New-York tribune., 1885-07-20
LhBOR and THE TWO PAkTIES.

The Ohio October election submits 10
the voters of one of the most Intelligent states
in the Union an issue which no party PLATFORM
has vet distinctly stated. 1t is this, whether
Republican or Democratic ideas will best promote
the interests of labor. 1t has been stated olleh
enough, and conclusively proved, that the he-
publican policy in regard to taxation Is the Dest
for the labor of the country. The wool growers
of Ohio were foolish enough to doubt 1t, ana
chose to try Democratic rule for while anu
they well know how they were cheated. But no
party platform has yet distinctly stated the
bearing of Republican methods of dealing with
Southern labor upon the interests and rights OF
labor at the North.
Everybody knows that there is wide diiier-
ence between parties in this respect. Inc he-
publican party emancipated Southern LABOR
the Democratic party tried to keep 1t enslaved.
The Republican party gave Southern labor the
ballot for the defence Of its rights; the Dc
ocratlc party, by organized ASSASSINATION anu
fraud, robbed Southern labor OF that defence.
The Republican party established the common
school system in Southern States, so that South
ern labor might be educated, at least in the next
generation. The Democratic policy has been
to destroy that system or to cripple IT, Now'
as of old, that party wants Southern labor to be
ignorant and helpless, lest, having political
rights and the knowledge to direct the use OF
them. it should crush that party in its very
stronghold
What effect have these policies on Northern
labor Ohio iron-workers are now compelled
to compete with the products OF Ignorant ana
defenceess labor in the Virginias, Alabama,
and Tennessee What has been the results
Bankruptcy has come to many establishments
in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and is directly trace
able to this cause, and to the remarkable de-
preston in the prices of iron and products
of iron which the competition with such
labor has brought about. If Southern labor
were educated, if Southern laborers were en-
abled to protect themselves in their rIghts by
the ballot AS Northern workmen can aud do,
Southern labor would not now be cohtented
with such wages as are paid
The policy of the Republican party is to pro-
tect Southern citizens in the exercise OF their
rights. If that policy prevails, Il little Knot OF
pretended aristOcrats will not be able to deprive
the working people of Southern county or
town of the control of their local government
on the prctext that the working people are
black. If the policy of the Republican patty
prevails, free schools will be established ana
maintained The Blair Educational bill. which
was defeated by Democrats, is but an lndica-
ton OF the tendency of the Republican party.
Educated labor at the South would soon learn
what wages are paid for the same work at the
North and would want the same. The policy
of the Democratic party, therefore, tends to
subject the workers of every Northern State to
direct competition with 100000 adult
laborers at the South which that policy would
keep in ignorance and deprive of all defence for
their rights. Yet Democratic dcmagogues in
Northern States continually clamor that 1t is
an outrage, if here and there Northern free
labor is compelled to compete with beggarly
few hundred convicts. Compared with such
competition, that which the Democratic policy
tends to perpetuate is infinitely the more im-
portant and the more dangerous.