Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 July 1888 — HARRISON AND THE WORKINGMEN. [ARTICLE]

HARRISON AND THE WORKINGMEN.

Why They Oppose Him—The Position of the Union Labor Party. The K. of L. throughout the country threaten to make a bitter fight against Gen. Harrison. His record on the eight-hour question, wherein he opposed in the senate the bill to refund to the government employes the pay due them, i 3 a point which the labor organizations will put forward for the purpose of antagonizing him. The facts of that struggle are as follows: The law governing the hours of government employes limit a day’s labor to eight hours. During a period of the Grant administration it was found necessary to keep them at work forten hours, hut no provision had been made to pay them for the extra time. During President Arthur’s administration a bill was presented to congress to pay the amount due them. This was backed up by petitions innumerable, and was passed by the lower house almost unanimously. In the senate, however, Gen. Harrison was one of its strongest opponents, and the bill was thrown out. For this, the knights of labor say they will have revenge. Said a republican knight of labor from Leavenworth, Kas.: “1 never voted any but the straight republican ticket in my life, but if Harrison is nominated I’ll work and vote against him. I think he is as great an enemy of organized labor as Jay Gould.”