The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-03
J. D. PIERCE'S IDEA
On City Politics and the
Eight-hour
Law. -

To the Editor of The Spy: 1 see
that Judge Lothrop has decided that
he will not at this time issue a writ of
mandamus to compel the alderman of
our city to submit the eight hour ques-
ton to the people
1 also see that City Solicitor Rugg
appeared on behalf of the city with a
long list of points to substf tate his
claim that the aldermen were not
compelled to submit this question, and.
although he was allowed to go through
the. list, the judge, when rendering his
decision, brushed every argument he.
had advanced one side, and stated that
he would hold as one judge sitting
alone:
First-That the law was constitu-
tional.
Second-That the intent of the law
was plain, and that the duty undoubt-
eddy of the board of aldermen is to nut
that question on the ballot some time,
but as the law does not say that it
must be this year, the judge did not
feel as though the petition should be
granted and suggested that remedy
should be found in the legislature by
an amendment to the law.
The city solicitor, in his argument,
claimed that the men directly interest
ed were not included in the petition.
Quite true. And it is not to the credit
of those at the head of the various de-
partments that such is the case, as we
find that men holding positions on city
work justly feel that if it is known
that they are taking part in any affair
which has for it's object the lettering
of their conditions, that it means dis
charge. And if Mr.. Ruggg takes any
delight in such condition he is well
come to it.
Mr. Rugg also thought that the mat
ter of one of the petitioners being
candidate for alderman was of suff1-
cient Importance to place that fact be-
fore the judge with the further state
ment that if there is a strong sentiment
in favor of this question the voters can
elect said candidate to office.
l fail to see what bearing the above
fact has on the question at issue, but
as the city solicitor has raised it, 1
wish to state that the justice of the
eight-hour day does not rest on the
success or defeat of any candidate to
office, and that it makes no difference
as to whether the workingmen's can
didate is successful or not. The work
will continue until justice has been
done / have more faith in the intel-
Iigence of the American workman than
Mr.. Rugs apparently has, and 1 be-
lieVe the time has come when the wage
earners are beginning to ask them
selves this question.
What have l as a wage Garner ever
received from the old political parties
as
A RETURN FOR THE FRANCHISE
which I have for years freely given? 1
find they are beginning to realize they
have received nothing; that the direct
opposite is true; that every attempt
made by them to get some relief is met
with the most bitter opposition. And
it may dawn upon the minds of those
who are at present handling the affairs
of the old parties, perhaps sooner than
they expect, that the mere fact that a
man has been selected by them to rep
resent the people, is not sufficient rea-
son why the voters should continue to
put them in office.
We certainly can not get any repre-
| sentation from the old parties, and to
substantiate this statement, | would
ask all wage earners to look over the
list of candidates for aldermen which
| they have selected and then ask them
selves how many on that list have any
! sympathy for legislation in the inter
ests of the people.
When the eight-hour question first
| came up we never TOT an instant
| dreamed that it would meet with any
opposition, as we always felt that any
| question, we care not how vital it may
be. was safer in the hands of the peo-
| pie to decide than it was anywhere
| else, but the aldermen Immediately did
what they had no right to do-they
made a party issue of the matter and
| it was settled on those lines.
Alderman Kendall claimed in an in
| terview that the matter was thorough
ly considered before it was rejected.
while Alderman Brannon says the mat
ter was disposed of without any con-
sideration and we are inclined to be-
lieve Alderman Brannon is right.
We believed at that time that the
aldermen We're wrong in their position,
and since the decision rendered by
Judge Lothrop, we are more firmly