, 1863-12-29
THE LABOR eeSsEEsri0N.
The Strike In Few Tork-1ssIstapec frem
iIllnoie-Elending Of the bifEcrest
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

pursuant to a call nnss meeting OF mechanics
Of ali trades Haa held Last evening IN Witkowsky
Hau to take neasuraA for extending sympathy
and 4ssistanco to their brothrcn Of the variou1
branches Of mechanical industry, who for nes.l,
eight weeks past, have been on a etr1ka In New
York. The meeting WAS worry nnmesousy nttaad.
Cd all the sitting room Of the hall being 80 far ii
we could see, almost entirely occupied.
Jchn Edin WIS unanimously appointed President
of tue meeting. After ho had taken the chair,
Vice Presidents OF tho meeting were electsd II
follows; E. coyle, NJ and B. Union y. Fitzgerald,
Monlde1s Union; ". F. OtDonnell, Ship Ctrpon.
rers and ca1kefs Onion; Lawrence ShuT, Tailor'a
Union; P. Coylc Engineers Union, ani J. McKe,.
zie, Confectioners Union. Alter theappoiutmente
Of the Vice PFesfdc1ts. John Hamm1u, Of tho Nj.
chinists Union, was appointed Secretaey. Assist.
AMI Secretaries were also choeen as follows: &,
Henderson, F. jackson, ". Graham and Martin
Sselsy.
Mr. Edin stated in relation TO the object OF the
meeting, that up to the dth Of Noyember ces-
ccIving for their services 80 per dsy, and that
at thai time they solicited m advance OF twenty
1Ee per cent on their wages. The employers re-
other means than solicitation they Hould closo
their establishments and reduce the mechanics TO
= siate Of starvation. The mechanics were rather
td1eat. 70 Tue number q 1000 they associated
themselves End dec1ared they would work no
I'D % 1heg bad
work 20 is onr csuae T6e object Of this meeting il
GSs sypaa %as doWad 1 1hs so.,.. Of
siderable length BY s: S. Hayes, John Wentworth
and q. r. HnW1ey.. These speeches illustrated the
necessity which Is imposed upon workingmen as
necessity, namely, OF doing their own thinking.
They cannot and must not expect politicians, do
magoguas, lawyezs, men who at the most can take
cern the laboring casses to think for them to any
purpose. As they must act for themselves, 80 they
must lhink and az for themselves, Il they want
subjects about which they arc to act
Tne ha1angues q the sbove named gentlemen,
made at Witkowaky Hall. last night, were worth
mole connection With ths object which had called
the meeting together. What S. s. Hays was aim
ing at in speech Of nearly an hour n length It
John Wentworth ventilated his theories Of %.
1tical economy, and made 1t q prominent fact that
the Q. 8. Army not located 1t Rock Island 80
'o1g af be Tss John WentEotth, va IN Congress.
est and reze not fmpregn:ted a. loo many speech.
cs made On such occasions nFe with the spirit oi
the aomagogue. Still they lacked everything Ike
euhtect in fte immediate ncighborhood. he said
indeed that Onion among the laborc:s would be
atIength-that By means Of knowledge and asso-
combinations Of capital Instituted for their op-
preston, but In what munner knowledge and 1850
citation should be used for such ends, be did moi
| undcrtaketo say, and 1t wss not unreasonable to
suppose that he did not hare any very definite idea
Two working men who addftssed the meeting
after the orators by profession had flushed, Mr.
more III five minutes that bore upon tho effect and
! purpose OF the aseemblage than all that had beer
| uttered in tho previous two houra. Mr. Macauley
6s 70 81 sna
| the industry Of the skilled mechanic, and to ope
rate for the benefit Of the ialer and the inferior
workman OILY. Mr.. HRmmil, TIE Secretary, fol
lowed him in few remarks to show that this
strike TO advance the wages Of labor WIS not inau
gurated, until 1t had been ascertatned that ths
1nasters and contractors had combined I've dayt
before TO keep wages down at thei1 present point
The etrtke OF the faborers, was thus, as Mr. Ham
mill maintained, Legitimate defence against the
combined action Of the contractors.
RESOLUTIONS.
The following were uuanlmousIy adonted.
WHknRAa, Certain capitalists Of the city Of New
| York hare combined together and have formed 4
clique for the purpose Of preventing tho laborc1
tPd ed; sSa1. sn getting faF
| WnEnrAs, seven thousand men Of tho city O.
| New York have been compelled against tkct1
wishes to strike against their employers for an in
| WmGEAs, The employers have not only refused
to accGdc to the just demands Of the men; but In
q S II e. V
able 10 stsrve the men into subiecton; therefore
| be 1t
! Rkae9red, That we, the workipgmen Of Chicago
do respectfully protest against Congress- intener
ing in this case to the advantage Of The capitalist
| and tnja1y ofthe working classes.
Re;ofrxd, That we respectfully request our rep.
rescntatsex In Congress to use all their influence
as;inst The extension of time being granted
the City ofNew York, by extending to them oul
sympathy and council and by giving them Of ou1
means for the support OF their families uaul thei,
Just demands are Justly complied with; and bs
It further
Eesolred, That ne advise them nos 10 return te
their work unttl their request ts granted, promf
sing them our cheerful and hearty support until
their victory Is WOE.
The officers Of the meeting, who are also otacers
of the different trade societies were appointed .
committee to make collections In behalf OF tfs
mechanics Of New York. Ar. Thoz. B. Bryan waa
appointed treasurer 10 receive and forward ths
fanGs 60 collected.
II was then announced that the committees o
tho different trade Societies would meet for bust
ness next Sunday afternoon nt the Apaldef's Hail,
ard resolutions of thanks to the speakers werf
adopted. Themeetlng adjourned.