The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1867-08-22
Chicago correspondence.
CHICAGO, Aug. 20, 1867.

CIlCAGO, aug. ~, IOOi.
Editors Democrat
On Saturday evening last, Crosby's OPP
era House was filled, 6 from pit to dome"
by az immense assemblage of orderly, re-
spectacle and intelligent citizens, mainly
of German birth or parentage. convened
together to give expression to their unani-
nous feeling of opposition to the so-called
temperance reform which at this time
threatens to interfere so seriously with
their liberties. [ do not feel sufficiently
interested on either side to express a pref
erence for temperance or against it, but
feel that this meeting was of SO much i'm
portanee both socially and politically that
| should devote to it liberal ror,ion of
my space to-day. Socially, because it has
shown how large and respectable an ele-
ment of our society is bitterly, radically
opposed to tho iutolerant prohibitory meas
ureS which have been carried into opera
ton IN Eastern States and which are pro-
posed here now. Politically, because those
measures, where adopted, have been car
ried by the strength of the Republican
party, to which belongs this large foreign
born class, and they, feeling that these
prohlbitory laws are aimed at them, threat
en- to desert the party if it does not repu-
date It's connection with tie " reformers"
In making this threat, they are in earnest
1t is not the idle braggadocia of few beer
drinkers over their lager, it is the calm
dispassionate expression Of such men as
Hermann Raster, Editor Of the &" Illinois
Stats Zeitung," Edward Juessen and
others of their stamp, backed by the
enthusiastic approval Of at least three
thousand of such an audience as [ have
already described, and this at the very in
ccption of the movement. Another fact
IN no small degree suggestive, is the tone
In which the &" Chicago Tribune" speaks
OF the wild proposition of the Good Tenn
plars and their accomplices to start da1y
paper here, to advocate their cause. The
Tribune saws =" We welcome them cor.
daily to this field of endeavor. If we
were as intolerant and irrational as they,
we should demand law to prevent them
from running themselves by starting
newspaper. But We shall do no such
thing" Let it be understood thorou ghly
in this struggle which promises to be one
OF the greatest Importance in the next
campaign, that the Germans, en- masse.
oppose these prohibitory and restrictive
laws because they deem them an unwar-
rantable Infringement of personal liberty,
q bigOted and intolerant attempt to set up
their Own ideas OF right and wrong for the
government of others--a despOtic power
from which they believed they had escaped
on the soil of America. In one sense thew
are the truest and best temperance men.
for their favorite beverages are lager.
Rhine wines, and "weiss" beer, on which
it is rare to see any Of them become intox-
lcated to such an extent as to interfere
with the enjoymeuts of others, while no class
OF the community will more heartily than
they endorse any laws which will impose
the severest penalties on the sale of the
adultered, doctored and drugsed liquors
which produce those direful effects the
Good 1emplars are SO fond of describing.
The second annual Convention of the
National Labor Union is at present being
held here at the Wabash Avenue Rink
There are about fifty delegates present. of
whom ten belong to Chicago; and some
idea of the magnitude of the concern may
be CLEANED from the report of the Treas
urer of said National Union, that last year
S2O5,21 had been received; SIS7,25 ex-
pended, and the balance on hand. The
reports of the officers represented the pros.
poets of labor and the general adoption of
the eight hour law as remarkably good;
advocated the establishment of daily pa.
per to advance the interests Of labor rec
commended that Trades Unions be formed
among colored men so that they could not
compete with white labor. The sessions
excite little interest, and the attendance
upon them is rather slender.
The great chemical works formerly con-
Quoted by A. Ii. Granger, in this city, are
now under control of Messrs. II. a. Har-
roun q Co., and with extended facilities
and labratory equal to any in the country
are carrying on the business on an enlarged
scale. They manufacture essences, others,
Perfumery, favoring extracts, Photographic