Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-09-06
.Inhn NicRri,lR.

not because Ot his fitness and capacity Tor
such a position a. eNtTN body knows and
nobody denies s-b brcau>e he WAS president OF
a miners union and it was believed he could
command enough votes from republican
workingmen 10 rlrr't him over General
James ). Robinson, the present secretary
of state, who has performed his official dn-
ties - satisfactorily that he MAS rrnomi-
mated by acclamatiun. What MI. Mcbride
could do for wurkingmrn, a. secretary Of
state, no democrat has Yet suggested. II Is
an office whose occupant has wrli-d"hn"d
duties. of a mechanical character. and has
no political powers. But that Mcbride
would act i'm behalf of the interests "t
wurkingmpn. if he had the power I" do 50,
is not at all certain. \ Trade | nl"nl>i
writing to the editor Of Tho IHi"niNt. the
official organ OF the ONO state and the
Cincinnati trades and Labor assemblies,
speaks Of the several years of service Of
Mcbride in the ONO houNc Of representa-
tiveS "a position in which lee could have
rendered the wnrkingmrn Of ohio lndlVid-
uaI service had he been less democratic
partisan and more the laboring mans
friend" We quote from the letter As fol
lows, the writer referring to Mr.. Mcbride:
As a member of the House he could have
greatly aided the mechanics oi thu state IN
their nght against the convict contract system:
but he preferred Ia obey the dictates ~ the
caucus and the commands Of Alien q. Myers.
He supported the piece price plan prnltrn
tiary bill Throughout, voting against ali amend
mtuts that would have abolished IN iart AS
well As In name the contract system. livery
labor organization IN the STATE that spoke upon
the subject prtitiaUcl for the adoption "i a
system that would keep the convictS Al work
on goods for consumption 1y the benevolent
and rrturmatory lustltutlOTS and county IN
firmaries of the state thus utilizing the lah' r
OF the prisoners IN such a manner that. while
they support themselves. their products would
not hp thrown on the general market In rum
Gus competition with those of honest labor.
and necessarily reducing tn" wages oi mrchan-
les to the penittntIary convict standard lnd
John Mcbride support these petitioners Ne.
HIS love for the lahorrT WAS Suhnrdinated tu
his fealty to the party caucus. on no occasion
did he S~rrVt from the course II directed nun
to pursue Whatever was drcrred In secret 10y
the Democratic members OF the SiNtN-slNth
General assembly found in him willing and
Jealous supporter.
The fight organized labor made against the
ahuminable convict contract system was AN
earnest one, and WAS continued until ith par
ties indor>ed our p"Siilun and promised IN
their platforms TO carry 'Nul WISHES ny Ailf
enactment Of such a law as would relieve Us al
! the one sided competition Of the ONO frnllen-
! liary But Allen -. Myers. As dcSpicahle
! creature as ever disgTaccd "A legislative hail,
came into power as the democratic leader oi
] the general assembly. and he seemed TO have
/ no other nblect in view than To do all he could
/ against the mechanics of the state. lie abused
( and Vlllired them On the Moor "t tht mouse on
/ every possible occasion. John MCBTlIr. IN
/ stead uf rebuking that lHSulrnt llheler and de
ending the organized laborrrs "i the state
3 from these yIlIdiuauS attacks. mcekly followed
whitherS0eyer Alien a. Myers led.
/ This same Trade nionist" in the same
communication speaks of Gen. Robinson
and shows what kind of workngman he
. is. and the kind of a wurkmgmau'S friend
he has shown himself to Toe. of the gen.
eral he says:
/ He worked on a farm until the age Of seven
ten. when he entered printing uiice is All
I apprentice. lourneyman and proprietor until
the breaking out of the WAT OF the rebellion.
when he like So many other printers. entered
the army in defense uf the integrity Of the
Union. The lessons he received at the case
bore nion fruit at the late letting OF the con
4 tracts for state printing. on that occasion hr
proved his devotion 10 Ihr time hunured laws
/ of the Typographical art by refusing 10 award
the contract to mont nion once. Though II
WAS the lowest bidder. The h'0lr'r company
has done the work for SIX 0r eight years. and
WAS again lower than any union Office, but
General Robinson took the bull 10y the horns
and awarded the work to Myers Bros. prupri-
riOrs ut a well known mon Office.
