The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-25
WHICH Is FRIEND OF LABOR.

The following is an extract from an
editorial in the Sentinel addressed ITO
Organized Labor"
Suppose, for example, that Mr.. Henry
should be elected to Congress from this dis
trict, which Is peculiarly the labor district
OF Indiana. and organized labor should ask
needed I Iohsr isw" w 70 at ,hev ~ nor snsweE'
will do what we like You fellows
elected Henry 10 Congress. You will vote
for people that fight you just as soon as
for people that help YOU"
One hardly knows whether 10 Won
der most at the gall which affects to
contrast the labor records Of Messrs.
Henry and Bynum 10 the credit of the
latter, or at the stupidity which i'm
AGNES that intelligent workingmen can
be fooled by that kind Of talk.
In these practical days men are
judged by acts, not by words. Plat
forms and stump speeches do not go
for much against a mans acts and
votes. Judged by this ~andar what
has Mr.. Bynum ever done for working
men or the cause of labor? Mr.. Henry
has assisted in locating many industries
in his city and in giving employment to
a great many w~orkingmen. has
Mr.. Bynum done? For years past ne
has been protesting friendship for the
cause of labor and of workingmen, but
what has he done? Nothing. He has
never built a house. barn or fence: he
has never given a days employment to
skilled labor; he has never assisted in
the location of a factory; he has never
been the means of procuring a job for
any man who needed one. unless it may
be an Office for some political bench
man; he has never attended any meet
ing liz favor of public improvements or
private enterprise; he has never signed
a guaranty fund or contributed to a
bonus to encourage the establishment
of a new industry; in short, he has
never been the means of putting a
stroke of work in the hands or a cent
In the pocket of any workingman.
Worse than this. for years past he has
been a rampant advocate of a policy
which has thrown thousands of work.
ingmen out of employment and brought
a reduction of wages to thousands of
others. When a committee of working
men of this district wrote him a re-
spectful letter urging him to oppose the
repeal of protection he replied insult
ingly that he would do nothing of the
kind. and intimated that they were ig-
norant or paid tools of their employers.
What organized labor wants now is
employment. 1t wants a chance to
work. That is its first need. When a
man is starving he does not yearn after
an illustrated newspaper or a new neck
tie. He wants something to eat. Or
ganized labor wants to see factory
chimneys smoking and factory wheels
turning as they were three years ago.
1t wants an end of the policy hat has
Frustrated business and deprived SO
many thousand w~orkingmen of an OPP
p~ortunity to earn wages. If Mr. Henry
should be elected to Congress from this
district, which, as the Sentinel rightly
says lis peculiarly the labor district of
Indiana" he will go there as a repre-
sentative of the policy of protection to
American industries. and when organ.
lied labor urges him to favor it's inter
ests he will be in a position to ask and
obtain the cooperation of his political
friends in that behalf. That is some
thing as far beyond the power Of Mr.
Bynum to do "a it is beyond his dis
position.