Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-10-02
The Best Friend of Labor.

1t was not to be expected that the
intelligent labor vote could be deliv-
cred to Bryan, as one or two of the
prominent union leaders seemed to
think they had the power to do. The
promised stampede has not material
lied, and the aforesaid leaders are
realizing that they cannot deliver the
goods. If the laboring men of the
country were without intelligence or
memories or foresight the vote could
no doubt be delivered as promised, but
they have simply to compare the
records of the two parties to know that
the Republican party for half a CEN
fury has demonstrated it's friendliness
for labor by actual tangible and eff
fective legislation, not by empty cam
paign promises such as the Democracy
uses.
The Republican party, as Mr.. Taft
and President Roosevelt have said,
places it's deeds against both the
promises and the deeds of the Demo-
cratic party. The first eight hour law
books was put there forty years ago
by a Republican COngress-in 1868.
General Grant signed the bill. Fer 20
years this law applied to the vast ma
iority of persons controlled by federal
legislation, and in 1883 Republican
Congress extended it to letter carriers.
Four years later another Republican
Congress and another Republican
president caused the eight-hour law to
| extend to contractors on public works.
Yet this is the enemy of the working
man. the party which a prominent
labor Header" now says definitely
lines up with the corporate interests of
the country" and ''oppresses" the toll
| ing masses.
The Republican congresses of 1901
and 1903 first made effective the con-
| tract labor law, prohibiting the inn
portation of foreign laborers The
| only votes against the abolition of the
| federal convict contract system We're
| cast by Democrats. The Republican
party created the bureau of labor, and
| has elevated many prominent union
labor officials to places of trust and
| honor. During the present administra-
ton the Republican party has created
| the department of commerce and labor
| and the bureau of corporations; has
| passed the pure food law, the en-
ployers' liability law, the safety APP
plance law, the act limiting the work.
ing hours of railway employees, the
meat inspection law, the law making
| the government responsible for in
| iurieS to its employees and the act for
bidding child labor in the District of
| Columbia.
But while the general government
has done all this through acts of Con-
gress, the Republican party in the
various states has shown itself the
consistent friend of labor The Kansas
| City Journal presents a table showing
| what the states have done in the way
of labor legislation. 1t shows that
there are SO state labor bureaus, and
only seven of them are in Democratic
states; 2G out of 80 Republican states
have such bureaus, while only seven
| out of 1G Democratic states have them.
In the matter of factory inspection, 2;
Of the 30 Republican states have such
laws and only six out of the 16 Demo-
cratic states safeguard the working
man by such legislation. There are
- states in which laws against child
labor have been enacted, and of these
% are Republican and only four Demo-
| cratic. IT may be truthfuliy SAID
that the grosseSt abuses of the system
are to be found in Democratic states.
There are q states which limit the
hours of labor for women. and of these
Il are Republican and six Democratic.
In II states there are anti-sweatshop
laws; and of these states 10 are Re
publican and only two Democratic.
| In II states laws have been en-
acted prohibiting the discharge of em
ployes on account of membership in
labor unions. OF these II states
10 are Republican and only one Demo
cratic Only one state out of the II
rcck-ribbed Democratic common
wealths. where the Democratic friend
ship for labor should have the fullest
EXPIRE ssion. has passed law prohibit t.
ing the Sonlless corporations. which
hate the nottingham SO bitterly and
! which the Democrats hate SO loudly
from dscharging men because they
belong to labor unions, while 10 Re
publican states have such laws.