St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-11-03
A FRIEND OF LABOR.
That Is What John w. Willis
Has Always Shown
Himself.
Interest Labor Has in Secur-
ing a Friend on the
Bench.
Mr.. Willis Friendly Record
on the Eight-Hour
Question.
He Drafted the Labor Plat
form in Many Con-
ventionS.
To the Editor of the Globe.

To the Editor OF the GLOBE.
AS the friend and supporter Of or
ganized labor, | deem it my duty to say
a few words to them through your col
umns. 1t is an undenable fact that
labor has received great many draw
backs in the past few years, partly due
to itself, but mostly due to capital
lists. No sensible man will attempt
to deny the fact that the laboring man
has suffered much wrong and been sub
mitted to many indignitieS at the hands
of his plutocratic brother. But all must
of necessity admit that there is a rem
edy, and that this remedy should be APP
piled at once. And | beseech the work
ingmen, and ask them in the name of
their Just cause, and in the name OF
justice, to see that 1t is applied without
delay.
The workingmen of the Second iu-
dicial district have a question before
them that demands solution at their
hands. 1t requires more than passing
thought. The question is simply, shall
we put man OH the bench who is ia
vorable to our cause. one who VIII sup
port us if we were in trouble; or shall
we pass this by unheeded?
1t is every bit as essential to have
men on the bench whose sympathy Is
with the labOring masses as it is to put
men in the legislature to make laws III
their favor. 1t is necessary to have
laws made that deal justly with the ia
boring men, but it is as necessary to see
that they are interpreted III the right
light. No amount of rhetoric can
change the logic of this proposition.
~ 40
please, and the conclusions must be the
same. The late trouble at Homestead
is enough to demonstrate this. Every
workingman who has studied the situa-
ton there must have arrived at the con-
clusiop that it is as necessary to have
Judges on the bench who are favorable
to their cause as it is to have legislatures
| representing them.
In the Homestead trouble the men
were driven into the strike by oppreS-
sion. They were forced TO seek redress
for their wrongs. They laid their just
grievance before their officers, but it
was looked upon with contempt. Moth
ing was left to do but to strike. Strikes are
ever dangerous and disastrous, but they
have to be resorted to at times. They
struck against the injustice OF the EN-
ployer and the employee resorted to VIC
lence. state as an undeniaOle fact that
up to this period of the strike the work
ngmen resorted to no violence. But Mr..
Prick called in band of 'cutthroatS
to shoot them down like dogs. 1t IS not
necessary to REGAL! the bloody scene.
The Workingmen fought for their honor
and their homes, and were arrested. AT
rested for defending their rights against
gang of lawless brutes. They were
4 ist n
be tried. Ii any of my readers doubt
the prejudice of this Judge, ask him to
| read the charge to the grand jury, who
returned a true bill'' in the case OF
every workingman brought before
them.
That charge, coming from the lips of
one who is supposed to render justice
to all. to believe every one innocent
until proven guilty. is enough to drive
workingmen from the path of virtue
into the depths of anarchiSm. No friend
of labor. after studying the question at
Homestead, will attempt to deny but
that it is as necessary to have men on
the bench who will
Assist the Cause
as it is to have them in the legislature.
What is wanted is to have men in the
legislature to make laws that favor the
masses, and Judges who will give them
an honest Interpretation.
In the Second judicial district the
name of John W. Willis is presented for
this high office. This should be pleas
ure to every laboring man within this
district. For who does not know this
enterprising, trustworthy attorney? Mr..
Willis has been reared in the city of St.
Paul and has always associated himself
with the laboring men in their noble
cause. If elected to the bench he will
not only prove himself an excellent adj
dition to the Ramsey county bar, but a
boon to the laboring men. Mr.. Willis
has never allowed an opportunity to
pass, where he could assist the men
who toll for their daily bread, without
helping them, and they can rest assured
that he will still continue to be their
friend and supporter If elected to the
juugeship.
call the workingmen's attention to
the record of Mr.. Willis as the advocate
of labor. and at the same time would
ask, where is there clearer record? In
the year 1890 he drafted the platform
that was adopted at the Democratic mu-
ncipal convention. The elght-hour
plank reads as follows:
'R6SOIVeQ, 1QdG we T6Sdru WIFI Klnuly lu-
terest the efforts of labor to lessen the Gus
| tomary hours of daily toll, and TO increase
| the wage earnings of our people. We
favor and shall advocate such general legis-
| lation as will enable the cities of this state
| to make practical experiment OF the subst-
tuition of eight-hours for ten hours or more
| a day in work on public improvements"
This plank he fought through the con
vention and had adopted. When the
Democratic candidates were elected it
was brought before the city council.
Some of the aldermen opposed it, and
wanted Mr.. Willis to drop it. but he
| showed himself true friend of labor,
and was true to his obligations, and
fought for it to the bitter end, as his let
ter to the GLOBE of Sept. Is, 1890, shows.
| The letter is as follows:
EIght-Hour Question.
| To the Editor of the Globe.
The discussion which has been elected by
! the adoption, on the part OF the common
| council of this city. of the McNamee resolu-
| ton fixing eight hours as the measure of a
| days work, has been interesting and acri
| monious; but no argument has been ad
| vanced which successfully assails the spirit
! and purpose of that resolution.
| Aid. McNamee's resolution is usually re.
| ferred to as though it applied only to the un.
| skilled manual laborers who are employed by
| our municipal government. 1t applies to all
persons employed by the corporation
The principal objection urged against the
| resolution, however, is that its effect, wher
| construed with other standing orders of the
city council, is 10 give the laborer on the
'street force the same wages for eight
| hours of labor as he formerly received fol
! a DAYS work of ten hours This is said to be
a Is less than the rates payabIe Under the
| McNamee resolution. The answer to thi:
objection is that the city has not observed
the market price" of personal services il
employing its servants of either high or low
degree, and there is no more reason for ap-
plying that standard to laborers than to the
mayor, the city comptroller. or clerks in the
various departments of the city government
For instance, the mayor receives, under the