St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-22
MINNEAPOLIS RED-Hors.

If there is to be an extra session of the
legislature, as seems highly probable, the
workingmen are ready to fight for an
amendment IN the law which will change
the new penitentiary into reformatory.
~
The holding of mass meeting to protest
against contract convict labor is move in
the right direction. The entire contract
system in public works is wrong. It compels
contractors to bid against each other and as
a result the wages of the workingmen
suffer. All that is needed is that the pub
lie shall be enlightened upon the subject
and aroused to the Importance of the mat
ter. This done, the battle is won.
*x*
An alderman in the city council last week
took the stand that the city should not
allow the wages of the men employed by it
to be cut down to the starvation point.
This brought OUT the following communica-
ton in an evening paper:
We noticed in last nights Journal resolu-
ton offered by Aid. Walsh in the city council
to secure better wages for the laboring
classes. Thank God there is one man at
least in Minneapolis who has some feeling for
the poor laboring men. Think of it, MIR.
Editor: $1.25 per day! We say with tens Of
thousands of laboring men, God bless Aid.
Walsh. G. S. B.
Could anything be more eloquent?
*x*
When an alderman is bold enough and
honest enough to initiate a movement like
this. you would suppose that he would re-
ceive the hearty support of all workingmen,
irrespective Of political affiliations. The
other evening in the Trades and Labor as
sembly it was proposed to indorse the posi-
fo1y NV bo ol1 IN ,hor
of the assembly was inconsiderate enough
to insinuate that his course was for political
effect. ''There's to be an election next
spring." said this wiseacre, significantly.
*x*
If public official is to be accused of
demagogism and political chicanery every
time he opens his mouth in behalf of hui
manity and the interests of the industrial
classes-that. too, by the very people he
seeks to aid-the workingmen will find out
that very few will care to run the risk of
espousing their cause For who cares to
undertake a thankless task and to face the
wrath of mOnopOlistS when his motives are
to be misjudged and he receives insult as
his reward?
nv
No. When movement is made in the
right direction it should be Endorsed and
applauded. When it is in the wrong it
should be condemned. Whoit is that starts
it and what he does it for are not the all
important consideration.
~
A cooperative store is to be started in
South Minneapolis by Dec. 1 and the eX-
pertinent will be watched with interest. IF
it succeeds the principle of cooperation
will be applied to other branches of COM
merce as well as manufacture.
~
The Northwestern Miller makes the
amende honorable to M. j. Gill of the Sixth
Street cooper shop, whose remarks at re-
cent meeting it misrepresented, as follows:
''Mr. Gill was represented as saying that if
the journeymen would take the initiative in
demanding higher wages, the co-operatives
would follow them. He states that his re-
! marks in substance were that unless there
was united action by all elements making
up the cooper trade-bosses, co-operatives
and journeymen-in demanding higher
compensation for the products of the shops
it was useless to attempt the amelioration
of their condition in any respect, as. if they
did, it would only result in failure"
~
Perhaps the Trades and Labor assembly
did the practical and sagacious thing in de-
Gliding not to appeal the Mulvihill case to
the supreme court in view of the attending
expense and slight prospect of gaining a
new trial. At the same time it is exasper-
ating that the laws should be found INSULT
cient to protect the lives of workmen. The
fault lies with the law itself, and the right
way is to go to the foundation of the wrong
for relief.
~
If the city council sincerely wishes that
the stone-arch bridge shall furnish employ
ment to workmen of Minneapolis at living
rates it should be provided that the stone
shall be dressed here and not at the quar-
ries. If this is done large number of men
will get work; if not comparatively few will
be benefited.