The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-08-11
Current Events.

Current Events.
The republican state convention OF
Indiana was held on Wednesday last at
indianapolis. II has not added anything
70 the strength Of that party In the state.
The position Of POrter,-who already had
come TO the conclusion that he could not
carry the state this fall,-did not "infuse
harmony" into the convention by any
means. Many Of the delegates thought he
ought to have at least made the sacrifice
involved for the benefit Of the party. On
the other hand, Porter's friends knitted
Robertson, whom they accused Of standing
In Porter's way. At any rate, Porter was
dropped without q word, and a compromise
effected by the nomination of A. p. Hovey,
q member Of congress from the first dis
trict. The nomination WAS not enthusiast
tically received, and altogether the conven.
ton was very unsatisfactory TO the repub-
licans, as they feel that the nomination at
best Is but second rate ompared, say, with
that Of Porter. II Porter feels that he
could not have been elected, what chance,
then, does HOvey stand?
The platform Is uninteresting, the
strongest item In II 10 republican eyes
being the labor plank" calling for the
establishment of bureau of labor statistics
and laws for governing labor In certain
ways which other states have long since
adopted.
The proceedings of the Ford immigra-
tion investigating committee have EVIL
IDENTITY been read with effect In Italy. On
Tuesday the steamer India arrived at
quarantine, New York, from Naples. As
the india has always heretofore carried
into New York full steerage, chairman
Ford went down 10 meet the vessel to In
vestigate her condition on board. To his
establishment he found she carried only
four assengers-Austrian who had
shipped at Naples. There was not an
italian immigrant on board
The Investigation OF this week has dis.
closed the fact that Lees Il Son, wooden
men Of Connecticut, high tariff men, have
been In the habit for years of importing
laborers In their mills from England and
doing 80 systematically.
In the coal mines OF HazeltOn, Pa, two
thirds of the laborers are Italians, Huugs
rians and Poles, not one In fifty of whom
speak English. There are common labor
e's at from SOC to $l.l5 per day, a decline
of 50 per cent In five years. They live In
the most filthy manner. In Wilkesbarre
at the mines are 5000 Hungarians and
probably 800 Italians. The Hungarians
and Poles get generally little higher
wages than the Italians. Mr. Calclazar.
the witness, said: This immigration Ia
sadly harmful n the American working
men, as In every instance where the
American can be dispensed with II Is done.
The employers In the mines try TO keep
this up, as II Is to their own advantage
Mr.. Duffy, clerk Of court In Schuylkill
Co., Pa, said: "The coal regions are po-
Iced by what are called mining police, or
men who are appointed by the Governor
AT the Instance OF the coal companies. BY
figures compiled by District Assembly 40
II was shown that the miners, by species
Of fines were robbed of $4,000, 600 In
1887. The system of doing this was as
I lows: The operators sold 10 the miners
10 1886, sos, l69 kegs of powder at 80 a
keg, for $1,67S,896 rs. The cost to the
operators was $73S, 500 20. In 1887 the
miners lost through dockage 1,104,213 tons
OF coal. This coal was sold ut an average
cost OF W ton at the mines The aggre-
gate amount OF profit TO the operators
amounted to $2,0l6, 462 70 In other words
each miner was robbed of $l60. Another
system Of robbery Is that the average car
In the mines when loaded holds ~ tons
of coal. The miner is, however, only
credited with 4 tons. On the arrival OF
the Car at the breaker for the Weighing Of
the coal, II the docking boss should find
my "culm" or bone" In II, he docks the
miner 259 or 400 lbs. Out OF this "culm"
pea coal Is manufactured and sold at 81. 10
per ton. by this means the miners lost
l,104,2l3 tons Of coal"
Right In the teeth Of the Indiana re-.
publican State convention, the labor unions
OF the state threw bomb carrying con.
sternatton 70 the Assem- bling delegates. The
fourth annual session Of the Federation Of
Trade and Labor Unions Of that state was
held at indianapolis on Wednesday, over
200 delegates being present, making one of
the largest meetings OF the kind ever held
In the state. The sensation OF the meeting
was the passage Of the following resolu.
tom
Resolued, That We cannot support the
candidates of the republican party for
president and vice president, because both
Of them are wanting In sympathy for the
labOring classes. This was shown by Har.
rison In the memorable strike In 1877,
when he lunteered TO command COM
pany Of soldiers TO shoot laboring men
down after having refused TO attempt to
settle by peaceful means. For four days
service as captain Of said company he re.
csiyed and receipted for twenty silver doll
lars which was as much blood money as
the "thirty pieces Of silver" for which Ju-
dss Iscariot betrayed the Savior of man.
kind. 1t has been shown by Morton In