make arrangements,
If possible, to receive representatives of the
labor interests in congress and in the legislatures
of the various states"