The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-02
SATURDAY, MARCH ., 1901.
VICIOUS LEGISLATION.

The New York Court of Appeals mas
recently rendered an Interesting de-
cision. declaring unconstitutional the
provision of The l'revailin"-Ratc-ol-
Wages law which compels contractors
of city work 10 pay their men certain
wages. The court pertincntly asks II
The Legislature has power to deprive
cities and their contractors oil inc
right TO agree with their Worklncn
llpon rates Of compensation, WHY mas
i'll not the same power with respect 10
all private persons and all private
corporations: The power TO deprive
masicr and servant Of lac right TO
agree upon the rate of wages ,Ehlch
the litter WAS TO receive. the court
GOES OH. lis one of the things Which
can be regarded as implicitly prohib-
itcd by the fundamental law upon
consideration of its whole scope and
purpose as we'll as the restrictions ana
guarantees expressed. If the city IS
not permitted 10 enter into fair con-
tracts with its employees for their ser
vices on such terms as private lndl-
NidualS or private corporations may, II
is disabled from performing the duties
cnioined upon II by law and from
obcyin- the restrictions Of the Con-
Stitution.
This is 4 timely dcliverance and
cannot be loo strongly emphasized. \
municipal corporation is largely Il bus
incss corporation, and its affairs should
be carried on by the wcll-establislled
rules Of business. The proposition
that the Legislature Of the State may
fix The rate Of wages TO be paid by
amy municipal corporation for work
done is vicious and not TO &c tolerated
by 4 free people. As The court well
says. il the Legislature may fix the
rate 10 be paid by municipal corpora
lions it may also regulate the wages
10 be paid by railroad corporations and
all other corporations which are char
1ered by that body.
This shows the absurditg and the
danger of The popuiistic Sdea. \ con-
gresham from Kansas recently intro
duccd 4 bill i'll The Legislature, which
WAS outlined several days ago III these
columns, providing that there should
f,e forty-liyc members of the present
Cabinet, and that each member should
carry on extensive operations on the
Governments account and give en-
ploymcnt TO all men who should
apply for Work at the rate of four
dollars per day. and fixing three hours.
as we recall, as tic full extent of a
days work.
The Populist idea is that the Gov
eminent is all-powerful and that it
can make laws of trade 20 suit. The
Populist does not recognize the fact
that there are natural laws of trade
which can no more be changed ,han
can the physical laws. The Populist
only get control of the business affairs
OF the country, it could print all the
money that the people needed. with
out having any standard of value or
any basis OF value; that il could car
ry on all sorts of industrial opera tons
regardless of trade conditions, fix
prices of products of the farm and
products of the mill, regulate wages
and make the whole country rich and
prosperous by legislative enactment.
The Populist has been dreaming these
dreams for years past and he will
never be satisfied until the experiment
IS made.
But Democrats contend that the bus
mess Of the Government is TO protect
the liberty and property rights of the
people, interfering as littles as pos
sible with the affairs Of citizens. but
giving 10 all men the same right and
the same opportunity, SO far as in the
power of The Government lies, to bny.
and sell and get gain. The country
will be more generally prosperous
when the Democratic idea prevails.