The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-10-21
THEIR OPPORTUNITY.

The Republican Party Ignores the Work.
ingmen, While the Democrats Give La
Dor a Distinct Recognition by Placing q
Representative of Organized b at
the Head of Their Ticket.
1t is the boast of the Republican party
leaders that they do not have to pay any.
attention to the demands of labor for
recognition and representations public
affairs. They do not believe that the
workingmen are in earnest or that they
mean what they say, and they therefore
refuse to take any account of the labor
vote in their political calculations. They
ignore the workingmen and treat their
requests for Justice and fair treatment
with indifference. They say hat most
of the Republican workingmen will vote
the Republican ticket anyway, and those
who say they will not a be induced to
change their minds for a few dollars.
This is the Republican theory of the
campaign. This is why the party con
ventions have either ignored or directly
snubbed the workingmen. This is why
no attention is paid to the public ques-
lions that concern labor, and the Re-
publican leaders come into the cam
paign upon the great issue as to whether
some Democratic official did or did not
remove a section of the epidermis from
the body of a defunct convict.
The political situation of the work.
men in Ohio this fall will, therefore, be
watched with interest, and have a wide
significance. Their opportunity to de-
monstrate the falsity of the Republican
assumption with respect to them and to
make manifest their own Importance
and power as political factors is present.
1t remains for them to show the Repub-
lican leaders whether they are not the
political vassals of that or any other
party, and whether or not the Republi-
can boast that their vote counts for
nothing and can be bought in the mar
ket when wanted is true. The oppor-
tunity has come for the workingmen to
demonstrate to the old parties that they
have a power not to be despised and
to teach the politicians that the labor
| vote can not be had except for such
political action and such candidates as
| may deserve it.
The issue is very plainly made up.and
there need be no mistake about it. The
Democrats of Ohio have given labor a
distinct recognition, and have placed a
representative of organized labor at the
head of their State ticket. The Repub-
licans have detied the workingmen and
have put the management of their po-
litical campaign into the hands of mil
lionaires and monopolies. They have
said to the workingmen in effect: eve
/ don't recognize you. We don't care
for you. We don't believe your vote
amounts to any thing, and If we want
it we can buyit." If the workingmen
of Ohio want to take the place the Re-
publican leaders have accorded them,
they will help elect a Republican ticket.
If they want to assert their independ.
ence. demonstrate their power and give
the lie to Republican assumption in re.
gard to them, they will help elect Johu
Mcbride, the Democratic representative
and their own.
The issue has been made up. The
Republican leaders have detied the
workingmen to do their worst. 1t re.
mains now for the workingmen to teach
the Republican leaders a lesson that
| they need.-CgeUeyand Plain Dealer.