The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-02-28

LEWIS WHEELER, Sec'y.
Grand Demonstration Of the Working
Men OF Piedmont, West Virginia, IN
support OF the Eight Hour Labor
system and the Presidents Eeio OF
the Freedmenss HureaH Biii-Miner7
nj County Lends the Way; Lei her
sisters Follow her Example,.
| Pursuant TO public notice a meeting
of the mechanics and laboring men OF
| Piedmont, West Virginia, was held at
| the Woodside House on the oath of Feb
ruary, 1866, for the purpose of concert
| ing measures to have the eight hOnr la
Dor system adopted.
The meeting was called TO order by
Stephen w. DOwney, and on motion Geo.
| w. Sheetz was duly elected Chairman,
and William A. Beal Secretary of the
meeting Mr.. o. ID. Downey, being call
ed for, came forward and in speech
strongly urged the passage of law max
| ing eight hours legal days work. He
also adyerted to the great political con
test OF the day and spoke warmly of the
Preddent's vetoing the Freedmen's BIZ
reau bill He said President Johnson
wa the great champion of the working
men of this country aud that they should
| rally around him and sustain him in his
efforts to oppose unconstitutional meas
ures Mr.. DOWney having concluded, a
committee Of five was appointed by the
chair TO draft resolutions expressive Of
the sense of the meeting WlereupOn the
committee, consisting OF Thomas Paxton,
Stephen w. Downey, William A. Thrash
| er. John Gardner qni E-"-I oSNh' To-
| pUirou Inc ldllOWlng resolutions taken
from "fricke'S Trades RGriew," as EN-
inenlly fitted TO be adopted by the
meeting as fully expressive OF, the feelings
of the working men on the eight hour
| system, viz:
WHEREAS, The time for reform in the
productive pursuits has come, bringing
with it the preliminary movement to
wards the accomplishment Of that great
birthright of man.-eigM hOWs for WOyk,
| ciQh hours for rest, and eight hons for
| social and meRtai imprOremeRt-the text Of
the Philosopher, the theme Of the Phi
| lan1hropist, and the hope of the lOWly
Laborer, since civilization began to lift
the heavy burden Of abuse through
which prejudice struggled vainly to i'm
pedr the march of Moderation and
WHEREAS, II is claimed by the op
ponents of our cause that by giving the
VOL king men more leisure, vice and in
ehyerance will lie in the ascendant;
but inasmuch as business and profess
sional men, whose occupation call for
but short hours form the ornaments
of So iety, and are not degraded, but ele-
vatei, by leisure and time Tor thought
therefore. we believe the same rule APP
plicable to both cases-for as virtue and
| Intelligence increase, vice aud crime
musj decrease; and
WHEREAS, Labor being The tOunda
| ton of Government credit, as we'll as
productive of the substantial wealth of
the country, it becomes necessary to as
sert The dignity of that Labor which con
| feTs so many blessin and fayors even
| on the idle and on those who speculate
and become rich gu the toll of others
and
WHEREAS, 1t is just that those who
ale the source OF the prosperity and
| success of our country, should assert
THEN rightin all things pertaining to
then material interests therefore
R50lctd That We, the working men of
Piedmont, in convention assembled, do
declare that eight hours should cOnsti-
tute i legal days work aud that this is
demanded by Just regard to our phys
ical and mental condition, and by our
obligations to our families
Rc9O'rcd That we deem 1t the impera-
tive duty of all who labor for daily
stipend to join hands, and heartily CO.
operate IN ezpellinS system so greivous,
and IN demanding reform whereby the
Iaborer may enjoy the blessings of liber-
ty, the blessings of christianity and the
blessings OF civilization all of which are
spread within full view, bat are with
held by the despoiliug arm OF Avarice,
sustained by arbitrary usage
ReSolrsi That the right OF the people
to abolish any custom or law that I'M
pedes the pursuit or enjoyment of happi-
ness, Is the cornerstone of our political
system that on this great principle
rests the right to place the question of
this proposed reform before the people |
as political measure, sanctioned BY
every sense of justice, the adoption OF
which viii promote every element Of
national prosperity, no less than add TO |
the virtue, enjoyment and intellectual |
worth of every family circle in the land |
aud thai we most earnestly recommend |
It's favorable consideration to the Legis
lature OF this State, now in session.
R5soired, That in asking this much, We
dlsclaim desire for class legislation
that We ask 10 exemption from our da-
ties as citizens, nor seek privileges
above any othe&class of society that
we merely. REQUIRE protection from An
oppressive system, which is rendered no