The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-10-06

~ Cleveland Has written Himself the
voe Of Honest Labor-Ful1 aud
Correct List Of His vetoes.

UV oAovofono nus written Himself the
yos Of Honcst Labor-Full aud
Correct List Of His vetoes.
fhe Ceuvics Labor Candidate.
The Democratic National platform
adopted at Chicago CONTAINS the follow
Ing,
law. enacted by the Nfty-frst Congress
and we promise It's repeal as one
g the beneficent results that will follow
power to the Democratic party" |
The fifty-first section Of the present |
Republican tariff law, known as the
Mckinley bill, provides as follows:
.SRC. ii. That all goods, wares,
artioles, and merchandise manufactured /
wholly OF in part In any foreign country |
by convict labor. shall not be entitled to |,
entry at any Of the ports Of the United !
hereby prohibited, and the Secretary of
the Treasury is authorized to prescribe
such regulations as may be necessary
tU the enforcement Of this provision"
Under the direction Of this statute, no
sxticie Is admitted into this country
without Q sworn statement from the
shipper and importer that it is not the
product Of convict labor. This Ks part
u the law which the Democratic plat
form declares will be repealed in case
power is entrusted to the Democratic
party. How do free, honest, and inde-
pendent American laborers relish such q
prospect? Grover Cleveland certainly
favors it for he has already declared at
the Madison Square meeting In New
York that he endorsed the Democratic
platform and gratefully accepted
nomination upon it.
nit is argued that the Democratic at
tack upon the Mckinley law is not
aimed at this particular section, the
sn0we1 is that Cleveland, as Presi-
dent, committed himself to the policy Of
employing convicts In Government
works, and of deriving Government rev.
enue from their labor, In direct compet-
ton with free labor.
Not only would Cleveland admit the
product of foreign convict labor, but he
would employ all the convicts In Federal
prisons In industrial pursuits and would
have the Government make money out
Of their work. In his annual message,
dated December 9th. 1885, in referring
to the construction Of penitentiaries for
the confinement Of all prisoners convict.
ed and sentenced in the United States
courts, he said:
Upon consideration Of this subject 10
might be wise to erect more than one Of
these institutions located at such places
as would best subserve the purposes Of
business and economy In transportation.
The considerable cost Of maintaining
these convicts, as at present IN State
institutions, would be saved by the
adoption Of the plan proposed, and by
employing them In the manufac-
ture Of such articles as were
needed for use by the Government, quite
. lsrge pecuniasy benefit would BE- real
1asd in partial return for our outlay"
Not only by this ugly recommendation
but by actually twice preventing the
full enactment Of anti-convict labor laws
has Cleveland demonstrated his desire to
, utilize prison labor in competition with
the labor of freemen. In 1885, and again
tn 1888, he killed by pocket vetoes,
acts of Congress, forbidding the use, by
the Government, Of the product Of con-
vict labor. This law ecame operative
only when Cleveland was defeated, and
General Harrison became President.
Then it was promptly signed
vetoes as Governor.
While Governer of New York Grover
Cleveland was always the worhngman's
enemy.
The following is an.itemf1ed record OF
Cleveland's acts In opposition to labor
reforms. It is only partial list but II
Is enough to show where he stands:
He vetoed the bill establishing De
partment of Labor and making the Sec
retary Of said Departments Cabinet
officer.
He vetoed the Mechanics Lden Law
making the wages Of workingmen en-
gagged in the construction Of buildings (
6rst mortgage on the property.
He vetoed the Life and Limb Bnl
making employers responsible for acci
dents happening from imperfect ma
chinery or inferior construction Of build
ings.
He vetoed the Tenement House Ciga
Bill. forbidding the manufacture q
cigars in tenement houses.
He vetoed the bill compelling tn
elevated roads Of New York City
charge only five cents fare. fsa
He vetoed the Printers BIN, requiring
al the State printing to be done b
union workingmen.
He vetoed the bill making ten hours
legal days work for all street car en-
pdoyes.
he vetoed the bill abolishing oonvic
labor In prisons, although this proposi
tion. when submitted to the popula
vote Of the people. was carried by
majority Of 10000.
He vetoed the Child Labor Bill pre-
viding for the inspection Of factorie
where children were employed, and pre-
hibiHng the employment Of ohildre
under fourteen years Of age.