Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-08-07
Cleveland and the WOrkingmen.

That Grover Cleveland. the Democrat
ic candidate for President, is the enemy
of the workingmen and the sympathizing
friend, if not the abiect tool, of mopopo-
lists, is abundantly verified by his official
record as Governor of New York. That
record, short as it is, is enough to con-
denim him in the eyes of every wage
worker in the land. Every official act
that he has performed during his brief
term of Office that has any bearing upon
the question has been in continuation of
the above proposition. The points of
that record may be stated succinctly as
follows:
First At the election in 1888, the peo-
pie of New York, at the urgent solicita-
ton of the labor organizations of the
State, adopted by popular majority of
13S,000 constitutional amendment abol-
ishing convict labor, yet Cleveland threw
the weight of his influence as Governor
against the enactment of laws necessary
to make the amendment operative, and
thus virtually nulliied the will of the
people.
Second. He vetoed the bill reducing
the fare on the elevated railroads in New
York from ten to five cents. This Was 4
measure entirely in the interest of me+
chanics and laboring men. Cleveland
claimed it was unconstitutional. though
equally able men, in the Legislature and
out of it, decided otherwise. Had Gov
Cleveland been desirouS of serving the
public iostead of the corporation, he
could in this instance have approved the
bill, leaving to the courts, where it Der
longs, the question of constitutionality.
Third. He vetoed the bill abolishing
child contract labor in the public institu
tions of the State. He certainly could
not claim that it was unconstitutional
for the Legislature to prohibit the letting
out of orphan children to work in gangs
like condemned felons. The inhumanity
of this veto is of itself enough to preju-
dice every poor parent against him.
Fourth. He vetoed the mechanics lien
bill, which would have made the wages
of every mechanic and laboring man
or the implements and machinery en-
ployed in their work, a measure eminent
ly just in its provisions, and one that has
worked satisfactorily in a number of
States.
Fifth. He vetoed the bill making ~
hours the limit for = days labor for
street car conductors and drivers Yet
in the face of this veto the Democratic
party nominated him to stand upon
platform in which they hypocritically
pledge themselves to reduce days la
Dor to eight hours. If, in Mr.. Cleve-
lands opinion, it is unconstitutional to
reduce the hours of labor of one class of
laborers to twelve hours, how does he ex-
pect to aid in reducing the hours of all
classes, including street Car men, to eight
hours?
Sixth. He perverted the purpose of the
Bureau of Labor Statistics by appoint
ing one of his henchmen who was un.
favorable to all objects as its chief Off
Ger.
Seventh. He approved the bill reducing
pilotage fees at New York Harbor, bill
wholly in the interest of foreign vessel
owners and foreign capital, and against
t1c luIolGolS VI AhcllCciu pilOJS.
Eighth. He signed the bill laying tax
of so per annum on working engineers
for the purpose of providing pension
fund for an already highly paid class.
Ninth. He defeated the purposes of
the law creating railroad commission
for the State of New York, an act in
tended to protect the people from the
of the railroads by ap-
pointing majority Of the board from
men whom the railroad companies them
selves had retained as paid agents and
This is, in brief, the record of Mr..
Cleveland on questions involving the
rights and personal interests of work
ingmen, and iu the light of which we
ask: Is it any wonder that they revolt
against his nomination and refuse to
support him? His inclinations lie in an
other direction, and he does not hesitate |
to give them fair play in his official as |
well as in his private capacity as the att |
tOrney and representative of monopolies. !
The record is plain anu can be verified at |
length from the official records. and we
therefore submit the points without ex :
tended comment for the examination and |
analysis of every wOrkingInan.