The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-10-02
1902 it has risen to $2,55S, no, 769.

1902 it has risen to $2,55S, nc, 769.
/ will not weary you with statistics,
these two items are of such remark
able and satisfactory character that
trust you will remember them. The
results of this increased circulation
and of this satisfactory balance of
trade may be seen on every hand. The
farmer feels it, the working man
knows it, the merchants see it in the
return Of their daily or monthly bust
ness. l appeal this year not alone to
your reason but to your memory, and
ask whether you wish to return to the
conditions of 1898 to 1896? ~
Labor in Politics.
The attempt is being made in this
congressional district to carry the la
Dor unions into politics, and not only
to divert them from their prudent and
useful purposes but to unite them to
the democratic party upon the Kansas
City and Chicago platforms of 1896
and 1900, which platforms were en-
dorsed in the convention that nomi-
mated my opponent. 1t is true that
the state democratic platform excludes
the national declaration in favor OF
free coinage of silver and the other
radical utterances expressed in those
remarkable documents. | do not be-
lieve the time has come when a labor
leader can carry his union into any
political party at his own will, and
especially do | believe that he will be
unable to make the labor organizations
side shows to the free trade party.
My opponent is an enthusiastic gentle
man who believes that very much can
be accomplished in very short time,
even in sleep, but should he be elected
to congress he will find that he must
cooperate with the democratic party,
he will find that he SHAH have embar-
raised every labor union in the United
States by the assumption that his cleo
ton would amalgamate the unions with
the democratic party Every state in
the Union has some labor laws. The
democratic states of the South have
given labor less recognition in their
statutes than any, other state; labor
having formerly been regarded as a
chatteI in those states it takes much
time for them to recognize the dignity
of labor and it's right to adequate pro-
tective laws. The labor men of this
country know full well that the repub-
lican states of the North have enacted
wholesome and necessary laws along
the various lines desired by the organ
izations which represent labor. They
know that by non-partisan action, keep
ing theirunions out of politics they have
been enabled to ask for legislation in
Iowa of the republicans and in Mis-
souri, of the democrats, without any
giving allegiance. of their organization
to either of these parties.
They know that the congress of the
United States has enacted laws in the
interest of the laboring people of the
country, The miners of the whole
country know full well that ] have per-
sonally prepared and secured the en-
actment of laws for their protection
in the territories of the United States,
the only part of our country where
congress has the authority to regulate
and control the operations of mines;
for under our system of state govern
ments such matters of necessity must
be cared for in the states by local leg
islation. Pennsylvania has legislated
for her miners, Iowa has done the
same for the miners in this state; con-
gress has legislated for the miners of
the territories, and, whatever the re-
suit may be of this election, it will al
ways be gratifying for me to known
that the bills for that purpose We're
drafted by me. There is only one
party of labor in the United States
of America, and that is the party that
was formed nearly fifty years ago to
make all labor free in this country.
That party has been in favor OF the pro
lection of American industry, in order
that good wages may be paid to our
working people; that party has been
in favor of the gold standard and good
money, in order that those wages
might be paid in the best coinage of
the world or its equivalent, In 1896
we we're told that the way to give en-
ployment to the working man was to
cut his dollar in two. That the way
to bring prosperity to the country was
to dilute the medium Of exchange.
We were also told that tariff shorn
of all protective features was best for
the farmer and laborer We were told
that prosperity could never again re-
turn to this country until we had de-
based on rcurrency and opened our
markets freely to goods made by the
cheap labor of foreign lands. 1t does
not seem to me in the light of history,
and Of our own, personal experience,
that the two policies of the great par
ties placed in sharp contrast by the
actual test of recent trial need be dis.
cussed further than to point out what