News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-09-01
ReapInz the WhIrIwInd.

II would be very easy for the Re-
publicans to turn the tables upon the
Democratic party for it's shameless
efforts to drag the Homestead troub-
les into politics, by simply referring
to the disturbances in Tennessee and
their causes. The corporation has
the contract with the state for
the labor of 400 convicts in the Ten
nessee coal, iron and railroad COM
pany, which has been carrying on
operations at Tracy City, about 100
miles from Nashville. OF this COM
pany, Hon. Calvin S. Brice, ex-chair-
man of the Democratic nationalc COM
mittee and rainbow chaser in general
is a heavy stockholder. OF course,
Mr.. Brice is halcyon and vociferous
champion of labor at party conven-
tions, but his company has exhibited
little regard for the rights of free la
Dor or little mercy for the poor con-
victs who are forced into it's employ
ment. The latter are housed in "A
! miserable stockade or shed whore
| they are treated like slaves and made
to work from twelve to sixteen hours
n day. Free labor is also employed
in the same mines, and the effect is
degrading AMI insulting. And in
consequence of the long hours exacted
from the convicts the honest miners
have been compelled TO work on half
time with corresponding reduction of
pay.
The law under which these convicts
nj. "a . u.
Jaw enacted by a Democratic state
legislature. Oppressive as it is, the
miners had no relief from it except
through violence, for they had no
political pull and not enough votes
to reverse the legislative majority.
Hence they have resorted to measures
that in some respects are unjustifia-
bly, harsh. They were justified in
burning down the miserable stockade
and returning the convicts to the
penitentiary, but it does not seem to
have been necessary to overpower
the state troops and make them
prisoners, to destroy life, or to threat
en- the Governor with lynching. But
the state or corporation that deals
with it's citizens as though they were
brutes should not be surprised II such
treatment aroused the brute in mems
natures and made them cruel and un-
feeling also. Even a state cannot
impudently SOW the wind, for in due
time the reaping of the whirlwind is
inevitable.
The men at Homestead whose
wrongs have drawn an ocean of tears
from Democratic eyes are free men,
working at wages of from ~ to $15
a day, living in luxurious homes Of
their own, with handsome deposits
in the bank. Calvin S. Brice, the
leader of the Democratic party and
the bosom friend of Grover Cleveland,
prefers the labor of prison convicts
which he hires from the Democratic
state of Tennessee at from ten to
twenty-five cents day, exacting al
most two full days work every twen-
ty-four hours, and shutting out free
labor or reducing it to halftime be-
cause it could not accept an equal
price. Ii was another Free Trade
Democratic employer of labor, an
other bosom friend of GroveE cleve-
land, who announced the discovery,
made by himself, that the. way to
prevent "strikes was to make the
workmen eat up TO day what they
earn tomorrow" Democratic love
for the workingman takes on very
queer look when illustrated by actual
facts.-Troy Times.