The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-14
DEMOCRACY AND WORKMEN.
A Record Of Broken Promises and I'm
fulfilled Platform Declarations.
No Labor Statistics Collected Competition Of
Convict Labor Not Prohibited-Child La
Dor Not Made lllegal-Nothing Done.
sDscsA to the indianapolis journal.

COLUMBUS Oct 13-Hon. w. ID. Foulko
spoke here tonight, and in the course of his re-
marks addressed himself to the labor question
in its several phases. After singing review Of
the gerrymander Mr. Foulke said:
have in my hands the last Democratic State
platform adopted at Indianapolis June "a, 1884
In it ] find that the Democratic party fayors
reduction of the number of hours in a days la
Dor upon all public work. State and municipal"
also hold in my hand the statutes OF Indiana,
passed at that last General Assembly, where the
Democratic party had majority of two-thirds
in both houses, together with Democratic Gov
ernor; where it was omnipotent, where it had
absolute power to enact any legislation It de-
sired. Will any Democrat in this audience
point out to me in that little volume any meas
ure passed by this Democratic body reducing
the number of hours in days labor upon any
public work, State or municipal2 It cannot be
found, except ia the child-labor bill. to which
snail refer hereafter. There is mention of
the eight-hour law anywhere in the legislation
of the fast session. Why were those words put
In the platforml To secure for the Democratic
party the votes Of laboring men, under the be.
lief that the Democratic party was the friend
which it professed to be. What excuse have
they to give for this shameless violation OF prom
isel Have you ever heard any,
Again I read from the platform: ut favors
the establishment of Bureau of Labor Stats
tice, State and national" Now general bureau
of statistics had been established prior to the
session of the Legislature, but it was not bu
reau for the special collection of labor statistics
and little attention is given to labor statistics
In 1t that recently read a criticism In one OF
pur journals on political science to the effect that
Indiana was one of the States from which 0
reliable information upon that subject could be
obtained. In the great problem which is rising
before US, which s destined, rs believe before
many years to absorb all others-the problem,
how TO secure for labor an adequate and just re-
Enumeration, how TO make each mans reward, as
nearly as possible, proportonate to his deserts
the collection of necessary statistics for reliable
information, was considered by the Democratic
party as desirable and necessary thing. MANY
laborine men voted for the Democracy because
they believed the professions of friendship of
which this plank was one. call your attention
again to this tell-tale book, the statutes of the
East session. Where is the law which has created
board OF labor statistics, or has enlarged the
powers of the present board? It cannot be found
Again quote: ut favors far practical
BILE to use OF prison and reformatory labor, so
as not to compete with the labor Of the honest
citizen outside. Look at the statutes again my
Democratic friend. Look at them carefully,
you workmen that have trusted to Democrat
ic faith Tell ne in what way the party which
had absolute power, has prevented the use OF
prison and reformatory labor from competing
with the labor of the honest citizen outside?
The only act which was passed at the last SEES
sion which had any reference to that subject
reads as follows:
That hereafter the exclusive right to manufacture
manufacturing within the prisons in this State shall
not be given as part of the conditions of any coa
tract for less than fifty and when any contract
is in force in Which the exclusive right to manufact
is part of the conditions of such contract, if
pther contracts made for additional numbers of
men for the line of work. the exclusive right in
such new contracts for additional men shall not ex-
tend beyond the time of the expiration of the first Of
said pending Contracts.
Will my laboripg friend tell me whether that
act prevents the use of prison labor from COM
peting with honest labor on the outside? The
last General Assembly did indeed pass resolu
tiOn favoring the non-competiton of prison
labor with free labor, but that resolution shows
only the moro clearly the depths of hypocrisy to
TO which that party resorted in its betrayal of
the laborer. Having power to relieve him,
having made the promise to relieve him. it re-
solves that he ought to be relieved, and does
nothing | suspect that in some of these labor
promises, the Democratic party simply forgot
about it; that there was not man in the Legls-
lature who remembered what the party had said
ia its platform. cared enough TO draw up the
bill and introduce it. But in the matter of
Wet labor they have not even this excuse; for the
matter was repeatedly called to their attention.
Can it be, then, that the direct, personal, pecun
airy interest of influential Democratic contractors
for prison labor worked unseen amid their coun-
selss Can it be that the influence of Mr. Win
terbottom was the potent factor which Quoted
their activity2
Governor Gray in his Logansport speech,
said that the Democratic party was entitled to
for passing laws, among others, prohibiting the
employment of children under fourteen years of
age in certain manufactures. Let us see what
the fact is:
The last Democratic platform used the follow.
Ing language 1.-The Democratic party favors the
enactment of such laws as will prohibit the EN-
ployment of children under fourteen years of
age in our manufactures, mines and work
Shops" This does not limit it to certain kinds
OF mines or manufactures, and does not place
the limitation at ten years or twelve years, or
any other period short of fourteen years. The
bill passed, as shown by the acts of the last ses
sion, p 219, provides that it shall be unlawful
TOR any person or association engaged in manu-
featuring iron, steel, nails. metals, machinery
or tobacco to employ any child under twelve
years of age; or for any person or association to
employ child labor for more than eight hours
day. In every mine of the State of Indiana and
IN every kind of mandatory or milling except
in metals, machinery and tobacco child may be
employed the same as formerly. And the Demo
cratic party calls this a performance of its
promise to prohibit all child labor. But let US
see how the act was passed
A bill for the prohibition of child labor was in
troduced by Senator Bailey, and was referred TO
the committee on labor of which he was chair
man. his own Democratic committee was un-
willing to support the bill, but reported it back
30 the Senate, with recommendation that
twelve years be substituted for fourteen years
When 1t came back Senator Bailey moved that
the report be amended so 30 read fourteen
originally introduced. Then followed an ami
mated discussion. Senators Hiigass. May
Sellers, Mcclure, Faulkner and Brown. all Dem.
ocrats. opposed the fourteen years limitation
Senator Faulkner was opposed to the bill on gen-
sra principles, and said he would rather vote for
. bill to make boys work, and the men, too
Senator Ely Brown, of Allen county was also
opposed to the bill on general principles. Mr.
Bailey called the attention of the Democratic
Senators to the plank in their platform. He
read 1t in their presence, and said, THAT is one
Of the things we promised to do and believe
We ought to keep these promises. If we change
the age from fourteen 10 twelve years the eff
cheney of the bill is greatly destroyed"
Senator Willard said: II am not one of those
who believe the party should get into power
upon certain pledges, and once in power disre-
gard those pledges. One of the promises the
Democratic party made to the workingmen for
their YntAs and which IL nlfainad larra