The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1887. EMPLOYERS OF LABOR INSULTED.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2698, 12 September 1887, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1887. EMPLOYERS OF LABOR INSULTED.

Therb appeared in the columns of our local contemporary the other day e carefully warded article, whioh, while it said very little, hinted & great deal. The dart aimed by it was an Mnnoaent looking, harmless eort of Weapon, but its tip was poisoned. It of those apparently guileless productions which leave a nasty taste in th& mouth. However, we publish it in M and leave it to our readers to say whether it is not a groan insult to the employers of labor in this dis'i

We have be«n\»sked whether there is any .possibility of the sewtftß of the ballot-box being revealed. This questions been put tens by working men, who, in somei oases, •re undor the impression that they will' Jose their employment if it becomes known' the/ voted for a certain candidate. We need 1 hardly assure the electors generally that the ballot 1b inviolatethat their iu no possibility of cono'usively ascertaining how ■ any vote is recorded, and that if any man's vote is discovered, it will be due to hie own indiscretion. On the other hand it may be that there are employers of labor, and men in authority, so thoroughly unscrupulous and tyrannical as trot to hesitate about tampering with the political privileges of those beneath them. But we trust for the good name of this part of the Coloqy that there are no suoh miscreants in the Wairarapa distriot. The man who would try to unduly influence the voto of his servant, or would endoavor to cooroe him, or would mark him out for punishment or vengeance for exercising his ■rights asfoitiz.en in a free oountry is a political Legroe toijre shunned and despised, and unfit to associate with the honest, freeborn; colonials. We trust tho Wairarapa North and South contains no suoh men; we Bhall be pajned and shocked if we learn that any employer of labor is so degraded and shame-

less as to try to influence his hands or to' curtail their political freedom in the remotest degree. As far as regards the working men themselves their duty is a grave one seeing that their interests in the future depend on the way in whioh they exercise their votes. A serious crisis has occured in the affairs of the Colony, and they are culled upon to exercise , their judgment and their votos independently and regardful only of public consequences. From the employer -who would be so utterly base and heartless as to exercise his vengeance on thoso whose views are not in harmony with their own, they' have nothing whatever to fe'ir. - Labor andpollticamayjbe olosely associated,.but no employer, with & pin of .oommon sense will part with a good servant beoause ol poll-' tloal or religious differences. Every man' has i right to'enjoy his owii" opinion, arid when ho enters the polling booth, to give effect to it.. The ballot is absolutely secret, SO that personal risks there are none,- but even if thin were not the case no employer' deserving of the name would incur the'risk of unpopularity and Berious loss, that' would inevitably follow the slightest attempt at political persecution, ; ;, ;V

Our contemporary suggeats, but does not.'say opeiily that: there are men who; fejiiv to if it becomes knowiv.that they vote for a certain candidate; 'He truste there are no eaijitoyewof labor in the distriot who will unduly influence their liande, but if there are they are political Legree's, to b© shunned and despised. • Wo, may ask is there any reason to believe that there are employers, of labor .in this district who Have in the past or are likely in the future to unduly influence the votes of their hands. It will be noticed that the question is entirely one of" undue, influence." Every employer of labor haß a perfect right to exercise" a due influence" such as fair argument and discussion to convince his hands of the soundness of any political opinion which he may hold, and every hand has a similar right to convince his omployer, if lie can, on the expediency of the political view which he may happen to entertain. This is the free exercise of due influence, and It is a privilege which every member of every election committee is no doubt, at the present juncture, making the most of. The question therefore is one entirely of undue influence, and for the sake of the good name of the employers of labor in the Wairarapa it should be cleared up. We have had sixteen years experience of contested elections in the Wairarapa, and wo never yet heard of an undue influence being exercised by employers of labor towards their hands, and our opinion is that none exists or has existed. If any has come, under the notice of our contemporary, let him speak out and not cast a slur on the wholo of tho employers in the district. He may, perhaps, be willing to admit that he possesses ijo evidence that Will enable him to substantiate any case of undue influence.; .If so, what is the meaning or object of his article ? The impression it conveys is decidedly unfavorable to employers of labor. Have they deserved or have they not deeorved to be treated with suohsuspicious inuendoes ? If they have not ' deserved the slur cast upon them, the article is substantially a gross insult; to each and all of them, and the only apparent objeot ot it is to sow'discord between" master and man—to make hands regard-their employers with distrust and suspicion.. If this be the ease, the article is not only an insult to employers, but it is calculated to take the bread out of the mouth of the poor man. A very considerable number of Mr Hogg's adherents, or supposed supporters, depend upon wages, and to stir up mischief between the man who receives the wages and the man who pays them ,is an act of. wanton cruelty. We do not grudge Mr Hogg a single vote that he can gain fairly, but let him beware of stirring up enmity betweeu employers and hands in order to catch a few doubtful votes. Pie cannot with impunity insult employers of labor, and estrange from them the confidence and trust of their hands. Our contemporary has ventured on very dangerous ground. For the first time m a long colonial experience we learn that men are afraid to give an honest vote. We do not for one moment believe the slur cast on the men or the insult thrown at tho employers.