The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-25
oLBHBLANp AND WoRKINaMBN.


CLEVELAND AND WoRKIEeMEE.
The fact that Governor Cleveland oon-
sented to sign the tenement-house cigar bill,
in the Judgment of the Courier Journal
atones for all the mischief done by his vetoes
It is not SO much what Governor approves
as what he vetoes that makes for righteous
ness. When charged with having vetoed the
mechanics lien bill it is no answer to de-
clare that he signed the tenement house cigar
bill To give some idea of Mr.. Clevelands
notions of what should and what should not
become laws we may cite the following from
the circular Of the workingmen's organiza-
lions of New York State;
n. He vetoed the bill abolishing contract
child-labor in the charitable and reformatory
institutions of the State.
70. He signed the bill reducing pilotage
fees 90 per cent. bill in the interest of for
eign corporations.
80. He approved the law compelling work
ing engineers to pay tax of So year for the
enrichment of a pension fund of literally
compensated body of public servants.
|
measure calculated to enable workingmen and
their families to reach the suburbs away from
the tenement districts at all hours.
50. He signed the eivil-service bill, a meas
ure calculated to encourage only college-edu-
Gated citizens to reach the public service
thereby creating an aristocracy of ofice-hold-
ers
t'6. He appointed man to administer the
Bureau of Labor Statistics of the State of
-
forms which the labor interests (whose infiu-
ence had created the bureau) had desired and
formulated. A man wholly unacquainted
with its wants and Indifferent to its welfare;
and, in this connection we cite as contrast,
the fact that President Arthur has selected
laboring man for the position of Chief of the
National Labor Bureau, thus recognizing the
interests which are to be benefited, and to
whose efforts the creation of these bureaus is
due.
~. He vetoed the bill limiting car drivers
hours Of labor to twelve hours per day, thus
confessing himself ignorant of the grave ma
tional question underlying the labor move
ment.
s'8. He vetoed the mechanics lien law, a bill
designed to give labor the first lien on a build
ing in course Of erection.
80. He failed to advocate in his message to
the Legislature urging prompt and practical
legislation to meet the wish Of the people, ex-
pressed at the polls last election, against the
system of convict contract labor, which was
declared shall go by vote of 1900 ma
committee of labor organizations, and the sue
cess of which was largely contributed to by the
members of this delegation.
10. His appointment of majority of the
members of the Railroad Commission of New
York who were hostile to the interests which
created that board, thus defeating the object
for which the commission was established,
and making it a tender to the corporate mo-
nopohes of the State"
These charges were not formulated by Re
publican politicians, but were drawn UP be-
fore the last Chicago convention assembled,
and were there presented in behalf of
the labor unions of New York city,
Utica, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo;
as a protest against the nominal
ton of Cleveland. The men who
made these formidable specifications were not
politicians, but were, every one of them, act
ual mechanics-box- makers, machinists, en-
gineers, shoemakers, printers, tailors nnasons,
stone-cutters, and men representing other
trades. 1t will pay laboring men of every.
kind to read this indictment Of Mr.. Cleveland,
as drawn by their representatives who are in
position to know the man and to fairly esti-
mate his public services. The object Of the
petition sent to Chicago was to unqualifedly
protest against his nomination.