The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1908-10-20
WHO VOTED NEwLANDs' NAME

Senator Green, of Cherry Greek
White Pine county, Nevada. at al
times one of the big Democratic lead
ers of eastern Nevada, and who has
represented his county in the state
senate more hal once, has taken TX
ceptions to the misstatements of the
Democratic campaign managers this
election in trying to make capital out
of Flanagan g vote in 1901 on the
Burke eight-hour bill.
In an interview at Ely last week Sen
ator Green stated, "that he voted
against the bill because it was defect
Their reason that it was not needed at
that time. The only mines of impor-
ance working then were on the Com
stock, and the eight hour rule was in
force there. The only other mines of
note working were those of Delamar,
m they were losing money, hence
Green did not think it good policy az
that time to pass an eight hour law.
At the time that bill was presented
to the legislature Tonopah had only re
Gently been discovered and had not
attracted wide attention, Goldfield had
not been found, Manhattan was un-
known, Bullfrog was peopled only with
horned toads, Fairview, Rhyolite, Won
der. Seven Troughs, Blair, Searchlight,
Rawhide. Yerington, Chafey, Gold
Circle, and the scores of other new
camps were untrod as yet by the pros
pector. At that time. as stated by
Senator Green, the only two important
mining camps in the state were the
Comstoek, where eight hours was the
prevailing scale, and Delamar. from
which no demand seems to nave come
in reference to such a law. The bill
was introduced without ever having
had previous discussion in the press or
being mentioned in any political plat
form. The Democratic committee in
charge of the bill reported against j.
with the recommendation that it
Nevada senate voted in accordance
with the recommendation of the com
mittee.
Did any Democratic paper in the
state snort forth fiery denuneiations
of that action? Did the labor unions
of the state denounce the vote at that
time! Was there anything said about
it then by anybody
Investigation shows that not a Demo
cratic paper in Nevada was enterpris-
ing enough to mention it more than rs
a news item, let alone consuming any
editorial ink about it. In point of fact
the eight-hour issue had not been ere
ated in this state and the bill was
presented two years too soon, before
the public mind, by agitation and dis
cussiona was ripe for it.
If the various labor unions of thu
state at that time had not become inte.
ested in the passage of an eight-hon'
law to the point of making a genera
demand for it's passage. it is not sur
prising that the Nevada senate, IRE
spective of party, would fail to Civ
the subject the great attention that it'
importance really deserved, and whicr
later on. when it was made a campaig
issue, it received. 1t is interesting t,
note that when the present eight-houl
law was passed several who had vote,
against the Burke bill voted for tn,
present act.
As Senator Flanagan was not a mem
Der of the Legislature which finall,
passed the present eight-hour act, diff
ferent in form and language from tn,
Burke bill, and which the succeedin,
committee on mines and mining of tn
senate reported favorably. what Elan.
gan would nave done had he then beel
present ear only be judged by the I'm
equivocal statement he made in hi
Ely letter, namely: That he is a firm
believer in the eight hour law govern
ing the employment of skilled labor
and that his record as an employc
be ars ineo%ntrovertible testimony .
such conviction.
Senator Newlands, unfortunately
has no labor record in Nevada. AS h
is interested in no enterprises With
the state employing either skilled o
unskilled labor, it might be fair T.
assume that he has a perfectly un
blemished labor record, but, let u
investigate the records of congress.
Newlands' Labor Record.
In the house of representatives i
September, 1894. one Newlands of NJ