Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-08-24
MR.. BoDwELL'S LETTER or AC-
CEPTANCE.
HlLIowrLL. August IL. 1886


soS, ESQ.
Gentlemen :-I acknowledge the re.
ceipt Of your communication officially
advising ms tha, on the 9th day OF June
was nominated by the Republican State
Convention as = candidate for Governor
Of Maine.
Coming 20 me without solicitation aud
I can truly add without psrsoasl desire.
esteem ,hi. mark Of confidence on the
part Of my fellow Republicans a. the
chiefhoaor Of my life Sincerely attach.
ed a, | have Al~Ays been TO the prinei.
pies Of the Republican party snd earne,,-
| ~ a. | have sough, TO promote the
adoption Of those principles. /, has not
been my habi, TO participate In political
discussion or in the active work OF party
organization. Ny opinion, and cpnclu.
sion. ars tho.s Of MAJ devoted during
hi, whole lie % bushes. Ad,its-lniei-
e.,ei ia plblic measures and Ia political
.,ragsle, oaly a, they tend to promote
the welfare OF the ooln,ry aai the pros.
peri,y Of the psople. | appreciate there.
fore al the more deeply the Distinguished
mark OF favo' ani c)ndisa;s cjl'e'rsi
upon me by large Convention cjnppri
Of proninen, citizen. aud representing ,he
character and worth Of the R,pabliean
parry Of the State.
Unaccusiomsd a, am TO pabli; spscel
and no, Intending therefore 20 make
eaava- % the STATE. may be puiol'i
1 hope for expressing my views oa poli,.
icll is,ue, =, gfeaief lenyih than - usual
in a letter o. acceptance. | feel that =
candidate foi publ: ofil'c has no nsa,
% Withhold bis views on any question
of policy that /, engaging the ai,eali)n
Of the p,op.e. .hoild b, unw,lllns -
receive the vote Of any man in the S'A'e
by an evasion on my par, OF any public
i.,us. or by reason o' q misapPfehea'l)a
on hi, par, which perfect ffAnkne'' from
me nigh, remove. shall therefore
speak without reserve.
For some time pact the cilnry h"
been Asi,aied ia mAny 'sciioa' BY qas'
tioa. relating 20 the right. aai interest.
of labor. The desire Of the wo'kins
maa 70 receive the highest pre-, 5' hl'
labor Is NJ; only natural Bat ejnn;ai-
able. Labor /, the commodity which he
ha. to .ell. ani hi. comforts IN hie de-
pcni up1a the amoin, be may rsc'iSe
N exehaass iof IL. H. has ths sans
nsh, % combine with his fellow, 20 pro.
mote their e1mnoa iaiere,, ,ha, capital
id. have 10 combine for their common Ia.
tsr,.i Tks l.b3ref .nd the capitals, are
rs,,r.iae 4 oaly by their osn jaignsai
all by their imperative Obligation no; 70
iaisiers with the jl'i aai legal rights OF
Others.
have heretofore taken occasion % ex.
pres, my oPiaion thu, a popular mi.idg'
mea, arse. from the errof of treating the
l.borer and the capitals, as belonging 10
fixed and permansn, classes. Tn. labor
ef Of to day Dy industry aud cconomy
may become the capitalist Of fes years
hence and the capitalist Of to-day by
sx'ravag,nee and mi,mAnagsmsni may
becoms the day lsooref in an equally
.hor, period. Thus the persons who rep
rc,en, labor aud capital ate continually
changing and iu,ercaangins A Pstm,'
men, Consolidation OF the psrsoa' of oae
elas, again,, the persons Of the other ela's
/. therefore a. impossible a. 1, u ani-sir-
able. sad the ooaniry stands in M danger
Of the manifold evil. which such eonii-
ton might entail.
IL must Away. be borne In mini thu,
prosperity c.nno, exl., in any community
where labor ani capital are a, wsr Each
ha. the power TO inflc, grea, esll on the
other. aud each ~ill suffer while calssng
damage 10 the other. |, IL therefore tbs
duty of patriotic men. Of all msa who
wish well 10 the community AL desire
prosperity Amons the people. TO harmoa'
irs the interest Of employers aud employees
Aad max the iniere,, Of each the in,eres.
Of both In thi, work Of friendly eo'oP-
Grafton the legislative power OF the State
can aid by providing an impartial system
OF arbitration o; all dispute, thu. may
arse between labor aud capital. Neither
enn command the other by force. ani
each will had ia the end that justice, de-
,ermined by an impartial standard. must
govern the action Of all.
Preliminary 10 a general adjustment.
Maine should lead in correcting some Ia
equali,ies ani removing some burdens.
Tue hour. Of labor in all branches OF IN
du.,ry should bs eqaaliled By mIkins
the existing statute, which defines tea
hour. as days work. absolute ani msa'
datory in 90 far a, TO declare thA, days
work should no, 20 beyond iha, llmii OF
tine. From long experience. both I.
employer and employe. | AN satisfied that
fora given psriod mAa will do mors
work in ten hours psr day than he will do
in eleven or twelve. Whoever b,gin, thu
work Of o.day burdsnsd with the fatigue
OF yesterday i, necessarily impaired IN
his skill and efficiency.
The legislature should 10 my judgment
change two other provisioa, Of law.
FrS: In no ins,snes shoild imPhsoa'
men, for deb, be allowed. II a man has
no property and eau pay hi, deb, oaly by
the avail. Of his labor, IL is certainly an
ab.urdiiy TO shut him up in jail where he
is no, only inc ,pAbls Of earning anything.
bu, where hi. support necessarily becomes
a charge upon the taxpayers OF the com.
muni,y. Second Trustee process should
be abolished in so far as Il may be APP
plcaple to the wages Of the laboring man.
The result ofrepeAlins these two laws
would undoubtedly be To euriaiI the cred
il system and assure the laboring men
the promp, and regular payment OF their
wages. BY this process the mos, bsnsh'
cent results vill follow-Among the bss,
Of which is that the expenses OF living
10 the laboring man and his family will
be reduced from five to eight per cent,
thus enabling him to add that amount to
his savings for "a rainy day.
Still another evil in our labor system
should be corrected Children are nov
permitted to work in the factory a, too
tender an age. This evil is caused rather