Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-16

mother or sister happier, or brought JOY t.
the heart or smiles to the lips of little
child? Has any good ever come out OF
the saloon? Has any human being been
hurt or harmed, in any town or city
of this state, by the closing of the saloonsi
Not One-not single one. Ia hundreds OF
Kansas towns whence the saloons have been
banished, there are thousands of homes
where wives and childaen wear better
clothes and sit down every Gay to better
meals, than they had provided for them be
| fore the saloons were banished Is there a
home anywhere in the state that is less
peaceful, prosperous and happy, or a child
| that is clothed in rags. or wife whose love
and happiness has been blighted, because
the saloons have been closed? Not one
not single one.
THE LABOR QUESTION.
Another prominent question upon which
the two platforms express opinions is that
of labor and capital And in discussing
this question, as all others, the Republican
party deals, not in vague promises or gilt
tering generalities, but in definite state
ments. 1t points to what it has done, ii
presents accomplished facts, to sustain it,
assertion that it will honestly favor ''all leg
islation tending to secure to the laborers
their just proportion of the proceeds OF
their work, to protect them against the en-
croachments of organized capital, and 10
provide easy and speedy redress for all
wrongs suffered by them, or threatened to
them
A political party making professions of
devotion to the interests of any class of the
people should be able to show, by its rec
ord, that when in position to control legis-
lation, it originated or adopted some policy
beneficial to that class. Can the Demo
cratic party present such evidence of
friendliness for or sympathy with the Ia
boring masses? For nearly thirty years it
had supreme control of the national gov
eminent Did it, during that time, devise
or perfect any measure or policy to anchor
ate the condition of the laboring classes, or
shape and direct legislation to the end that
human selfishneSs Or rapacity should be
held in check, and the opportunities Of all
men be equalized?
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THE ENEMY OF
HONEST LABOR.
No. it did not On the contrary, during
that period, every measure Of the Demo
cratic party was directly against the inter
ests of laboring men. The homestead law
was repeatedly defeated by Democratic
congressman, and was never enacted until
the Republicans came into power Every
attempt Of the Democratic party to legislate
on the subject of the tariff was made in the
interest of foreign capital and low-priced
labor, and against home enterprise
and American workingmen The Demo
cratic party formed an alliance, offensive
and defensive, with an aristocratic oil
garchy which held to the monstrous doc
trine that capital should own its own la
borers--own, and buy and sell them as cat
tie are owned, bought and sold. The strong
hold of the Democrat party was and is to-
day this community of great planters, and
the favorite candidates of the Democratic
party are men with "barls '-monopolists
and millionaires, who are expected to buy
their way to place and power
The Republican party is always the help
full friend of the workingman. On the
other hand, the Republican party has al
ways been the real, practical and helpful
friend of the poor man. Before it had
been in power year, it had opened the
public domain to the people by the passage
IF the homestead law, giving land to the
andless and free homes to the homeless
1t has changed 1900, 600 of slaves into free
men and paid laborers, thus relieving every
man and woman, north and south
from the ruinOus competition of
slave labor. 1t had steadily insisted
on protecting American enterprise
and indurtry against foreign competition
and the poorly paid labor Of Europe 1t
has insisted, at all times and under all cir
that the real, pressing
need of the country was not cheap man
lfactured goods of any kind, but
and contented mechanics 1t
destroyed the great landed aristocracy that
was built upon the ownership of labor,
md has raised another and humber
lass of men to power. Its candidates
nave been taken from the people Its first
president was a tlat-boatman, a rail-split |
er, poor country lawyer, who was the
architect of his own fortunes. It's second |
vas poor tailor whose wife had taught |
lin to read. Its third president, the son
IF poor tanner, who lived for years in OBJ
curity and knew the bitterness of poverty |
md friendlessness He filled the world |
With the glory of his achievements, but |
preserved to the end the simple manhood of |
modest citizen, Its fourth president was
lso man of the people. After him came
man who had been carpenter and
and then followed the son
# poor Irish minister Its last candi-
late was another self-made man of the
'eople. who had been, in turn, school
master, reporter, editor congressman.
enator and secretary. Not one of the Re
publican candidates for president was born
hn It,1. oil hnx
Y their own eXertions, from the humblest
'alks of life. Working people themselves.
hey have understood and sympathized
nth the aspirations, the interests, the we'll
cling of the real working people.
HE LAWS OF KANSAS TOUCHING THE La
BOR QUESTION
In this state, one of the first acts of the
republican party was of vast importance
nd general benefit to working men The
Nyandotte constitutional convention,
Which assembled early in 1859. was the
irst distinctively Republican official body
yer assembled in Kansas, and one of its
most notable actions-and as novel and
'eneticient as it was notable-was to adopt
constitutional provision exempting from
orced sale, under any process, and the
of every citizen. Years ago.
before labor questions were much
iscussed-Republican legislatures of Kan
as enacted laws protecting the wages of
he laborer, laws providing fora mechan-
IS lien broad enough to fully secure all de-
hands for work or materials, and laws
naking liberal exemptions from taxation
0 small manufacturers and dealers. And
heSe beneficent acts have been supple
nented during later years with laws au-
horizing the incorporation of associations
f workingmen, and providing for the
afety and health Of miners. while during
he legislative sessions of 1885 and 1886. an