The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-09-23

CHEAP LABOR
a curse to the country. Tho laboring man
thereby made slave, while the rich man
J not benefited by It. 1t was the cry Tor
heap labor that first introduced slavery |
nto this country and which came near being |
Is destruction. Now the country is aroused |
pom the subject Of Chinese labor; millions
L Cinnamon, without wives or children, can |
70 and are being introduced into this coun-
nv. They can live on ten cents day, and
leep In q place two feet by six. They wear
ho same kind OF clothes that their fathers
Vore thousand years ago. They worship
dolls, even In this country, and are thieves
nd prostitutes by nature and practice. The
White man or negro, with their wife and
hudren to support, getting but 81 q day, are
riven from employment, while the China \
men are introduced in bis place at less than
II per day, q price At which no man can
upport family. Chinese labor els can
ger on society; its presence Is everywhere
marked by vices, diseases, and degeneracy."
They are owned by masters In disguise,
who hire them out, receive their pay, aud
pay them what will support life without lux
ury-it Is too dreadful to contemplate.
When the fifteenth amendment shall have
been adopted we may look forward Eve or
six years, when the hundred thousand now
on the Pacific coast will control the election
and establish the worship Of Josh as the re-
ligion Of the country unless revolution shal
before that time deluge the country in blood
and free tho people from their political MI
asmatic influence.
EIGHT HOURS
is enough for days work. The man that
works hard for that length OF time has done
more than his share In the progress OF civil
ization. 1t Is no longer required that more
time shall be devoted to toll. The rest Of
la Ia naaIaI IN ttnala m canal Inv
cultivation OF the brain. 1t is no longer q
difference in opinion as to wages; II Is re-
form we wish to engraft upon the tree OF our
prosperity-a principle higher and deeper
than selfintcrcst; Il reaches beyond this gen
Grafton, and fixes q standard OF rcspecta-
bllity for our children and our childrcn's
children, who may learn trades and labor for
a living. The man that stands In the way Of
this reform must expect to be run over; VIC
have made the declaration and intend sus-
tanning II at all hazards. The puny efforts
OF the miser to stop 1t will DO like stopping
q cannon ball by placing the foot against 1t.
The time for argument has passed. Labor
ing men in every part of the country should
now be up and doing their part In this great
battle Of reform. It is but to ask and 1t will
be granted everywhere; 1t is our right, and
We demand It..
In California We have worked with ra-
lllllN III 70 tuc ClEul-uOuT IlONt-
mcnt that has never been equaled In any
portion OF the world. Prior to 1867 the
ship-working:: trades had been working but
eight hours for day; but In January OF that
year the house carpenters organized and
fixed the Sd of June following as the day
when they would commence the eight-hour
system of labor, and the eight-hour leagues
OF the city united in grand procession on
that day. Over 5000 appeared In the streets
!. oil I'D ha AXtn
Twenty-four hundred carpenters banded
together have sustained the system against
the combined power Of their bitter opponents.
In the fall OF 1867 an election for Represen-
tatives and Senators aroused the mechanics
TO action, and no man was elected in that
city that did not favor the wishes and inter
ests of the laboring man. We saw, how
ever, that our efforts In individual societies
were not a0ecting the public mind in our
favor to the extent we desired, and commit
tees OF conference were appointed from the
different eight-hour societies, who came
together In a spirit Of compromise and or
ganized the Mechanics State Council OF
California.
Two years before this, thousands had pc
titioned the Legislature to pass an eight
hour law. Members of the Legislature
laughed at the idea, and consigned the petit
tions to the waste baskets. They saw no
W tuCiI Nullt tntIC was Ho
organization Of laboring men; but now 1t
was n different thing; six thousand men
were organized and represented in the coun-
ell. They could act together, and parties
could not afford to lose their votes. The re-
suit was that both parties avowed in their
platforms that they were in favor Of the
eight-hour system of labor. On the Sd of
December, 1867, the Board Of Education In
San Francisco passed resolution that those
nalA al l.
but eight hours for a day. On the 23d of
the same month the board Of supervisors
passed q similar resolution. In January,
1865, the council sent to the Legislature an
eight-hour bill, which was passed into law
with but one dissenting vote, and that was
in the Senate.
We are no longer to be trined with-thC
parties there cannot do without us, and We
dictate our own terms. They must DO nj
| We please.
The same eau be done in every State IL
this Union, by n proper organization, which
we hope to accomplish during this year
Here in Washington should be strong rep
rescntatlve body, with competent and active
! officers to communicate correct informa ton
to every State organization throughout the
| United States, so that States may act to.
| gethcr, and that labor may have its just re-
ward aud safety in government, as well as
I luJbC Nuub tlilC W NOlh' iNt US w
up and doing. Now is the time TO act. Do
not wait for each other. Let each feel that
the whole burden rests upon his own Shout
| ders, and each will have but light load to
| carry.
Gen. Vim closed with earnest and elo.
luent sentences on the subject Of eight hours
n day, which was received with appreciation
and applause by the audience.
After Gen. VIM had closed Mr.. Olmstcad
~ IL "a. =. lad nnI n in
structively on the labor reform movement
and its requirements.
Mr.. Peters, of the Chr0nielc, was called
upon, and spoke with force on the question
of the elght-hour law as a principle neces.
sary for the proper improvement of the
laborcr. lie urged the earnest and intelli.
gent use of the ballot. We must understand
the principle and operation of taxation-its
injustice to the poor man.
At the close of Mr.. Peters speech the
meeting adjourned.
LARCENY OF Horse AND BUGGY.-On
the 2lst Of August Walter l.. Waters, of
Georgetown, applied at the livery stables of
Nailor Bros. for a horse and buggy, to lie
used for two or three days. Mr.. Allison
Nailor, jr., hired the team to Waters, but II
not having been returned when promised
suspicion was aroused, and information hay
] us bNNh iNtNi'Nu 'ioh petNNtNt "SDSNlt
by one of the firm that Waters had gone t
Baltimore, Mr.. Washington Naylor startCt
for that city. lie ascertaincd that Water
had sold the harness for 81, and received so
/ on the buggy at the Baltimore bazaar, ant
that the horse was also there to be disposed
of at auction. Mr.. Sailor caused the ares
Of Waters by Smith, Peirson and West, ant
he was brought on to this city and lodged In
jail. Yesterday he was brought out for 4
hearing, and the evidence being conclusive
Justice Walter committed him to Jail In de-
fault OF $500 bail to appear at court.
RECRUITIsG ron THE SERvICEr-An Office
for recruiting for the army aud marine corp
has been reopened on c street, near the Bal
timore depot. The office for the army is un
der charge of Capt. Pyne, son Of Rev. DR.
Pyne, late Of this city, and during the pas
three months cnllstments have been re
garded rs brisk, over 70 men having beer
enlisted In that time. Colored recruits es
peclaly are plentiful, nearly 10 out of tn,
above number being Of that race. The army
Is quite depleted, and We learn that white
soldiers are In demand. The marine ofllcC
Is in charge Of Major Graham, and the ap,
pllcatlons TO enter the marine corps arc
lively. The recruits arc wholly composed Of
white men,
FIRE YESTERDAY APTERNOoS.-The alarm