The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-11-04

and Queens counties. Had it become
a law, several good mechanics lien
acts on the statute books of the State
would have been repealed, and work
ingmen generally would have been
left in an unfortunate position, and
the mechanics of Kings and Queen
counties would have had a law of no
use to them. 1t was Cleveland's zeal
Gus wa~tchfulness of the interests OF
the laboring classes that actuated him
to Hveton this publishing measure,
which would have benefited contract
ors and corporations and saddled on
workmen excessive law charges in
collecting their due.
The Republican circular states:-
Cleveland vetoed the tenement house cigar
bill, forbidding the manufacture of cigars in
tenement-houses.
This is doubly false, for on the 31st
of March, 1888, Grover Cleveland
signed the bill abolishing tenement
house cigar making, which had been
branded by New York newspapers as
a blot upon our civilization, and the
houses breeding dens of pestilence
and disease. The signing of the law
was hailed with demonstrations of
approval by workingmen all over the
country. Employers who would lose
by the act caused the bill, as then
drawn, to be pronounced unconstitu-
tional by the courts. The fatal de-
fects III the bill were remedied and
the amended law was promptly
signed by Grover Cleveland, and is
today the law of the State. 1t gives
health and enjoyment of home to
thousands of people.
The Republican circular states
Cleveland vetoed the bill requiring all the
State printing to be done by union working men.
Cleveland vetoed the bill making ten hours a
legal days work Tor all street car employees.
These assertions are false in every
respect. There were any such
bills. MI. Cleveland did not sign a
bill intended to re-arrange the work
ing hours of street-car drivers and
conductors, and which it was claimed
would reduce their wages at least one
quarter. The benefits to be conferred
by the bill were delusive. Mr.. Cleve-
land did not believe the bill was
framed with a view of improving the
condition of the workingmen, and
subsequent events have demonstrated
the wisdom of his judgment. To have
signed it would have inflicted great
hardship.
The Republican circular states:
Cleveland vetoed the bill abolishing contract
child labor in the charitable and reformatory in
stitutions of the state.
This statement is absolutely untrue.
He signed the bill, which is now a
law. being Chapter 40 of the Laws of
1884.
The Republican circular states:-
Cleveland vetoed the bill abolishing convict
labor in prisons, although this proposition when
submitted to the popular vote of the people was
carried by a majority OF co. 900.
This statement is a premeditated
falsehood, for Mr.. Cleveland COM
PEELED a Republican Legislature to re-
call a bill which only abolished con-
tract labor in State Prisons, leaving
the system in force in the Peniten-
~tiaries, and compelled them to pass a
bill, which he at once signed, abol-
ishing convict contract labor in every
institution-State, county and NUM-
cipal.
So much for the negative side of the
case. Now let us look at some further
labor measures in the enactment of
which Grover Cleveland was directly
instrumental:
Cleveland appointed a Railroad
Commission which has made railroad
corporations deal more justly with
their employees and protect them from
accident.
Cleveland signed the bill making
workingmen first creditors for wages
where an employer fails.
Cleveland signed the bill appointing
a Tenement-house Commission to re-
port how tenement houses could be
made more healthful and comfortable,
thus benefiting hundreds of thousands
of men who work all day. and espec-
tally adding to the happiness of their
wives and children.
Cleveland signed the bill which did
away with the manufacture of hats in
State prisons. This bill ended a con-
vict contract competition which had
thrown hundreds of honest working
men out of employment.
Cleveland signed the Emigration
bill, the provisions of
which protected emigrants from rob-
berry, injustice and extortion.
Cleveland signed the bill limiting
the charges of pawnbrokers and pre-
venting the sale of a poor mans fur
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