The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-12-25
JOBBERY DOES IT.
John Burns Tells Us Why We
Have Corruption
in All Departments of Our City
Government.
ATSHOULD BE DONE
BY W0rkingmen as Voters to
Prevent It
Theysafe to Blame for Oppres-
siye Conditions.

ISDIASAPOLEs, Dec. 25-John Burns,
tile labor leader and member Of the Eng
liah parliament. addressed an audience
of thoroughly representative working
men. municipal reformer5 and political
economists here last night The address
was chiefly on the subject Of municipal
reform. in which Mr. Burns compared
the achievements of the people of Lon
don in taking possession of the municip-
al monopolies with the enslavement of
the people Of the cities of the United
States, who were owned by the monopo-
lies" Mr. Burns also criticised the nat
iOnai constitution, which, he said, was
the greatest Instrument ever conceived
or ever drafted, but which was made be-
fore the great Industrial era. and which
is therefore weak in failing to provide
more protection and assurance to the in
dustrial world
MT. Burns discussed the strike ques-
tion with considerable earnestness He
had been connected with about fifty
strikes, most of which had been sue
cessfuL To ventured To say that IN the
future the strikes would decrease in
frequency. but would increase in the
area that they covered. the number of
men concerned and in the bitterness
with which they would be fought.
Tia England over 100000 men had
stood the pangs Of starvation for sixteen
weeks because dozen or So of the
mining kings had said that their wages
should be reduced These strikes could
not continue in England and in America
without the grievances being forced
upon the attention Of the voters of the
country, who should say that the cause
must be removed
They would see that they had TO choose
whether Carnegie on the one side or .
Jay Gould On the other should dictate
Industrial depression and eventually
throw the country into a civil war or
whether they should throw down the
mOnopolies aud through municipal and
state legislation remove the evils which
made the strike necessary.
The speaker urged the workmen of
America 70 take municipal action, and
here there was room for better Organizl-
ton Omaha had the advantage Of many
other American cities in that its police
force was not connected with politics.
water works, electric lights. tramways
and other municipal necessities. The
contractor found happy hunting ground
in the CITY, and here was the same spoils
system which prevailed more generally
in America than in any other country in
the world
Mr. Burns said that while he was in
Denver he had seen an exhibition Of the
activity of the fire department He
asked one of the liremen how long they
had been in service, and he said that
most Of them had served since the last
election.
When hs asked them how long they
expected to continue ia the department,
he was assured that they would sell their
uniforms to their successors on the day
succeeding the next election. In talking
with an officer about the police depart
ment he had remarked that ie England
the policemen remained in the service
from twenty-five to rwenty-eight years
Governor" remarked the officer, IF we
stayed in twenty months here we should
consider ourselves entitled to a pen
sion"
TT the people were to respect the
police they must be removed from poll
tics. They must be able to give con
tinuous. faithful and incorruPtible ser
vice and they should be paid rood
salaries. Why should the chief of fire
department be compelled to discharge
competent and experienced hremen to
make room for superannuated buns
who based their claim for the position on
their success in stufhng the ballot box
and similar political prOstitution2 Ifthe
city expects TO prevent its officers from
being bought up by the criminal ele-
ments il should make il TO their interests
to be honest by keeping them in Office
as long al they were faithful to their con
tract with the city.
In England id has been found that
monoT stood a better chance Of being
thra. as the laboring men and
they us were determined that
joo 3u4y cease and that the man
who prostituted his Office to create Jobs
for his followers shall be condemned to
q villainOus obscurty. The working men
should concentrate their votes for men
who would work for a permanent civil
service and for keeping their municipal
affairs out 0f the mud Of petty politics.
.'I want 70 say aa frankly a. / can to
the American workmen," said Mr. Burns
that if organized labor does its duty at
the next election il viii say that politi-
cal partisanship shall not vaccinate their
municipal life with the corrupt virus of
jobbery and fraud Your sewers will be
built. your streets swept and your cities
beautihed, aud you viii have at your
back not only the trades unions, but
every respectable citizen who wants
municipal affairs administered by honest
men in the interests Of q decent and hon
est community.
MA was somewhat surprised at the ac-
lion of the convention when ID declared
against the unions taking a part il poll
Etca do not wish to try to dictate what
you should do, but I want to say that as
trades unions grow so does the necessity
ior and the lustidoation Of political ac-
tion.
''In England ,2OO svorkinRmen have
,aart "a Liquidation either as councillors OF