Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-10-28
THE POLITICAL FIELD.
ADDRESS TO THE woESfSoMEs.

Trades Unieus-fiatofms'"
Printers.
The following address to the working
men Of the United Safes has been issued:
UrApo's PriNrErs' ASTf.BLAIyE CLUB,
No. 10 STANTON STREET..
New YoRK. October %, 1884.
% A, Injury 10 One Is the Concern Of A."
The time Is at hand for organized labor
10 act calmly and wisely. The wisdom OF
the working classes VIII hereafter be mea-
surcd largely by their course nj the coming
election. The labor question Is the great
question Of the future. and IN It's discus.
sion aboring men would do well to OBJ
serve which political party Is the best to
cast their lot with. We maint,n that the
Republican party Is the enemy OF trlde
unions, and now On occasion has arisen
which will allow OF few facts to be adj
duccd In support OF that statement.
The official organs oil MI. Blaine, not
only In this city, but In several cities
throughout the country, refuse ID pay their
printers the scale Of wages that l. demanded
hy the pri,tors' union or fraternity to
which they belong, end employ the cheap
est men they Gan tnd, The New York
Tribune. the editor OF which. WhltelaT
Reid, Is the strong personal friend OF James
G. Blaine, DISCHARGED from is Office seventy
good. honest men for no other reason than
that they were members OF the trade union.
These men. have wives, mothers. or sisters
depending Upon them for support, aud
were debarred from a means OF support, as
far az Blaine's organ Is concerned. for the
simple reason that they had united t)geth.
CT under the principle which unterlies our
% nj In rntA
there il strength. What can we think OF
tie csIibre Of the candidate OF the Repub-
Hcan Marty who cannot or will not compel
his official newspapers to pay the unions
scale OF prices? VIII he. il seated in the
presidential chair. be more willing or m IRE
able TO help us in our fight for living
prices? Here, now. ia a sermon on the
sinccrlty OF Republicanism. The Republi-
can party affects to be the friend OF the
vorkingman. It's promises are never re-
deemed. The platform advanced by
that party Is gorgeous in its promises
TO workngmen. But workingmeu
have been deceived too often. They have
come TO that point where they can dis
tipc,Iish the difference between promise
and performance. As outlined in the or.
CANS that outline its policy, the Republican
policy is that OF servile labor. The Demo-
cratic party Is interested in national affairs,
but the fact is clear 10 us that all OF Its
organs in this city pay the union scale, and
the organs that represent that party may be
taken as examples OF its sincerity. II the
workingmen Of this country will stick TO
their brethren in this city and vote against
the Republican party. they Will gain for
themselves the effort OF great party whose
desire is to secure fair wages for honest
toll.
The Republican party Is the party OF the
rich. II has no sympathy for the poor
man. II has become the tool OF the mo-
nopoist. and with unblushing effrontery
has placed the most pronounced enemies
Of organized labor in high places. The
last chairman OF the National Republican
Committee, Senator Sabin, made his mil
lions out OF convict labor, whilst honest
labor starved, or, driven to desperation by
long continued want, was forced TO acts OF
dishonesty. Strange, isn't il, that "the
party Of great moral ideas" should become
the instrument by which crime Is in
creasedy The present chairman OF the
same committee. Mr.. Jones. was the first
man TO import pauper labor from Europe.
Mr.. BIaine's principal manager, stephen
Il. Elkins, Is his warm personal friend.
He IL part owner OF mines and railroads
in West Virginia, where disgusting state
OF affairs exists. The men are employed
at low wages and subjected to all sorts OF
indlgnities.
In the United States Senate the foremost
foes Of trade uuiOniSm are to be found on
the Republican side. Candor compelled
even the Republican oflice-holders In Wash
ington to admit that they had more to hope
for from the Democratic senators. When,
q few years ago an attempt mas made 10
break up the printers union in Washington
it required all the strength OF noble band
OF Democrats, led by Senator Voorhees,, to
repel the attack OF such enemies OF labor
as Senators Plumb, Anthony, and Others.
These men denounced trades unions and
were most bitter and violent ia their at
lacks upon their members, and finally,
with John A. Logan, who Is now the can
didate for Vice-President, voted in favor
Of the Government having the privilege OF
hiring the labor requisite for the Govern
ment printing-ofice IN the cheapest mar
Ket.
The people OF this city know all too well
the evil effects OF manufacturing cigars 10
tenement houses. But they do not know,
or have forgotten, that when an amend
ment was made IN the United States Senate,
in February, 1879, to the Revised Statutes,
TO abolish this abominablc system. James
G.. Blaine voted against it. Thus 1t Is with
them all. With rare exceptions, all the
men prominent iE the Republican party
have pursued course antagOnstic 10 trade
unions. Considerable discussion has been
going on for years about Bureau
Of Labor Statistics. But it was only
,.,ho
OF the House OF Representatives that 1t
was established, and this was only done
after bitter opposition from Republican
Senate. To his shame be it said Presi-
dent Arthur has refused to gill the position
Of chief OF this bureau. He has no time,
while dangling fishing.lnes, to select
man 10 carry out the only labor measure
that has been passed in years.
You all know the wretched condition OF
the poor miners in the Hooking Valley, but
you only lately learned that James G..
Blaine, the Republican candidate for Prcsi-
dent, Is shareholder in this grinding mo-
nopoly.
The alleged protective policy OF the Re-
publican party has beeR well exemplified
in this outrage. The stockholders in this
gigantic monopoly, who are, without ex-
ception, Republicans-headed by James q.
Blaine, the Republican candidate for the
highest Office within the gift OF the people
to subserve their own grasplng, lab0r-rob-
bling ends, arrayed their cut-throat hire
lings, in conjunction with Pinkerton's
armed detectives, against the constitutional
right OF every American citizen to think
for himself. and instead OF protecting Amer
Ican citizens in their just demands for
fair days wages for fair days work. gave
that protection TO Hungarian and Italian
pauper hordes.
Laborers citizens Of this free republic,
will you vote for james &. Blaine, the man
who countenances such vile traffic as the
importation OF foreign white slaves to work
in the mines in which he is a stakeholder.
The record OF the Republican members
of The Legislature in this State on the con.
Wet labor bill is shameful one. They did
all in their power to prevent the enactment
OF law providing for the abolition Of this
pernicious system. Should they secure
control Of the next Legislature there is
danger that this outrage will be fastened
upon The state for many years to come.
A MAJ - H.