Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 August 1898 — LABOR LEGISLATION [ARTICLE]

LABOR LEGISLATION

Record of the State Democracy on Questions Effecting Workmen. Adopted by <he Democrats Prohibiting Contract Labor, Child Labor, Requiring Workmen to Be Paid Once a month. Prohibiting Railroads From Exacting Contributions From Employes For So-Called Insurance Societies, Abolishing Pluok-Me Stores and Protecting Union Labels. The Democratic state platform for 1898 upon which the campaign is to be fought until election day in November, prudently gives prominence to the labor issue, because many thousands of our fellow citizens wear the badges of organized labor, and are profoundly interested in legislation which relates directly or remotely to their welfare. The term '‘labor” as used in this connection refers to wageworkers known as such in labor organizations, working men employed in shops and factories, in mines and on railroads, to the army of toilers, who build everything that is built and repair everything that is repaired and who keep the wheels of progress in motion and who, as the years have advanced, have taken an ever increasing interest in legislation and have demanded, as it was their prerogative and daty to demand, legislation to emancipate them from embarrassment and thraldoms which aggregated wealth, in control of great industries, had imposed upon them. In defense of the proposition, that the Democratic party from the first, had been the friend of wageworkers, there is abundant testimony, and if a reason for this condition is sought, it is readily found in the fact that Democratic ascendancy has always been promoted by a larger per odntage of the votes of workingmen than any opposing party could secure. Men, working for a living, if they demanded legislation to protect their rights and interests, have looked to the Democratic party to respond to their requests, just as the rich, if they desired legislation to aid them in perfeotmg their schemes, have appealed to the Republican party for the required legislation and it is only necessary to appeal to the reoord to substantiate the affirmation. In this connection, it is worthy of remark that the labor legislation, provided by Democratic legislatures from 1888 to 1898 inclusive, is something more and better than class legislation specifically beneficial to workingmen. True it is permeated with humanity and with justice; true it sought to emancipate workingmen from the autocratic domineering of insolent and arrogant employers; trne it sought to compel rapacious employers to cease trampling upon the rights of employees and to let go their grasp upon the throats of their victims, to oeaee their intimidations, coeroioua, blacklistings and other nefarious practices, all of which, while ostensibly and, in fact, in the interest of labor, have in the philosophy of government, a broader significance, because it was of necessity aud in an inestimable measure in the interest of society at lamra.

It Is vicious to the last degree to talk of a government of, by and for the people when any of the people are subjected to debasing conditions to gratify the cupidity aiid ostentation of the employers of labor, and hence Democratic legislation in the interest of toilers, bears the stamp of the best statesmanship of the times. Contract Labor. There existed in Indiana the pernicious practice of importing into the state aliens and foreigners under contract to perforin various forms of labor. This practice aimed a deadly blow at the workingmen of the state by importing a vicious class of men who, caring nothing for the prerogatives of citizenship, were willing to accept meager wages and live like swine in such huts as their wages enabled them to secure, But in 1885, the Democratic legislature, in the interest of social security and good government, put an end to the contract labor system in Indiana, making the contract "utterly void and of no effect-,” and imposing a heavy penalty for violating the law. Child Labor. The Democratic legislature of 1885, in response to the demands of humanity and the future well being of society, a subject which broadens by contemplation, enacted a law relating to the employment of child labor. In Indiana it Ixxsnme notorious that children of tender years were being employed in Various industries, under the iufluenoe of which mind and body were subjected to the tortues of work, which forced upon them infirmities from which there was no escape in after life. To mitigate the evils of such employment, the Democratic law of 1885 was enacted, providing that in certain employments children under 18 years of age should not be employed, and in oases of oertain manufacturing enterprises where the employment of children was permitted it was made unlawful to permit a child under 13 years of age to work more than eight hours per day. This law was preeminently wise and was universally approved by all thoughtful citizens, because in some measure it emancipated children from tasks t hey were physically unable to perform; thereby increasing the number of infirm adults In aftor years. In 1893 the Democratic legislature amended the law. making 11 years instead of 13 the limit of age. Paying Workingmen Every Month. A shameful practice existed in Indiana prior to 1885 on the part of employers, of payMig employes when it was convenient for them to do so; the inoonvenienoe to employes having little or no might in the transaction. This practice bore heavily upon the great body of workingmen and imperatively demanded remedial legislation, and this was supplied by the Democratic legislature of 1885, the law in the case providing: That every company, corixjration or association now existing or hereafter organized and doing business in this state, shall. In the absence of written contract tothecontrary.be required to make full settlement with and full pavment in money to its employes, engaged in manual,or mechanical labor, for such work and labor done or performed by said employes Jur such company, corporation or association, at least once in every calendar month of the year. The violation of section of the lawentailed a penalty upon the employer of •1 a day for each day the wages were withheld. Besides the law provides that the debt shall be a preferred claim, the wages duo the employe to be first paid in full when the property of an employer has gone into the hands of a receiver. This law, though it required but a few WwAs, solved a most important labor problem, enabling employes to know when they v ould he paid for their services, a certainty that gave them credit and enabled them to provide for current wants. And in the same line still another law was enacted by the Democratic legislature of 1885 to protect the workingmen In cases where the property of an employer Is

