The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-05-09
" Great" Denomination OF the Working
Glasses.

Claseebs
For some days past, two or three of the papers
have been announcing that a great demonstration
of the working classes of this city and neighbor-
hood would take place yesterday, to evince their
joy at the great blow which the State prison mono
poly had recently received, by the passage of an
act by the Legislature, by which the competition
with regular employers Is much more restricted
than ii has hitherto been, and, in consequence, the
fair and honest laborer is not brought into compe-
titon with, and not unfrequenty driven out of the
market by, the convicted thieves and rogues of the
land. But whether the object gained was not so
extensive or valuable as the working classes most
interested desired, or whether it was from the
the people, to waste their time and money in such
useless dspays-and it is to be hoped the latter is
the case-we cannot undertake TO say but, what
ever cause arose FROM the attendance on this Oc.
cason was very limited indeed, compared with the
number Of the working classes in this vicinity
Shortly after II o'clock, there were assembled, in
St. Johns Park, about seven hundred and fifty
persons, including boys, of which there was a con-
siderable number, members Of the Journeymen
Stone Cutters, Marble, Granite, and Brown Stone
Masons Sociotles, accompanied by banfs OF music,
flags, banners, Nc, many OF the parties bedizened
with light blue sashes, small white silk aprons,
bound with blue and green, and rosettes innumer,
able, though there is little doubt but these things
would have looked much better, and have been
rendered more valuable, II made INTO bonnets,
handkerchieis cap strings for their wives sisters
and daughters. About o'clock, the foregoing were
joined by about fifty members of the Hatters' Socie
y followed short time afterwards by about 300
Of the operative masons. each OF the latter parties
accompanied by bands OF music. A delay OF some
nalf hour further then took place. TO the evident
satisfaction of the beer houses and liquor stores
around,. for the, dust and sun united appeared to
have dried up the palates OF many OF those as
sembled. Notwithstanding the riding here and
there, backwards and forwards Of the three mar
shaGs, who, no doubt, thought themselves "smart
chaps" in their cooked hats, sashes and belts, and
mounted on their gray chargers, no other parties
Joined in the would-be demonsti aton and the pro-
cession began TO move in the following ORDER pre-
coded by one or two vehicles, IN which We're seat
ed some or employers in the different branches
of trade, and a 'star spangled banner" the lead
ing band striking up "Why are you wandering
here, | pray,"-the journeymen stone cutters,
marble masonS chimney-piece hands, granite
and brown stone and operative masons, and
terminating with the matters. They proceeded
in this order along Hudson street, across Abingdon
square, along Fourteenth street to the end of Broad
way where a new church is being erected, which
as the procession passed each band played the dead
march, in consequence of the material of which
the church is built being furnished from Sing Sing
They then proceeded along Broadway to the Park
where salvo of artillery announced their arrival
After a short delay, each Society adjourned to its
hub room, no doubt each party quite fatigued as
II they had been at work all day, and with much
less in their pockets, and at the weeks end to find
themselves minus the amount of days labor with
out any ostensibe equivalent. Thus ended this sc
much talked of great demonstration of the work.
ing classes. AT period did the parties assembled
muster 1000, including musicians There were nc
Carpenters, Cabinet Makers, Brcklayers, Tsilors
Shoemakers, &C., yet they were quite much in
terested in the movement as those who did assem-
BILE this occasion. IL Is TO be hoped they posses
sed more sense.