The Labor enquirer., 1884-10-18
i srlRR1sa AI'DaEz
q sstlsr oandid.ss ir Congress
opsuiss tAs| yst 4 ths
workinemal

Henry C. baldwin. the I,ominee OF the
i Peopie's party for congress in the New
Haven district, has issued : stirring ad,
dreas. He ssys:
As opposed to both tho old parties
that are used by the moi.opolists as
convenient method Of dividing the oeo-
pie quadrenially, and making them fight
: sham battle, while being robbed of the
results of their labor, stands the Peoples
party, presenting question by the side
ofwhich all other questions are as no.
thing, and demanding its consideration
that question is how shall our legislation
be 80 shaped and our Government 80
administered, as to best protect labor,
the creator of all wealth, end guarantee
to thelaborer the devine tight to enjoy
the results ofhis toll
Both Of the old parties absolutely
ignore this, but delve among the dead
and buried issues of the past. and Aold
up before the people dry bones and
mummy figures and tell them they are
alive.
hold it the first and highest duty Of
congress that all laws bearing unjustly
on labor and in the interest of capital
shall be repealed. 1 believe with the
old hero. Ben Wade, that capital is al
ways strong enough to take care of itself
without the aid of special legislation.
and that it is the duty of the government
to give labor an equal chance.
The man is blind who does not see
that for the past sixteen years the entire
tendency of national legislation and of
its administration has been in the inter-
est of the annuitant class, or, in. other
words, for those who live on interest or
dividends on wstered stocks Note,
shavers and gamblers have absorbed the
atIentionof your national lawmakers, to
to the exclusion entirely of the produc-
ing classes.
Let us look for ! moment at the
present condition Of thl industrial
classes. One-half, or nearly of the IRON
workers of the nation are idle. The
same is true of the woollsn industry.
More than one-third of the miners are
idle, or working on short time, and for
starvation wages at that, brought about
partly by the Importation of contract
pauper labor, on which there is no tariff.
The price or value of all property going
down, as also the price of labor. Bank
ruptcy filling the land. The exchange
OF the products of labor almost stopped,
and millions Of laborers looking the win
ter in the face, with empty coal bins
and -four barrels, and their last coat
and pair of pants worn threadbare with
all this visible to the naked eye, we are
informed from every stump that the
"laborer is protected and any change
would endanger his happiness. Now l
briefly want to show the cause of these
things, and point out the remedy, for it
has come from the acts of the Govern
ment, and has for its object the enrich
ing of the few at the expense of the
many. The interest bearing debts that
the labor of the nation pays all the in
terest upon are more than three times
now than in 1865, while wages have been
reduced more than one-half. Oar mo-
ney supply has been contracted in. the
past four years nearly one half, while
with an increasing population we need
morea There are now more than two
hundred millions of national bonds due
and drawing interest, and there is lock-
ed up in the treasury at Washington
more than four hundred millions of dol
lars, taken from the people by taxation.
More than one-quarter of that is avail
able forthe pupose of paying the inter-
est-bearins debts, and yet it is not done,
because the banking institutions do not
want the bonds paid. That money SC
far as doing the nation any good, could
as well be at the bottom of the sea, but
put into the channels of trade, by the
payment of the bonds, there would be
An almost instantaneous revival of busi-
ness. The control of our Government
has passed out of the hands of the peo-
pie and into the control of corporations,
creatures of its. own making.
If elected, / will use my best endeavon
to secure legislation on the following
. subjects, the object of every one oi
which is to foster and protect American
industry:
A law regulating transportation
with view of establishing only equit-
able rates and the stoppas,e of unjust
determinations.
2 The early establishment of a postal
telegraph entirely Independent of any
private corporation. !
8 A thorough revision OF The present
tariff, so as to protect the industrious
much more efficiently than now.
A prompt restoration oil all forfeited
land grants to the public domain.
A law that shall prevent the issue
of corporation notes as currency, and
that all that passes for money in the ma
ton should be issued, and its volume
controlled by the general Government
and made a full legal tender for all debts,
public or private.
A law to prevent aliens and foreign
corporations from acquiring title to large
tracts of land here. s,-
To prevent the importation by indi-
viduals or corporations of pauper-con-
tract labor, for the purpose If degrading