The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-05-14
THANKS TO THE DEMOCRATS.

Last fall when the republicans Of
the state met in convention and de-
clared themselves in favor of a law
reducing the hours of labor of all
| classes engaged in manual toll the
democrats promptly denounced the
declaration as a republican trick"
and accused the party of insincerity.
The democrats, carried away by the
desire to win, appealed to the labor
ing element which they believe domi-
mated the ranks of the working men
of the state and which they believed
to be in the majority, the miners and
the men employed in the kindred &C.
equations of reducing ores, and prom
ised, if successful, the enactment of
class legislation They were success.
full and enacted the promised law, Civ
ing to men working underground and
those employed in smelters and quartz
mills a day of eight hou16. They had
won on the bid made by them and ig-
more. all others who are compelled to
toll at hard and laborious work The
results are beginning to manifest
themselves in the many strikes and
the enforced idleness of thousands, it
may be said, Of men al over the state.
Not only are the men who are directly
occupied as miners and smeltermen
| hnJHipo ont for tho rnd11an1 dow huf
o,ners employed in different capaci.
ties in those Industries demand that
the law shall be made to apply to
them. Their demands are refused and
they go on strike. Not only are the
strikers thrown out of employment,
but many others who have nc griev-
ance and are willing to work under
the old conditions are forced to into
idleness because of the action of the
strikers. At Great Falls, where a
Smelling company was engaged in the
| eight men demanded the benefit of the
eight hour law and because it was re-
fused, a refusal based on the exemp.
ton from the effects and force Of the
law which they sought to have applied
to their case, all work has been sus-
pended and several hundred other
men are thrown out of employment.
Pandering to the metal miners and
ignoring all other classes of under
ground workers, the legislature en-
acted a species of special legislation
for the benefit of the large class at
Butte and without regard or thought
of others made a law apply to all min
ers. The coal miner, who as a rule,
does not work by the day, but by the
ton, was included in the list of those
who were governed by the law and as
a result many of them are out of work
worked could not adjust their business
to the new conditions. as they could
not see the aso or sense in paying
the top men, who are not covered by
the law, for, ten hours work when in
reality there was no necessity for
their services for more than eight
hours, as they have nothing to do when
the men underground cease work.
Many of the latter are anxious to work
the old time, but the law forbids it.
1t has all along been contended that
the law is unconstitutional because it
is class legislation and it is only a
matter of time until some n will
take it into court and have the ques-
ton of it's validity passed upon '
Under the republican promise of a
general law reducing the hours of la
Dor none of the present difficulties
would be presented, and instead of
many idle men, all would be employed
who are really DESTROYS of working.
But comment is unnecessary. 1t is
only an Illustration of the difference
between republican methods and dem.
ocratic methods.
In view of his admission in a re-
oopr iptorv;ouy thof ho novor roadc