The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-17
SENATOR HAWLEY ON LABOR.
An Eloquent Defense of Labor and Law
Supplement to Powaarly's Manliness.

Supplement to Powaarly's Manliness.
Senator Hawley's Late Speech on the Army Bill.
The strikers are American citizens twenty-One
years of age and upward, and voters. They com.
prehend that whatever the people will this Ma
ton in it's laws to be it will be- The ballot box
is open to them; the choice of candidates is open
to them. If they like no man of the three or
four that are up they can put up another, take
to the stump to the forum, the resolution, the
address. all the lawful methods of agitation
known to and open to all mon in the Republic
and guaranteed by the Constitution. If their
cause be just, they will compel a majority, for
never since the world began were sixty millions
of people gathered together anywhere or to be
collected from the world that surpass this
American people in its instructive sympathy
with whatever is just and generous to any and
all men.
will not prophecy For no Office, and no
chance of an Office, and no chance of misappre-
hension, will I lie to the Knights of Labor or
anybody else nor will / permit myself to be lied
about. believe that the existing condition of
affairs over the whole civilized world is to result
in an enormous advance in the condition of the
great mass of laboring men, looked the other
day upon horseshoe machine that struck out
1900 day. when the old blacksmith could make
score or two perhaps. How many men did
that displaceg You have all looked upon the
sewing machine. How many women did that
displace? Go through tho whole list of marvel
Gus inventions that apparently have displaced
the whole body of working people, one So 600,
anOSler 0UU,UUU ana WnaC Is the upSn0C or 1t allf
Horse shoes cheap, clothing cheap
Wherever the lire of invention has run the
product is made cheaper and cheaper The
laborlng man in the United States to-day on an
average in all the branches of manufacture can
buy more of his own product for a DAYS work
than he could have bought twenty or thirty
years ago. The man in the carpet mill can buy
more yards of carpet with weeks work in the
mill than he could have bought thirty years ago.
That have verified from the record. So in
scores Of other cases.
There has resulted marvellous change in pro-
ductive labor, due to uncounted improvements,
including the telephone, the telegraph, the Bes-
semer rail and its swifter and cheaper transpor-
tation, due to the possibility of transferring
hundred million dollars from New York to Lon
don by cable. making it available there in an
hour; yes OF transferring it to China in like
manner, welding and welding the capital and
labor of the world IN one mass. We have cause
enough for the enormous uproar and disturbance,
the trembling of the whole industrial
earth. But let us be patient and just with each
other. DO not be impatient with the agtating
the striking laborine man. Wait; God lives
yet. Out of all this will come more prosperous
laboring man, with better division of all the
products of labor and a just, and peaceable, and
honorable relation between capital and labor 1t
is not to be brought about by machine legisla-
ton of any kind. Legislation may be an adjunct
in some things, but this is the only universal
solvent of these troubles-something like
other. When the capitalist shall live near to and
with and among his laborers; when he shall &C
knowledge their right TO practice cooperation
by his ready offer to advance wages when the
mills will afford it. and by his simple request to
them to let wages be lowered when the mills
cannot afford to pay so much-that spirit and
that relation between them will bring about a
settlement can name the places and describe
the men who for generations have never had one
single whisper of quarrel between themselves
and their operatives.
When business permits an advance they to offer
an increase when business is lingering and
dragging. rather than close the factories or re-
duce the hours, they say: 1--WE think you ought
to take little lower wages; can you reduceg'
It is a matter of mutual and friendly consulta-
ton. So are the readjustments to be settled
Sometimes they are not such capitalists, but can
you regenerate men by statute? There are times
when / would be with the laboring man for a
strike, and would strike to the end of the con.
test / would not work sixteen hours day for
any man, with half an hour for my dinner. I
work for better day, but I would
not permit the thieves of the city of
New York to rush out when / was striking
to destroy the property of the company from
which expected to get my living; and if the
sheriff could not do thing with them, il they
police, would have the sheriff do what / saw
done In New York once myself-call out the old
Seventh Regiment and shoot the defiant wrong
doors down if they could not be made to yield in
any way. would do that for the sake of the
laborers themselves, and would tell the labor
ers to-day just as am telling it to you You
cannot deceive them by any other kind of talk
There is no use in the Senators tempting them,
and warn them against the worst enemies they
have on the footstool, the men VINO indulge in
the sort of conversation we have had here to-
day.