The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-09-21

nothing to complain OF IN their treatment
by the Democratic party, and they do not
complain In Tennessee all demands and
grievances have been received BY the party
in power and all legislation looking TO the
amelioration of labor, and to the better
ment of its condition has been enacted by
the Democratic party.
The factory and mining inspection laws,
the street car vestibule law, the law for
bidding the employment of child labor, the
law forbidding employers from issuing
scrip to pay employees which would only be
good at the commissary stores and had no
circulating value, are all the result of wise
Democratic legislation.
In addition, the Democratic party has
established department of labor, and in
other ways has shown its sympathy with
the organized wage-earners of the State
These will not be deceived by the glow
ing promises in the Republican platform,
when the value of its sincerity is measured
by the practices of the candidate it has
named.
Let the laboring men remember when
Mr. Evans attempts to cajole and fiatter
them that as superintendent and general
manager of the Roam Iron Company, at
lockwood, Tenn, of which he was also
stakeholder, that he issued scrip good only
at the companys store for merchandise,
thereby forcing his employees to receive the
wages of their toll, not in circulating me-
dunn, which would pass current every
where, but in scrip which they were bound
to use in trade at the company's store, and
which was of no value unless they did.
The laboring men and the people of Ten
nessee can now catch a glimpse of the bust
ness qualifications of Mr.. Evans, which
he and his followers SO loudly proclaim.
They can also form an opinion between
the attitude of the two parties toward the
interests of labor when the Republican
party puts forward Mr. Evans as its can
didate for Governor, and the Democratic
party, at the request of labor, put on the
statute books law declaring It crime to
issue scrip.
rtsF vFMPEaA NICE RuEsTloNs
The Democrats convention met in Nash
vile on May 40, 1906, and adopted plat
form Of principle, the temperance plank Of
which is as follows:
1--WE expressly indorse the Adams law
and Uther temperance legislation now on
the statute books of the State, as having de-
creased drunkenness, vice and crime, and
oppose any change, alteration or repeal of
same We favor an extension of these
laws to those portions of the State not now
embraced in their operation, provided such
extension is with the consent of the people |
to be affected thereby, believing that the
people of any locality have the right to
determine this question for themselves"
This declaration indorses the Adams law,
and guarantees there will be no attempt +
to change or repeal it, and leaves the fur
ther extension Of the law to the people
Of the communities to be affected by such
extension. The Republican platform also
indorses the Adams law, but ignores alto
gether the principle of local self-goyern-
ment, and the right of the people to ex-
press their wishes, and proposes to arbi-
trarily extend the law to the whole State
The Democratic pledge is the solemn TN
of dominant party which has
had the responsibility in the past and will
assume the duty in the future of wise and
permanent Legislation. The other is the
cheap and insincere bid of a minority party,
made to deceive the unWary and lnthink-
ng, which has not had and will not have
he responsibility of legislation on this or
my other subject For no matter who
hall be elected Governor of Tennessee, the
Democratic party will control both
branches of the General Assembly
AS matter of right and principle, with ,
,ut now taking into account the history
# the two parties in Tennessee on this +,
ubject, the Democratic platform is pref
rable from every viewpoint. :
The difference between arbitrary extern :
ion and extension based upon the will of
he people, must appeal to every Democrat :
nd far-minded man in the State, who will !
top to consider that no law on this sub
ect can be successfully enforced unless it
as an honest public sentiment behind it to I
ustain it.
| believe the enunciation in the Demo Y
ratio platform is not only right in princi- :
lie, but is the only method upon which :
onest, practical legislation on this subject
in be accomplished If the wisdom and ?
experience of the past and the example Of /
lie present are valuable, they teach the a
sson that compulsory prohibition is s.
failure and that prohibition Il
ased on the will of the people has re- i
ilted in incalculable good. No Democrat o.
IN escape the obligation of the principle
| self-government and no one save the ii
ovice or the extremist will pretend that II
lch a law can be enforced against public IL
ntiment. m
To extend the four-mile law to all the &C
ties of Tennessee, without regard to the d;
a,,rc -. mill nf the raanne &c declared hv II