The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1908-10-15
'UBOR LEGISLATION
gspubiieaa States Have Been Lib.
eral 10 Legislation for
Labor.
Democratic States Have Done Lite
70 Make Labor Conditions nottor
Within Their Dounds

fnr the benefit of American hh0r has
been tascn either hy q R~endblicen
Congress a,ed administration. or rs tho
Legislature OF n Republican State. OF
course with the consent, ana sometaars
hy the advice, OF the State executive
Democratic Congresses have been no.
tahly negligent IN this r~esircts ard
Democratic States have either done
nothine To make labor condidlus bet
ter within their bunnds or have slowly
ara |relucantly followed at . disaues
Ia the trail Of Republican reforms.
state Legislator.
The States have control oi labor ieg-
station wiaha taelr Respective bounds,
cdoIli authority ls.ius collled. 30 Jar
as labor is cogcerued. 20 tle District
Of Columbia a1d the territories. federal
res%crvati0us ANA federal pulaic works.
rhe story OF llbor legislation shows
that nearly all labor reforms originated
IN Rcpubhcan States. aud at the pres
cnt day the Republicans are Tar ahead
~ the Democrats On the enactment and
enforcement Of saws FOR the welfare
Of men ANA women AMI chlilreu who
work for a living Twenty six out OK
thirty Republican States have labor
bureaus, and only seven "a of sixteen
Democratic States have similar hu-
ceins, without which labor laws are
1ften dead letters. T%wenty-three Re-
publican states have factory inspectors
10 see TO the enforcement Of the factory
laws. only six Democratic States have
factory inspection services Fifteen
States-thirtecn Republican and two
Democratic-have free employment
agencies. Eighteen States have laws
Oh their statute books prohibiting Labor
on government works or public on
tracts for more than eight hours a day.
Of these states sixteen are Republican
and two Democratic. Four Republican
states ard % Democratic State have
laws declaring eight hours he O le-al
working day Ia the absence 81 a eon-
tract. Twenty seven states prtieit
the employment Of children under { n.
teen years OF age IN factories, OF these
twenu-threc are Republican and four
are Democratic States. Laws limiting
the hours OF the employment " chill
drcn In factories or stores have been en-
acted in twcnty-four Republican and
thirteen Democratic states. Eighteen
Republican aud ten Democratic States
prohibit night work by children. Twelve
Republican and three Democratic
STATES prohibit the employment of chit
drcn In operating dangerous machinery
or cleaning machinery ia motion. Fif.
teen Republican aud six Democratic
States limit the hours Of labor OF wom-
en-. IL should be noted that twelve Of
the Republican States which limit
womcn's hours Of labor have factory
inspectors TO see that the law is obcyed.
while only three Of the Democratic
States make such provision. Ia twenty
three Republican aud ten Democratic
States employers are required 10y law
TO provide seats for female workers
Twelve States have enacted leglsla.
ton intended to effect the extinction Of
the sweatshon system. with us degrad.
ing aud revolving accessories OF these
twelve States ten are Republican and
two Democratic. Seventeen Republican
aud Eve Democratic States have laws
requiring the payment Of a weekly
or fortnightly. or IN some Instances,
prohibiting n longer period than one
month between pay days.
- n
Fourteen Republican states and only
one Democratic state-Neyada-hav
laws 30 force prohibiting employers
from discharglHZ persons on account OF
membership IA labor organization, or
from compelling persons % agree not
20 become members OF labor organiza-
lions as a condition OF securing employ.
ment or continuing IN their employ.
Forty States have passed laws allowing
trade unions 20 adopt labels or trade.
marks 90 be used TO designate products
OF the labor OF their members and pro-
hibiting the counterfeltlng Of the use
of such labels or trade marks hy un.
authorized persons. or these States
twenty-elght are Republican and twelve
are Democratic.
The foregoing presents FOR considers.
tion by Intelligent, patriotic labor sub
staHtial facts and figures tasoH lram
the statute books OF the several states.
No platitude can upset them They
prove The records Of the Republican
party and or the Democracy on the d.
hUr Issue, and they must convince ev-
ery reasonable reader that the Repuhil.
can party has not only brought Anerl-
can luboF M 10 rs present honoraBis
standard, but that labor can look only
20 The Republican party FOR assurance
Of protection aud prosperity "a the
future
would Restrain UnInvfuI TrusfH.
Air Bryan asks me what ! would DO
with the trusts. / answer that / would
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