Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-02-16
NEW YORK LETTER.
4 eArrle or THE GIANTS IN NEW
YORK POLITICS.
Positions Of MN. Cleveland, and othsrs--
American Federation Of Labor and
Eight-Hour strugg,c-Pips
Collections
eccrrsspcndencs Of the Richmond D'spsecn.l
Nvv yonx. February rs. 1890.

n little early to talk about successor lot
Governor David Bennett Hill. ~ y none
the less true that great struggle tor ms
Cubernatorial shoes is well under way;
FIN will not DO candidate to succeed
himself. He has oil the honors that can
como from the exalted position OF cover
nor. He will retire from the executive
chair of the State nearly year before inc
battle for the presidency IL fought. ~ Is
of course his aim and that OF ms ponticm
friends 20 keep himself IN me WIN popu-
lar thought and opinion unth the Dehno-
cratic National Convention meets.
HILL AND CLEVELAND.
H;u ia nm ayowed candidate for tho
presidency. If he be able 70 maintain tho
power and prestige OF the State organiza-
lion he will go into the Democratic Con-
yention with tho Democratic delegates
of the State Of New York Mt his BACK;
Those persons who think that Cleveland
Is not candidate for the presidency are
not well informed. While he Is mol do
ing anything himself. perhaps, TO bring
about his nomination, his fnends-hna
they number some of the most expert
wire-pullers in the State-are on guard
In every county. Ii Is to be battle royai
between Hill and Cleveland, with the
chances slightly in favor Of Hill at present.
because he controls considerable patron
age and is the autocrat OF the Democratic
State machinery. The leaders Ot Iarnmany
Hall and of the various Democratic fac.
tions of Brooklyn. Albany, Buffalo, ana
other cities in the State are taking active
sides for or against the doughty niue
Governor. The bosses are all In his favor.
ANOTHER MAN OF DESTINY.
II was NJ one time contemplated to run
Mayor Hugh J. Grant for Governor to sue
cecil Hill but while he has made q credita-
BILE record as chief executive OF Gotham.
the leaders Of Tammany Hall are fully cog
infant of the fact that he could not be
elected Governor. He Is O Catholic, for
one thing, and Tammany machine man
for another; and these two facts would
probably Jay him out as cold rs mackerei.
There are noend of candidates, however, 10
succeed Hill. The most formidable is Mayor
Alfred G.. Chaplin, of Brooklyn, an able
young man skilled in politics. lie Is
good speaker, "a splendid debater, an unu:
sually fine executive officer, and man OF
very pronounced views on all the Leading
topics of the day. He has presided at sew
eral State conventions with credit TO him.
self: was Speaker of the Assembly during
very turbulent session, and he VIII have
4 e united delegations from that Demo
o. "a &c stronghold, Kings county. BESIDES
ls never beeu beaton Tor any once:
He do< not know what the wofa ueI nan
ns dns;;r, and the very few people VINO
are intimate hes the idea of being Gov
not oniy e.. liz 'resid INT some day. tx
S Sinoa, uu' Wb;tn.v. g gorge Ralnes, and
.eores nf other lien. 'ocr atic politicians are
having their little Oo' ms. but 80 i .h
Chaplin is ahead OF ne VI IA t anu ,Ho
convention were to '"e n'iu ''0'''"'
would win, hands down
THE REpuBIIcl SIDE.
oponrb,;con side only one man has
4 L.. I, ChDulUhlt lOI
Governor. II is Senator j. A'so .s rchss at'
of Elmirs, President pro tenn. o. .n , S'"d E
and an enthusiastic Piatt fol, over T-1e
Senator Plat is so absolutely in oiitr C. Oh
the Republican machinery OF III otaJ
that any man he names Will be nonn 49,
Cornelius N. Bliss, the well-known h .1
chant OF this city; A. II. Whitney, the
great iron man; John +. Plummer, eno
Srv-poods merchant: General McAip fne
and General Cruger are also talked OF, w
they shake their heads and profess
take no interest other than that OF q goot
citizen in the contest. Mr.. Fassett came
from the booming West instead of an up
the-country town. He is worth q million or
two. owns newspaper and half OF pay
ing mine in the West He married Bliss
Croker. a relative of the Crockers OF the
Pacific Slope and she Is charming ana
estimable woman.
G. Platt stnl keeps his hand firmly placed
IN the Republican throttle-valve, and it
would not be surprising If he elected MN,
self 10 the United States Senate to succeed
Senator Evarts. IL is the one ambition OF
his life toget back 70 the senate cnainV .asi
But Cnuncey M. Depew will not let TINS
occur without a desperate battle.
THE AMERICAN FEDEEATIoS OF LABOR.
Within about ten weeks we may expect
20 be calksd on to decide an important IN
dustriM question.
formally, requested Captains of Industry
fbrongb, ,ut the country to regard eight
bours Of labor as a days work, and has
6xad upon May /. 1890, as the date when
the new or, Ver may as well be ushered IN.
In the mu Implicitly OF important punhe
rn,estions VIII \ch thoughtful men are called
mon to cons Sder daily this one has re-
ce;ved a fare 81. Wre of attention of late but
faw have Given " serious consideration as
IN ito nractical side. Many appear TO be
willing TO allow tn matter to take its own
time, trusting that eomething VIII happen
TO bring everything out all right without
serious disturbance.
We are aware, is imposed OF trades
unions. but the mana yement OF the sepa-
rate unions is left to tn. Nselves, much the
same as in the federal ed States OF the
Union, the government o. the States Is lett
70 themselves.
In this respect the Federation diners
from the Knights OF Labor. which orgsniza-
ton appears To have lost mu, III of Its former
prestige, as it certainly has OF It's MEMBER
ship.
THE EIGHT-HoUR sTEUGtus.
Ash took part in reporting the results OF
the first great eight-bour struggle IN this
country, some four years ago, naturally
found this eight-hour. agitation CIV loso OF
special interest, particularly beciu the
tone of those who asked Tor this chal'geiore,,
see 80 marked contrast TO that employed
four wears ago. So l determined to IN
auire Of the Federation just what IL pro-
poses TO do--in case its success by means
Of formal request or conference IL not
satisfactory to it,
THE WINS OF us PRESIDENT.
Mr.. Samuel Gompers is president OF tho
American Federation of Labor. Mr..
Gompers," said 1, =" / am anxious to know
what you expect TO do on May lst IL the
employers as q rule refuse TO adopt the
fewer number of hours daily"
1t means strike, of course" was the
kifne. and / believe in the history of or
0anized labor, we are exhausting every
means to bring about the desired result by
other means than O strike. We have pub
lished tons of speeches, papers. essays, and
tracts, showing good reasons why the toiier
should not be expected or required TO work
more than eight hours daily. We have and
are holding public meetings to enlighten
al who win listen. and we are leaving no
thing undone as TO personal conference
and conference by letter TO induce en-
ployers and contractors TO grant conces-
Sions in the direction Indicated"
THE ST. PAUL BUILDERS.
"Tell me-" said l, show you regard the
Sction Of the Convention of Building Con-
tractors at ST. Paul recently, which. in re-
ply TO your letter recommended Payment
Of wages by the hour instead Of by the
day. DO you not think that amounts TO a
checkmate? Will not present wages. for In
stance. divided py eight instead OF by ten or
more (paid on the hour basisl mean less
for the wsge-earner per diem?"
The President of The Federation smiled
and In reply read me his letter TO that con-
vention, in which he distinctly avoided
asking that body to recommend or adopt
An eipht-hour day At most the letter