The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-12-11
FROM WASHINGTON.
WAsHINGroN, Nov. rs, lS6l


70 tAs SdltOs Ofths wsHKmsnAH's ADvooAFn,
There begins to be some mani6ea
vitality-some awakening Of manhood
IN the mechanic and laboring classes
iTthis District, to their best interestu
to asserting and maintaining their
rights; and towards union and or.
ganizatiOn for their own protection
against the combinations of Capu
and MonopoIies. Meetings BY the Crafts
are being held preparatory to an.
poin ting delegates TO attend . genera
rOusing meeting, in this city, on The
third w ed,rsday in .Januan next, by
tue laboring classes Of this District and
the State Of Maryland.
Az nm evidence that the consequence
Of laborers is being felt here, and how
they are being treated by the aristO.
crAcyy 4 viii give yoq an incident which
occurred at q citizens meeting, II
night, to raise means for getting ups
carrying through the project for
worlds fair, in this city. in 1871. After
some OF the wealthy men had made
subscriptions and speeches to the time
of S. 900 and $4,000. and 50 on, an
humble but inteIligeL and industrious
meehanio-Mr. John DOnOvan-arose
and offered some sensible remarks On
the subject, and was proceeding to
suggest, that some mode De adopted
whereby the peSrer classes could take
part, um1 subCrlhe their humble mites
vt ave, ten and twenty dollars, in cases
where they were not able to reach the
established sam Of $50, the regular
price of shares. But he was severl
times interrupted and finally Silenced,
forced 10 sit down, by the hoOting and
stamping and indecorOus noises, Of the
gold-hesded, kid-glove aristpcracy-
and yet, they were not called to order,
nor their disorder silenced, by the
chair, III G. Cooper, a mar who has
grown rich through the National Bank
.eheme, while ihe mechanics and labor.
crs were fighting the battles to protect
him and hia capitai-tIley cara the
money and build the cities, while BE-
only accumslates wealth--hnt DeaeFaa-
was only a mechan Q, and so che banker
charm IN allowed him to he stamped
down by the gentry but Mr.. Davis
nnbler man. arose aud elOquently 70
buked this insult to the poor mechanic,
and limited that the chair shOnld pre-
serve Order-and forciby spoke Of the
worth and usefulness Of the isbOn1g
classes; others FOLLOWED him il Sini.
liar strain; and the char and meeting
became ashamed of their course, saw
their mistake-the chair got up and
timidly apologized for his delinquency
John Donovan, the honest but hum
BILE mechanic, was vindicated, his Eg-
gestion to reduce the price Of shares 70
ten dollars prevailed; and several thou
sands Of dollars in subscriptions secured
thereby. This was felt as a triumph for
the labOrers.
And yet, some Of the papers. in ibis
city, had not the courage aud flirne@
20 make true report of prOceediRgs
and give the ,pame Of this earnest me-
or even to state that the move
was made by a mechanic and working.
man but others ofthe papers did make
\ faithful report OF the incidents; yet
none Of them had the manly courage 70
rebuke the banker chairman, tOr Bis
iercliction in not keeping order and
;alling tho disturbers % order, until
Mr. Davis, had Indignantly aud proper.
" rebuked the transaction.
A pretty exhibition they would
nave, at all, without. the work and co.
operation of mechanics, arSnans and
0ther labOrers! Let them be ignored,
md see where the nabD6s will be
will be the spirit and muscle
II the enterprise.
But, We will have an exhibition,
md in Washington; and one that will
% eredItable tO oar artizans, artIsS
md manufacturers-and which will be
IN honor TO our capital AM nation
here is no mistake of that; aud the
world wIil see it, and give a. due ore
Iit. ID. ). G.