The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-08-23

the State Of his way of thinking to fill the
oitices. If the President is determined to
uphold such power rs that at the expense
of driving from his support nineteen-twen-
tleths OF all the white men in the State, and
as n necessary consequence, sooner or later,
large portion of the colorcd voters, then
all have to say is he is very Indifferent
political tactician, however great he may
be as commander of armies.
National Labor Convention-..The Coal
Mining Troubles---Rcport of the
Committee on Female Lnbor...Coolie
Labor Denounced, &c.
PHILADELPHIA, August 20.-In the la
Der Convention to-day, morning session,
long report in reference to the troubles in
the coal mining districts was read. The
only point in it was the suggestion that it is
a question whether the Government should
not take possession of the coal mines Of the
country, paying the present owners a fair
valuation for the same, and run these mines
as the gold mines OF California have been,
in the interest of the w,olc people. The
national wealth Of the country should never
pass out of the hands Of the people into the
hands of monopolists.
The Committee on Organization made
report with amendments, but, after debate,
the matter was laid on the table and the
committee discharged. The committee on
female labor made q report; which was
adopted. 1t was resolved that the Con-
gross recommend that all trades unions
make immediate efforts to secure tho
rough organization of female labor, and de-
mand the same pay for work equally we'll
done by women as that done by men; that
every avenue of labor for which woman is
physically capacitated should be freely
opened to her on the same terms and condi-
tons as allowed to any class of laborers.
We ask for women equal opportunities and
rights in every field of enterprise and la
Dor.
Resolutions were adopted for the appoint
ment of q committee on ways and means
and a standing committee. Resolutions de-
nouncing coolie labor, and declaring that
voluntary Chinese emigrants should be pro-
tected like other citizens, we're adopted. A
special committee on q new political party
was appointed.
Adjourned till 2 o'clock P M.
The following is u synopsis of the plat
form adopted:
All political power is inherent in the peo-
pie, and free government founded on their
authority and established for their benefit !;
that laborers in all departments Of useful
industry are suffering from q system of
monetary laws which were enacted during
the late war as measures, 1t was assumed,
necessary to the life of the nation, and
which is now sought to be perpetuated in
the interests of bond-holders and bankers,
as means to subvert the Government of our
fathers, and establish on its ruins an en-
pirc in which all political power shall be
centralized, to restrain and Cypress the
rights of labor, and subordinate its votaries
to the merciless demands of aggregated
capital and supercilious authority that the
national banking system, being inimical to
the spirit of liberty and subyersive of the
principles of justice, and without warrant
in the Constitution of the United States, is
wrongfuliy increasing the burdens Of the
wealth producing classes millions of dollars
annually justice, the aspirations OF honest
industry, and the spirit of imperilled liberty,
demand its immediate repeal, and the sub
stitution of legal-tender notes as the exclu-
sive currency of the nation.
That the National Labor Union is opposed
to the continuation and creation of bonds
by acts of incorporation by either State or
national authority, with the privilege Of
making, issuing, or putting into circulation,
any notes or other papers OF any other
bank to circulate as money, except legal
tender Treasury notes therein contemplated.
That the revenue laws of the United
States should be altered so that instead
of subordinating labor TO capital they may
afford just protection to labor and the in
dustrial interests of the whole country
The legal-tcndcr money should be made
legal-tender in the payment OF oil debts,
public and private, and convertible at the
option of the holder into Government bonds,
bringing interest at the rate Of three per
cent. per annum, with the privilege to the
holder to rcconvcrt the bonds into money,
or the money into bonds, at pleasure.
That the claim of bond-holders that bonds
which were bought by greenbacks, and the
principal of which is, by law, payable in
currency, should nevertheless be paid in
gold, is unjust and extortionate.
That the exemption from tax of bonds
and securities is in violation of the just
principle of the revenue laws.
That land monopolies are at variance
with the doctrine that all freemen, when
they form social compact, are equal In
rights, and, if persisted in, must ultimately
result in the subversion Of free institu-
tons, as also the social and political we'll
being Of the laboring masses.
That as labor is the foundation and cause
of national prosperity, it is both the duty
and interest of the Government to foster
and protect it. Its Importance, therefore,
demands the creation of an executive de-
partment of the Government at Washing
ton, to be denominated the Department of
Labor, which shall aid in protecting it
above all other interests.
That the National Labor Congress earn
estly recommend the adoption of such mea-
sures among all classes of workmen, in all
sections of the country, as will secure the
abortion of the eight-hour system, and call
upon the respective State Legislatures to
follow the example of the National Con-
gress in the recognizing of eight hours as o
days work.
Resolved, That political equality being
one of the cardinal principles of this or
canization, we therefore urge the full resti-
tuition of civil and political rights to every
American citizen, except such as have been
convicted of felony.
The platform, as read, was unanimously
adopted.
In the afternoon session of the Labor
Convention the Committee on Obnoxious
Laws reported as follows
Whereas there exists IN the statutes OF
several States enactments making lta penal
offence for American mechanics and labor
ers to combine for self-protection to secure