The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-09-14
LABOR TO THE FRONT.
THE ARMY OF WORKINGMEN MUST
STRIKE AT DEMOCRACY.

The workingmen Of America, said Mr.
Blaine, cannot be placed upon tho Euro
pean level without their own consent
They have the right of suffrage. and can
vote to lessen their own opportunities
and reduce their own wages. Capital
takes good care of itself.
The ocean is less than weeks Journey
wide nowadays. and laws of protection of
yearly increasing Importance.
The manufacturers care for themselves
always. They have inside news and are
apt ut smart turns, and must find u
market according to their surroundings.
VIII the American workingmen, informed,
enlightened, armed and equipped with
equal rights, do less for themselves and
consent to the overthrow of the protec.
tive laws?
This. in Mr.. Blaine's Judgment is the
precise question that the Cleveland adj
ministration places before the people, and
anything that tends to obscure it weakens
the case of those who protect the country
by the restoration of the friends of tho
United States to power.
Mr.. Blaines programme is, in word,
to put labor-votes of the labor army
themselves for themselves-to the front,
and carry the whole field by striking the
Democratic line at it's weakest point with
massed columns of the men of labor
whose instinct, as well as education,
warns them that the day has come when,
for their own sake. they must be practi-
cal politicians. This is according to the
military maxim that the way to win q
battle is to find the right spot to make
the fight, and get there first with more
men than the enemy has.
Tho DOint is we'll taken md constant
ing to it, we contend that it is not thrown
into obscurity-not overshadowed but
illuminGted-by impressing upon the
people TIE facts that we array and emu
merate in this order:
/. That if all tho workingmen in this
country had freely voted and their votes
had been fairly counted according to the
constitution of the United States four
years ago, James q. Blaine would have
had n popular majority for president of
the United States of at least half mil
lion, and he would havo been chosen
officially by majority of more than fifty
electoral votes.
p If all the workingmcn Of this coun-
try could freely vote and have their votes
fairly counted in November next, there
would not be c. film of doubt of tho cleo
ton of Harrison and Morton or of the pos
session by tho Republican party of both
houses of congress after tho 4th of March
next. 1t is the disfranchisemcnt of black
Republicans in national affairs after their
emancipation and enumeration-the es-
tablishment of caste rule from Pennsylva-
mia to Mexico. with the exception of q few
congressional districts-that makes the
Mills bill possible, and provides the posi-
bility of the continued defeat of tho will
of the people at large
3. The menacing meddling with the de-
fensivo system-that projects our indus
tries through tariff that discriminates
in our own favor-originates in that Sec
ton and those states where class govern
ment is established; where labor is sub
ordinated and degraded; where tho latest
and most important provisions of the
Constitution are nullified; where public
opinion Ia not formed by freedom of
speech; where manhood suffrage is not
sustained, and where it is the popular
teaching that raising raw products for
expectation is the only reputable employ
ment Of 'the lords Of creation" In other
terms. tho Mills bill is representative Of
communities that are not advanced in the
arts of prosperity and comfort and tho
mechanical appliances that distinguish
tho latest development of our civilization.
A. The Democratic majority in the
house Is made up from the southern dis
tricts, in which there are enumerated, for
the purposes of representation and dis
franchised, the Republican majorities. In
nineteen of the districts no Republican
candidates are permitted to run.
Tho representatives Of every one of
these districts, where the Republican ma
jorities are intimidated, and counted as
cattle to increase the voting power of
their masters-or, If you prefer the term,
herdsmen-were present and voted for the
Mills bill. That measure, therefore, be-
comes the.business expression of the polit-
ical power gained in the south by the null
lification, which amounts to the abolish
ment of tho war amendments to the con-
stitution.
1t is the solid south holding the house
uncorstitutionallyt that threatens the pro-
tectiye system with revision by hostile
hands, and the message of President
Cleveland, made part of the Democratic
platform, Is in precise accord with the
Confederate constitution; and the Confed-
crates had in the days when they wero
trying their memorable experiment Of
Democratic government, the sympathy
and support of the British in their efforts
TO return substantially to the old colonial
systerl-2nd the Democratic party now
enjoys the same significant aid syIlpa-
thetic alliance. Tho solid south has
British counterance in assailing the man.
ufacturing industries of the more highly
developed parts of the south, as the
Southern Confederacy had it when war
ring to destroy The Union of.the states.
There would be no sectional politics in
this country IL manhood suffrage were
fully established. The southern trouble
is government by y class. We have the
old clave power in new shape, but it is
not less Offensive than of old.
VIII it offend any il we ask: Why are
there tUico IS many votes cast for con-
gressren i'll Hamilton county as in the
whole state of Georgia?
Georgia hes ten members of The house,
and we have two from this county. Here
is the penalty Of the inequality of citi-
zens. II it were not for the existence of
Pulling class stronger than the constitu.
ton il the Corth. the tariff would not be-
threatened, the higher would not be at
tackled by the lower civilization on this
continent in that form; we should not be
looking at the spectacle of the exclusion
of Dakota--bec2use there are hundred
thousand Republican votes thereto Dre-