/ That democratic wUrkimgInen VIII vote for
Mr. Mcbride We cOncede. ~ matter of
course ; but We cannot see why, in view of
these facts. OF on general principles.
any republican workingmen should do So
Whatever seryiceahle material can be pro
duced for the solution of labor problems
should be given checrfully and freely. and
considered candidly. This. from a special
letter from Marietta 10 the Cincinnati Conn
mCrciul Gazette. appears 10 he material of
this sort:
In these times of Labor disturbances. when
50 much bad feeling exists between capitalists
ana Workmen, IL Is pi-asIng 10 note an rStAb
IlshmrEt employing nNt hundred persons, that
during its twenty years existence has never
had u strike, and where irleUdly aud indeed
cordial relations have existed on both sides
for 80 long time. During the recent excite
meut, when laburing men almost everywhere
were agitated. not Il suggestion of trouble was
/ heard, or a single demand made Tor increased
VA ses OF shorter time. | attribute this happy
( stale Of affairs i 10 the cumpIuys generous
policy Of encUuraglLA and assisting ITS Ell -
! pluyes III buying homes; -. its plan Tor a lin
lied mutual insurance of its wOrkmen ahaInSt
sickness and accident; G paying Wages by the
hour Instead Ot the day: aud 1 It's system OF
/ hiring. IN which two generally distinct tea-
lures are combined. This latter Is we'll worthy
/ ut notice. IN view of its results To each room
] IN the large buildings of the concern. IA fore
man is assigned. lie IS employed AT fair wages,
watch he gels in any event But beyond that.
| the work done in his room Is also
under contract rate. 10y the piece,
as liberal as the company at the time can
afford. When the foreman returns the work of
| his room {" the superintendent, II the piece
p ice. as specified in the contract exceeds the
wLges agreed upon. "ne-halt the excess is paid
tu hIm. or IN other words. his wages are III
creased in that amount. The fore contract
with the hands in the various ru"ms. who are
employed by the company AT regular wages. on
the same plan: the consequence OF which Is. 10
give fair wages, rs a certainty To those who
work. with a chance to every one 10 enlarge
his pay t. any degree which his effort and
skill will admit Of. The contract prices really
extend int" the fund ordinarily hrlG As profits.
and so make the emp Dyes participants. II they
are industrious and faithful, in some measure.
. rs partners IN the business.
All employees must join the INSURANCE aSSo-
citation, which is under board uI trustees
elected by themselves. and therefore entirely
under their control. They are assessed about
two-thirds of one per cent of their wages.
which experience has shown WIll keep the Ne
lltl fund up To the required amount. Then, III
ease of SICK hess or injury. the tmpIUye is paid
three fUuTths OF his regular wages Tor period
not exceeding SIN weeks: aud III the event OF
death his funeral expenses are betrayed. Thus
pheasant rel ATOMS art maintained. aid en-
plOyrrs and employees are bound together in Il
common interest and desire for the welfare OF
the whole concern. Some weeks since the com
paHy gave its employees and their families a free
picnic, which WAS attended 10y fourteen hun
dred people and greatly enjoyed.
We do not know how the country is going
Ia meet the wishes of the Chicago amarch-
ISIS. who demand the release Of their con-
yicted tellow-membrrs. They have been
tried and found guilty OF murder. in the
usual legal and lawful way, and nobody has
the power To release them. if anybody had
the disposition to do it. What the anarchists
of Chicago ought To do is tu avoid getting
iptn the same kind of trouble. Their
vaporings and hlusteringS have borne
bloody fruit 10 the people and TO them and
they ought HOW to know enough to quit.
They are arraying themselves against the
government and people of the United States
and they are too few and too weak to do
anything except bring trouble TO them
selves.