The morning times., 1895-07-22
LABOR RAISED TO THE TOP
Not Abused Now by District News
papers to Please Corporations
FearIes a nd Fair Policy OF The Times
Has Brought ABOUT Change
Which Benefits the Public.
From the District Labor Advocate.)

CFrom the District Labor Advocated
Whatever may have been its faults, The
Times has at least accomplished one good
result, for which labor organizations ana
working people generally should be thankful
Until recently the newspapers OF Washing
ton were openly hostile TO organized lapor
Their editorial criticisms, paragraphs and
comments on strikes and other labor troubles
were intensely aggravating III face or the
fact that almost invariably working people
attempting to obtain redress for wrongs
Inflicted by corporate Influence. And were
some OF these criticisms published in com
parison with the gush now found In their
papers OF fleece covered wolves attempting
to pass themselves off for meek little lambs,
The cause for this sudden change of heart
is the success of The Times. Heretofore
Washington newspapers have believed 1t
necessary to truckle and fawn TO corpor-
atious In order TO find favor with them
they have abused working people, accused
them of ignorance and denounced organized
labor as a menace TO society. Instead OF
boldly defending the oppressed and fear
lessly ATTACKING the abuses that injure
working people they eitheropcDly advocated
the cause of employers or sneeringly alluded
to labor organizations.
But The Times has shown them something
new in journalism. From the first number
1T has been a friend to labor. In circulation
and influence it has achieved wonderful
success, aud to prevent further loss OF
prestige its local contemporaries are en-
deaYorng to whitewash their regulations
with compliments to working people.
In ma KING tins statement The I!mrs wants
it distinctly understood that the credit for
this change OF sentiment properly belongs
to its thousands of readers. In supporting a
newspaper that dared defend wage-earners
they have uncOnSClousiy compelled It's con
tempOraries 10 adopt the same policy. IL
is a victory Tor which the public should be
grateful, for when the press takes up the
cause OF labor there will be less contention
between employer and employed.
Organized labor perhaps can afford TO
blot out the past records OF newspapers,
If by so doing ii can be guaranteed that
such sudden conversion To the cause OF
labor is more than skin deep. But it's hard
to forget the incaiculable injury that has
been caused by their misleading publica-
tions.
To be more plain; at the time of the
boom OF the real estate spectators IN this
city, when ii was more to the profit OF the
newspapers TO cater TO unsCrupulous deal
ers thanto honest labor, ,columnsandcolumns
of rot were published to the world, al
Ieging that money was lying idle and that
building interests were retarded OWING tC
/ the scarcity of skilled mechanics in th'
I building trades These misleading and
/ false statements had the desired effect
/ for TINS city soon became flooded by me
/ Chanics and iacklegs from the four corners
4 of the ga rth lured here by those publications
The result was that workmen were com
PEELED 10 starye or take what wages un
I sCrupulous contractors and real estate spec
ulators chose to give. Still the publica
/ TONS contin Ged aud still the procession oi
: all classes Of mechanics, with their hatChets
/ buck-SawS. broa ad-aXes and dra W knives
/ continued in an unbroken line into the city
/ All this was working irreparable injur,
! TO bona fiue citizens and the laDOr orgauI
I cations.
The building trades, becoming alarme
at the situation. entered a protest agains
| the publication, and bcsought that the
cease. but without avail. Request wa
/ made to allow the organizations opportuniT
| to present a fair statement OF facts, but thi
was refused, and il was only after Te
peated appeals that the organizations Wer
allowed to publish partial statement b
paying advertising rates, for which the
| still hold receipts.
but tIie INJURY udu Dcth uoLc anu tlC vi
1 ganiZat ions have never fully recovere'
from the effects of the injustice.
No washington Times was then in III
field to champion the cause of justice, an
the organizations had to stand and endure
But how things have changed. The bO
tom has fallen out Of the real estate boon
no more money is to be got out of III
sharks by the boomers.
However, the results OF their work r
main and hundreds OF men willing {
work at any price are walking the street
Still we are told that these same papers, r,
spOnsible for this state of affairs, hay
always had the interests Of the workin:
man at heart Some few may be hooC
winked by this statement, but the lars
majority viii be very wary IN kissing ii
hands By which they were smitten.
The above is but one instance of hu
dreds that can be related of injustice e:
perienced in the past.