The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-01-18
The Meetings In the Park.

The Meetings In the Park.
Meetings have been held in the Park almost
daily for weeks; and SO far as observers can
Judge have been attended by nearly the same au-
dience. At first these meetings were peaceable
in their character and moderate in their tone.
Projects of social and economical reform were
mooted, none of which had any claim to grave
consideration. Here and there some foolish
protectionst advised an alteration Of the tariff;
or some stupid mob orator came out with an
absurd panacea for the ills of society. But as
no harm was done, and none threatened the
public at large took no more notice of the
meetings than OF the scores of others which
take place daily and weekly 10 New York.
Very soon, however, q change took place. As
wages Tell, and distress became more general
the tone Of the meetings Of the unemployed
| woEkmen became harsher and more querulous
| Loud complaints were uttered against certain
classes of society who were supposed to have
had share in producing the existing state of
panic and confusion. The rich were threaten
| ed and the governmen was roundly rated for
not stepping in, violating the law, and exceeding
its own powers TO provide cheap food and re.
munerative work to the noisy speakers. Less
attention was paid to this symptom than
would otherwise have been the case.
in consequence Of the discovery that most
OF the orators who thus couuselled
violence were men of foreign birth. Intermln-
gled with their abuse Of the rich and their re-
proaches against the State, were waifs aud
estrays Of Fourriarite doctrine, crude notions
Of communism, and above all vehement attacks
upon the order Of the Know Nothings Rely
ing upon the capacity of the native citizens to
defend themselves from the violence of Ger
mans and Irish, the people of New York al
owed these things to go on almost without no
tice, for mary days. Recently, however, this
peculiar characteristic of the Park meetin % has
ceased to exist. II is no longer true that the
men VINO assemble around the City Hall to dis
course Of their want and take counsel for a
remedy, are foreigners. They count among
them large proportion of natives who, like
the foreigners, nave been driven out of employ
ment by the hard times and are as resolute in
their determination to find redress as the most
ardent German or French socialist.
1t is not Git that the complaints of these men
should be treated with contumely OF contempt
That they are suffering under very trying
grievances, no one can doubt for an instant
many OF them have wives and families who OBJ
tain the bare necessaries OF life by begging.
Clearly these men have right to meet and ex-
press in blunt straightforward language their
thoughts OF the causes which have produced the
present suffering, and their ideas of the remedy
which is needed. Unquestionably should they
be heard; and if, in the ocean of their sugges-
tions, there be one little speck Of sound iudg-
ment OF truth, let il be acted up,n without de-
lay. More than this, he is rullian, who in the
face of 90 much misery, would assume to cri.i-
else the sayings and doings of that hungry
crowd as he would those of an assembly Of aga
demcians. Sorrow and suffering have their
rights; let us, as men, see them enforced.
There is no necessity or prospect here of any
such thing as mob rule. When the workmen
forget the righss of other classes, and attemp.
to tyrannize, the sooner and the more viSor.
ously they are put down, the better. When
the Ion sboremeR refuse TO work for 81 so a
day and beat men who consent 20 that rate of
wages, they deserve 10 suffer, and there can be
half day will, on piuch, protect family
nom starvation 20 refuse IL, and TO cry ont
against the hard times is to earn a right 90
stsrve Time was when these 'longshoremcu
struck for higher wages then they could live
On those they had thea the demand for labor
was great, the supply small and accordingly.
they obtained what they asked Now the case
i reversed, the supply exceeds the demand.
and wages must fall. BY this time. we pre.
sumo, The loogshoremen admit this but thew
have damaged their cause by falling to do so
before.
Il seems hsE3 thing 10 tel men whom want
pinches 20 have patience, aud ase moderation.
But undeniaDle it is that nothing eau be done
without these qualities. To blus,er aud threaten
VIII only waste time, and stir Up angry feel
ings, the first sufferers from which viii
be the poorer classes, those who can hid
oua the least during struggle. A cam.
hrn temperate pressure viii obtain the desired
end sooner than any other means Every ono
admits now that the thing needed is work 70
the unemployed classes: and nine persons on,
Of ten look 70 the Common Council 20 sunoiv
that wrk We hope they viii. We trus. and
believe That as this moment the Mayor AM
several Of the Aldermen are honestly devotiag
all their energies 70 the search OF some modcia
which work can be found. Blu: Il must be +.
M inferred that the search may be long. our
laws cannot be broken every time depression
occurs; the woTkmen themselves who U1izb.
derive temporary benefit today from ihei.
violation would be tte very men 20 suffsr tho
l;r ,.:G the 1ts.sd;ri tsIeat =. --y.i