The Red Cloud chief., 1892-10-21
LEASING CONNECTS.
DEMOCRATS INDIFFERENT TO THE
RIGHTS or WoRKlNcMEN.
copditions In states where They Have
Absolute Control shows Absolute In.
difference 70 Rights Of Lsbor-The Con-
Wet Lease system in the South.

oSNs
difference 70 Rights Of ~Lsbor-Thc Con-
Wet Lease System in the South.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10.-The working.
non Of the country are finding in the re-
cent labor trouble in the south a beauti-
lul opportunity to Judge Of the real ami.
mus Of tho two political parties toward
labor and laboring people. That the
Democratic party has been the foe OF free
labor 10 recognised feature Of the earlier
history Of this country, and that II Is still
Indifferent to the interests Of the labor
ing element must be apparent to my.
body who stops to study the situation as
brought sharply into notice by the pres
snt condition Of affairs in the south.
Word comes from Tennessee that in spite
" the promises Of tho governor the con-
iitions in regard to the use Of convict
labor In competition with free labor have
not at all improved.
Absoiuts Control Shows Real Sentiment.
Il IL only in the states or localities In
which . party has absolute and undis-
puted control for q long period that its
real attitude toward any element of So
,iety IL clearly shown. Where the ma
jority IL slender II Is often necessary for
party leaders to hide their real senti-
ments in order to continue their control.
But in the southern states, where they
nave had enormous majoritics and held
them constantly by their own peculiar
methods, they have shown their entire
aisregard Of the interests Of free labor
and to the laboring element generally.
Convict Labor Leased in the 'safc DEM
ocratio" States.
Take the "safe" Democratic states OF
the country Mt largo rs an example.
There are perhaps q dozen which have
been considered absolutely safe to the
Democracy under oil circumstances,
located Of course In the south.
In ten Of these twelve states they have
put convict labor into direct competition
with the workingmen Of the state. In
only two Of the safe Democratic states
has the party omitted to show its hos
tility to labor by failing to put convicts
In striped clothing into open COMPETE
tion with the workingmen. Scattered
all over these "safe Democratic states
are camps Of c~onvicts, worked upon
plantations or In the mines In competi-
tion with the laboring men Of those
states, and II the laboring people dare
protest, that favorite argument Of the
southern Democracy, the rifle, is turned
against them.
Brutal fragment Of Prisoners.
The tales Of horror which come from
these convict camps are shocking, not
only In the matter Of their cruelty to the
convicts themselves, but to the working
people Ut large whose interests are over
ridden by . party which thus shows Its
absolute contempt for their interest and
appeals. Prisoners are beaten, starved,
threatened with death In order to force
them to perform heavy tasks and thus
increase the competition which their Ia
Dor produces against the free labor with
which they are brought into competi-
ton. These questions have been brought
10 the attention Of the authorities time
after time, but with no avail. Labor
leased for forty cents per day, and driven
10 its utmost tension with fioggings and
threats Of death, is calmly put into com.
petition with the working people at
large, and they are held in subsection
by the use Of rifles and Calling guns,
while Democratic governors and legisla'
tors refuse them relief.
Compare This with , publican Methods
This could not happen in any but o
solidly Democratic community. At least
II does not happen In any other. There
arc twice a. many ''safe Republican
states ct the north as there are ''safs
Democratic" states at the south. YET
there II scarcely q single nj Of the Ger
tainly Republican states which permits
convict labor to DO brought in any way
Into competition with the laboring Gle
'"."t Convick are worked in prisons
and care 10 taken to select lor .Ao.. >-..
ployment In the occupations which will
hviuU than aa Httlo M nOasihle into COm