The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-09-16


kept in abeyance and waived orinade fraudulent
use of by contractors of the public works and
WHERRAs, These are but II few of the many
untold grievances the own-trodden producers of
the worlds wealth are obliged to endure; there
fore, be il
ResVioed, That the. working classes, who are
inc producers Of all the natural wealth by which
society Is benefited, but who denied It's en-
loyment by a system of class legislation which,
II not at once put stop to, will reduce the work.
ing classes of this country to state of serfdom
1t therefore behooves them to continuously struQ-
gle and organize for their rightful portion, both
by cooperation and legislation, for a recognition
OF their social and political interests and for the
abolition of all monopoles that in the future the
classes that now cheat and rob them may them
selves be forced to work rather than rob for their
living. (Applause) iN A.rlasfiFt isa4
Resolved, That we, as law-abiding citizens,
claim that the law making eight hours days
work is and will be benefit to the toiling mil
lions of this nation, and that attempt to evade
or interfere with its provisions will be met with
resistance. "a
Resotped, As unskiled laborers are now en-
ployed In different departments of public works
as skilled mechanics, among whom are painters,
machnists, masons, carpenters. stonecutters,
nc, to the injury of citizens who are strug-
Cling TO obtain an honest subsistence, that we
demand that hereafter none but skilled worlxmen
in mechanical departments shall be employed IN
any department of the National, State, county,
or city governments t'f
ResolUed, That inasmuch as the Legislature OF
this State has failed to comply with the demands
of the workngnen of the State by not passing
law to abolish convict labor whereby n great
portion of our citizens would derive great bene-
fits and advantages, and the entire State be re-
lieved of burden which is now almost insup-
portable, we positively, unanimously, and sol.
EMMY protest against any further delay in tile
passage of bill which shall abolish the present
abominable system in our prisons, penitentaries
and reformatorfes. BY the passage of such a bill
consider that crime will be retarded. the drain
the State treasury lessened land simple Justice
alone done, not only to those who make this de-
mand lthe workmgmen) but to the people Of the
entire State
Resolved, That as the government of the Uni
ted States and the State of New York recognize
eight hours as a legal days work. we, the law
abiding vvorltingmen of the city Of New York.
have determined that the law shall be enforced.
Loud applause, and cries of ''rhats it'll
Resotced, That If the post-odice army provision.
ment, public parks, &c., can be and are so eco
nomically and satisfactorily conducted by the pco-
pie througha partial government tolerating class
legislation, so also coal mines, railroads and
steam lines gas works, canals, telegraphs, &C.,
can and ought to be conducted by the people
through the government, thus furnishing album
dance of steady and useful labor to the people
themselves; and that if all and not q part be
thus turned over TO the government to be con-
Quoted by the honest organized maiorities the
proceeds might be distributed among the pro-
ducers at cost, thereby dealing death-blow to
monopolies, that are threatening the life of our
republican institutions.
The resolutions were then declared unanimous
ly adopted amid loud applause.
The speeches which followed the adop-
ton of the resolutions, contain scarce any
alluson to those relating to political econo-
my, orators principally advocating enforce
ment of the existing law defining eight
hours as q legal days work; which they
claim is being evaded by paying full
wages for ten hours' labor, but deduct
ing twenty per cent. if for eight hours
the legal days work. The evil of crowd
ing mechanics into tenement houses, was
attributed to the longer hours of labor COM
polling them to live near their work, and
debarring them from the opportunity of
living in a healthy country atmosphere.
On this subject their utterances are clear
and judicious. On the resolution in rcla-
ton to the employment of unskilled labor
ers as painters, machinists, &C., little was
said and this their trade unions make a
special care, and is personal matter be-
tween the skilled and unskilled laborer.
IF ''our citizenso who are skilled. forbid
Sour citizens' who are unskilled to labor
in certain vocations, individual liberty of ac-
tIon may be restrained, but no system of po-
litical economy is asserted or violated. The
speeches are equally silent upon the reso.
luton in relation to the labor of convicts.
The resolution denounces the wrong Of
bringing convict labor into competition with
that of the honest artisan, and calls for en-
actment Of a law to abolish convict labor,n
but suggests no substitute. Surely these
hard working, honest men, would not de-
mand that the State should support MALE
factors in idleness, and return them upon
society more worthless than before incarce-
ration, unable to work, even if willing.
If convicts in New York were-as our
last Legislature insisted they should be in
Virginia-thrust into contact, as well as
competition, with honest workers, the reso-
luton might be couched in still stronger
terms, and yet not denounce the wrong too
severely; but the proportion of penitentia-
ry mechanics, compared even with the
number of those at the meeting which
adopted the resolution, is too small to pro-
duce any appreciable effect upon prices of
labor at large, or its products. The first
three and the last clauses of the preamble.
and the concluding resolution, are of diff
ferent character, and show moro than APP
pears in the speeches especially the reso-
luton, which smacks so strongly of Com |
that we wonder the mternation-
ais carrying red flags, numbering about
one hundred men, and shouting "V1re Ia |
Commune with no response what
ever, although response was evidently |
expected. ~ ast sef.9.,
The language, apparently by purpose
made simply suggestive, plainly indicates
he visionary theory of the Communists
that State affairs, public improvements, in
iustrial enterprises, &C., be managedby or
,arizcd majorities, and thep proceeds distrib-
tied among eproducers at cost. 1.-THE %,
700 who then denounced all existing sys-
ems of political economy, as frauds upon
he working classes, were. to ibe endowed
nth all the wealth of New York, and the
entrusted to an organized
majority Of their own number, one short
ear would find that wealth even Ioee oo,,; |