The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-11-13

THE W0RKISGAEN's MEETINa, of which we
spoke in our last Issue, took place last evening In
the lower room OF HIbernIan Hail. and was q very
respectable assembage. The seats were oil filled
and many had to stand, the number present be-
Ing, ut rough calculation, between three and
four hundred. Mr. ]. NJ. RaDb presided and Mr..
]. E. Ferris acted as secretary. The earlier por-
tion OF the meeting was taken up with iesul-
tory discussion upon the position OF the city
newspapers with regard to the workingmen,s
movement and upon the cxpedlency OF renewing
ON Invitation which had been extended to the
editors to address the meeting. The committee
who Ind been charged with the matter had given
the invitation In writing and made verbal re-
port Of the manner in which It had been received
by the papers to whom it had been sent. The re.
ply OF the proprictors Of THE NEWS, which was
read, was as follows:
OFFICE OF THE CHARLESTON Ngwsl
CHARLESTON, s. O., November H. 1869 /
Dear !Siy-We liavc the honor to acknowledge
the receipt OF an invitation to n meeting OF the
our thanks for the same. TnB NEWS Will certain
~ be represented at the meeting. Its proprietors
the Pss viii Vi oss
aim Of which shall seem to us Just ana reason. on
accepted In O workingmen's meeting By persons
who are not workIngmen, would be an intrusion
The workingmen OF Charleston, we know have
sufficient Intelligence to speak and act for them,
serves Witnout the interference OF outsiders. ~
we nave the honor to be, 1
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servants,
- RIORDAN, DAWSON d Go.
Mr.. WA. 8. RYAN, Chairman Executive Commit
tee Of the Workingmen. II
The first speaker was Mr.. W. P. RUSSELL who In
response to loud and repeated calls mounted tbs
stage. He expressed his gratitude for the unanl-
nifty OF the compliment which had heep paid him,
al n rph oh han ofd A n q
the men before him were tAe magnates Of the
land. Few were awareI( the opposition that had
to be encountered BIZ those who took the part Of
the workingmen He himself was contractor,
master mechanic, and never expected again to
be, like the b-"dreds he saw before him, journey
man, yet he was with ihe workIngmen heart and
souI in their stand against the employers. Times
had ch--sed since 1865, when the worIingmen
had achieved tho first triumph in the election of
the Hon. W. 8. Henerey to represent them In the
State Senate. At that time he wrote letter,
(which the papers had refused to publish though he
offered to pay 500 for It) In which he predicted
the coming power Of the workingmen. 1t was
high time that they should take o stand against
working early and late for pittance. There was
no good reason why they should not have pro-
per remuneration. He predicted that the move
ment, the inception Of which they saw there to
night, would be fruitful In beneficial results.
Remarks were also made by Messrs McIndoo
and ]. F. Britton, and also by several persons
who were not workingmen. The burden of the
speeches, generally, was an cxhortation to those
present to stand together In the maintenance of
their rights, and to organize at once for mutual
protection.
AT tho conclusion Of tho speeches resolution
was carried that the chairman be autharIzed to
appoint, at his leisure, committee consisting OF
three m from zach branch Of lnhOr whOsn
duty It shoud be to draw up rules for tho govern
ment Of future meetings, and that the president
be authorized to call another meeting when that
committee was prepared to report.
| The meeting then adjourned, tho proceedings
| having been marked throughout on tho part of
the audience, by the greatest order and decorum.