The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-11-04

WORKING MEMS QUERIES.

1t is rather late in the day to ask
questions of candidates through a pub
lie journal Before all of them could
get time to read and answer them the
election will be in progress. But as The
Herald gives place today to letter
from q representative workingman,
propoHnding questions as to matters
that affect him and his associates, we
viii make some reference to them and
express, as we believe, the views of
the gentlemen who are addressed in
the communication.
A good lien law for the protection of
the workman to secure his wages and
just dues of every kind, we have no
doubt would receive the support of the
Democratic nominees. Every bill. how
ever, will have to be judged on its
own merits. A just and equitable
measure to secure to the worker his
rights woul9Sreceive the support of
The Herald and of the party. But
every bill proposed would have to be
examined before either this paper or
a legislator could consistently pledge
aid in its passage.
The Democratic party, The Herald,
land, so far as we know, the candi-
dates it supports are in favor of eight
hours as days labor. That ought to
be enough. For public works it can be
so regulated by law. But would our
working friends want a law passed
that would make it Illegal for them to
work more than. eight hours a day?
If circumstances were such that they
wanted to work longer would they like
erty? Working men in trying t. tie
up employers should be careful not to
bind themselves. It's poor rule that
only works one way
The relations of employers and en-
ployes should not be so regulated by
law as to destroy freedom. Eight
hours. could be fixed by statute as con-
|stituting days labor. But if this is
ATTEMPTED outside of public works it
will prove an interfering element, and
we fear. turn out to be more detriment
than advantage to the working man.
However, our working friends who
know what they want may be able
to devise some measure that will pro-
tect their liberties and prevent the i'm
position of employers on the laborer,
and if that can be fixed so as to do
justice to all concerned, we have no
doubt the Democratic candidates will
support it.
The truck system ought to 30 with
other relics of the days of barter when
coin was a rarity and wheat was cur
rency Every workman ought to be-
free to trade where he pleases and
should be paid for his labor in nothing
else but legal tender money.
That home manufactured and home
produced materials should be given the
preference over the imported article in
all public works, municipal. county and
territorial. every friend of Utah and
its people must admit. And that the
Democratic party take that view is
certain and indisputable
salt Lake work for Salt Lake work.
men, is motto that has been so
abused by the Liberal faction, which
made it cry in their campaign of
fraud, that it has become an object Of
dersion even by the small boys of the
town. But that it will be rescued from
the mire in which the Liberals have
trampled it, by the Citizens who have
been chosen to redeem the city from
Liberal misrule, there can be no rea-
sonable doubt.
We endorse the sentiment that su-
perintendents and inspectors of public