seized upon tor any process of court, the wages or employes to the amount of SSO in each case is made a preferred claim, first to be paid in full if assets are sufficient. or pro rata if there is a deficiency. In the foregoing it is seen ihut the Democratic legislature of 1885 was on the alert to throw around workingmen every possible protection that legislation could afford. Exacting Contributions. Railroad corporations, under cover of duplicities as shameless as ever provoked indignation, concocted a scheme for robbing their employes with a double purpose iu view. I* was a combination of Pharisaism and paternalism, designed primarily to destroy organizations of railroad men, by notifying them that the corporation had established for them a system of insurance and hospital protection to which they were expected to contribute, and their hired henchmen always Intimating that their "job” might depend upon their willingness to be robbed, aud growing bold as they gathered iu their victims they proceeded to confioate a cer tain amount of the wages of their employes to carry forward their scheme. Ties was a species of piracy which aroused widespread Indignation in the ranks of railroad employes, who appealed to a Democratic legislature of Indiana to emancipate them from such slavish environments. and tiie Democratic legislature of 1886 resj>ondod to the request of railroad employes by enacting: “That it shall be unlawful for any railroad company or corporation operating railroads in Indiana to exact from its employes, without obtaining written oonsent thereto in each and every instance, any portion of their wages for the maintenance of any hospital, reading room, library, gvmnasium or restaurant.” And the law imposed a penalty from SIOO to ssoo fer its violation. This law had the desired effect in arresting the rapacity of railroad corporations to some extent, but it eould not keep railroad corporations from subjecting such of their employes as resisted their machinations from suffering the penalty of discharge from employment, but it did have the effect of making the corporations a little more cautious In practicing their intimidations. Liana. The Democratic legislature of 1888 gave mechanics and all persons performing labor for erooting, altering, repairing or removing buildings, bridges, etc., a lien on such building for the pavment of wagos due them, and In 1885 the Democratic legislature amended the law of 1883 so as to Include workingmen who had performed labor in the construction of railroads within the state. The law was demanded to protect workingmen who in various ways were being defrauded by means which the ordinary process failed to remedy, but the lion law's enacted by Democratic legislatures In 1883, ’BS and ’B7 afforded ample and certain protection, as in all such labor laws the supreme purpose was to exempt workingmen from the numerous schemes of designing employers to cheat them out of their hard earned dollars, and the Influence of the law has been wholesome and has met requirements. Payment of Wages and Fluck-Me Store. Indiana had a number of citizens controling large Industries and employing' a large number of men who paid wages in checks payable in goods at the stores owned and operated by the corporation, firm or individual carrying on the industry. As a result the employe, having not‘dug but his wages to feed and clothe bis family, was compelled to deal at the ••pluck-me" store, where any prioe for goods was charged .that the rapacity of the employer demanded, and there was absolutely uo escape for the victims of this mercenary plundering, which hod proceeded for years unmolested aud hud enriched the employer and reduced workingmen to extreme depths of poverty and want. The Democratic legislature of 1887 designed to put a stop to this piratical practice by enacting that employes should be paid ax icuuif. nni» a ruant,h in the "lawful

mouey of the’United States.” This law was balled with general acclamations of approval. but to still further protect workingmen, the law prohibited greedy employers, who run tne "pluck-me stores” from charging their employes more for “merchandise or supplies” than such goods were sold to others for cash, and this law with the severe penalty imposed for Its violation, has proved effective and workingmen have been permitted to receive cash for their labor instead of "pluck-me-store” checks. Nor was this all the Democratic legiature accomplished for workingmen for the purpose of relieving them from the schemes of employers, concocted to filch a large per cent of their wages. Prohibited from paying them in "pluck me store” cheeks, they resorted to various coersive tricks, by which they sought to compel their employes to buy goods at their stores. This scheme was strictly iu keeping with the "pluck-me store” infamy, but the Democratic legislature of 1880 enacted a law which grasped the outrage and squelched it by enacting that It shall be unlawful for any owner, manager, superintendent, operator, bank boas, agent or employer, employed in any of the occupations described in faction l et this hill to hold out any tokens or inducements, or make any threats or promises of reward, or iu any other way, by words or acts, to coerce any of their employees to buy any article of merchandise. food, groceries or supplies of eng particular person, corporation, association, firm or company, or at any particular places shop or store in misstate. It is seen at onoe that the provisions of this law, with the anti-pluck-me store law, emancipated workingmon from the degrading and piratical domination of rapacious employers, and the penalty Imposed by the law gave assurance of liberty of action on the port of employes that previously had been denied them. The Union Label Organized labor, iu recent years, beau me impressed that goods manufactured by union workingmen should be known, by a label, wrapper, mark, name, brand, stamp or device or some kind which should be used for their protection, and this label or other device should be legalized by statute. It requires little effort to comprehend the great advantages such a label or other device would secure to organized labor, since a moment’s reflection brings Into view a vast army of consumers wearing the badge of union labor, who, when it la practicable, purchases suoh goods only aa bears the union label or other device, a fact well calculated to attract the attention of manufacturers, because of the larger sale of their wares. But the label or other device to have the doslred effect required legislation, aud this protection was g(ven to union workingmen ami women by the Democratic legislature of Indiana of 1803, the law providing: That the label, wrapper, mark, name, brand, stamp or device need or intended to be used by any union or association of workingmen or women, or of both, may be registered and receive protection. And the law further provides: “Every unlawful use” of the label or othar deviced name, “waieh Is substantially thn same as one so registered or so nearly resembling the same as may be calculated to deceives may be enjoined in any court of competent Jurisdiction and damages recovered therefor.* And the law provides severe penalties for violating any of its provisions, such a* counterfeiting the label or other device that has been registered, or by placing such forged label or other goods and offering the same for sal^ This law passed in 1893, by » Democratlo legislature, was ltrresitonse to ther ear neat request of union workingmen who vm earnestly seeking to promote the general welfare of labor In the state. W hatever else may be said of the Democratic party, the fact stands forth, in lira boldest relief that at all times and on all occasions, it has been the earnest and unfaltering friend of the wageworkers at Indiana am has responded with alaerttqr to promote their welfare by prudent on* just legislation.

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