The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-06-14
BUCHANAN'S LETTER.

DOOAANAV ~ uUl i LII.
BONE THINGS IN NEW YORK WHICH
MAKE A FELLOW ANGRY.
ssIfYou SEQ 1t In The Sun, +" You Can Bet It's
Crooked-A Senator Who Doesn't Like to
he Asked "Out Loud''-A Triumphant
Democracy Grove1ing to . Bull Breeder.
The New York Sun, with that unfair
ness and intolerance Of progressive meas
ures in the interest of the common peo-
pie which are among it's chief character
istics, splits venom at those members of
the Massachusetts legislature who favor
. legal reduction and regulation of the
hours Of labor for women and minors.
There are good men and women in Mas
sachusetts who believe it is the duty of
society to protect the helpless as much
- possible from the horrible results of q
woodworking commercialim. OF these
humanely disposed persons The Sun says:
The cranks, the sentimentalists, the labor
parasites, the great army Of putty headed re-
formers, are never happy save when they are
1ettering the liberty Of the individual and try
ing to stop the operation of the natural laws of
business by means of silly hampering statutes.
The Sun attempts to appear solicitous
for the welfare of the women and minors
who work in the factories Of Massachu-
setts by declaring that legislation regu-
lating the hours of labor is 'cutting
down wages by law" Such Internal
hypocrisy is found only in the organ of
the most overbearing and infamous mo-
nopoly in the Countrywide Manhattan
Elevated Railroad company. The editor
Of The Sun has not the excuse of igno-
rance to support his ridiculous attitude
upon the shorter workday question.
Aside from the regard for the health of
the women and children shown in the
60-hour work week in Massachusetts, the
editor Of the New York Sun is sufficient
" familiar with the shorter hour agita-
ton in this country to know that its
prime aim is to increase wages by reduc-
ing the army Of unemployed, and there
by lessening competition in the labor
market.
should like to know why ssthe nat
ural laws of business" should be left to
operate without the interference Of the
state. Do we allow the natural laws of
cholera, smallpox and typhus to have un-
interrupted sway? Do we allow thieves,
murderers and ravishers to practice with
out interference the natural laws" of
their "business?" The scheme under
which production and distribution are
carried on, and which The Sun calls
''business,' that has but one natural
law"-get all you can and keep all you
get-if allowed to operate without any
regulation by organized society would
cause more misery than all the diseases
and crimes mentioned. The Sun does
not deny the right of society to adopt
laws to suppress some forms of gam
bling, and yet the whole business" ar
rangement is nothing more nor less than
gambling.
If the working people and their friends
were to adopt completely the let alone
policy which is so dear to The Sun and
the class it represents, within half CEN
tury the few would be absolute masters
Of the many. In fact, we are fast drift
ing in that direction as it is, but the SEN
timent that change in our course is adj
visable and necessary is taking strong
hold, and with the knowledge which the
masses of this generation possess the
prospect is not so dubious as it might be.
But there must be no nonsense about
bottom principles. It is natural law
of business" that the gains of one party
to transaction are the losses of the 9th
or party. Ia other words, it is natural
for the employer to wish to increase his
profits, and the wage fund is his legiti-
mate prey. By combination and legisla-
ton the workingman must do all in his
power to protect that fund
Apropos of legislation regulating the
hours of labor, there is an interesting
case pending in New York city. A bill
to make 10 hours days work on all ele-
waited and surface railroads in cities of
over rs, 900 inhabitants, except New York
city, came up in the state senate some
time ago. A dispatch from Albany de-
failing the discussion on the bill in the
senate contained the following para
graph:
Senator McClelland said that the bill came
from labor tramps who do not want to work
Senator Coggeshan said that bills like this
would pass were it not that corporations can
afford to pay their attorneys thousands of dol
bars. while workingmen, bannot afford to pay
The remark of Senator McClelland
riled the workingmen who read it, but
with the exception Of one man they took
tout in expressing their opinions to each
other.
The exception was William McNair,
who is well known in labor circles in
New York city. McNair sent postal
card containing the following to Senator
McClelland:
SENATOR Observation-Disclosures Is newspa-
Per clipping Of 18th inst. and as an American
citizen and honest workingman, which can
prove, permit me to ask you in reply, did you
ever earn an honest dollar in your life by hon
est labor2 If you have, you should be ashamed