The Wilmingtonian., 1885-02-28
THE LABOR BILL.
The Hon. Thomas #. Bayard's Op-
position to a Much Needed
Public Measure.

The Hon. Th0maS f.. BayardS Op-
position to a Much Needed
Public Measure.
Though the Labor Bill which just now
has the attention of Congress is directly for
the relief of the American workingmen, the
business people of Wilmington and every
other community in the country should not
fail to recognize that its measures have the
most weighty application to themselves, that
is, to their pockets.
To merchants, to storekeepers, clothiers,
shoemakers, and every branch of business,
the Labor Bill promises relief. Our busi-
ness men stand around with blank faces
hoping that 'things will take turn" They
speak of the revival of trade as if it were an
oscillating condition resembling the tides,
periods-and they stand at the vacant coun-
ters, expectantly watching for the flood J
is going away-there is no revival, aud no
evidence of change. The certain fixed law
upon which business depends is that of de-
maud, and the point exactly is there can be
no demand when the workingman's pockets
He can barely afford the simple necessities
of existence. The tailor and the shoemaker
o,,d ,,o,,a, n -, a ;s;,,ass ,,.o., .,-rrt tba,,
suffer. The thrifty storekeeper knows
right well that his business depends not
upon the occasional large orders of the we'll
to-do classes, but entirely upon the multitu
dinous purchases of the thousands of work.
ingmen whose daily wants call them TO the
storekeeper's counters The earliest and
heaviest loser when the workingman's wages
are reduced is the butcher There are men
4 along King strset market whose receipts are
not one-third of what they have been. These
butchers depend for their sales upon the
daily demands of the workingman's family.
At dollar day to meet the requirements
of half dozen mouths the call at the butch
ers stall cannot be an every day occurrence
1t is claimed then that the restricted wagei
is the more immediate cause of dull times
The Labor Bill aims to improve the work
ingman's condition. 1t aims to do ava!
with that cause by which a large share o
the weekly disbursements for labor that ar
boarded by aliens to be saved and carrie'
20 some other country where he who earne,
it can live in idleness and penury for tn
rest of his days-the Labor Bill aims to kee
this large disbursal of money here in th
country, to be circulated here. But outsid
of the money question the moral status
the unskilled laborer is considered and it
a most creditable feature of this propose
enactment that it places before the Nation
Legislature the consideration of SO worthy
subject. Our Senators are asked to look
this matter, and significant Judgment W
be placed upon those who do not treat t
subject practically. It is not the abStiu
impractical problem that the Hon. THoM
f. BAYARD pronounced It to be. Legislati
is not impossible upon the subject, and Ii
is,ation whose outcome will be the disfri
chising of the American workingmen fir
those trammels that the pauper labor
Europe enables unscrupulpus capital
intimidate him with.
The skilled workman also, the mechal
the carpenter, the ironworker, the machiu
aud all tradesmen have their interests c
s,dered in this bill. Its provisions cei
make it misdemeanor for any ''peri
corporation, company, firm, or associa
IF persons to employ, pay for, or accept
services in any business or occupation Of
alien OF aliens, foreigner or fore 'gners,
may emigrate to or come into the Tn
States to perform labor or service witho
fixed purpose of acquiring permanent
deneJ in and becoming citizens ofthe Vi
Such provision as tue above, which thu
an amendment, covers tho iuteut OF
Labor Bill, and will assure the ppsitiC
the workingman and also the unsk
laborer.
The citation is this, that 10th rail
companies and manufacturiuG comp
import cheap labor because they fiji
profitable to do s.. This has bacome a
tenn, and through this vicious system
American workingmln is becom Ii
tramp