The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-10-25

convention 6uJOuIueus
THE WORKINGMEN IN COUNCIL.
-~-~~~~o~~~~~~-~o-~I,~o.~
The Meeting Last Night Mt the Cooper InstI-
tnte-rhey Adopt n Utopian Platform, and
Cheer for the International.
Judging from the small number OF workingmen
present last evening at the meeting OF the trades
unions ct Cooper Institute the great body OF the
workingmen Of this city are very 10th to put them
selves In
THE POLITICAL FIELD
as Q separate body OF c4mpaigners. Indeed, the
thousands OF honest workingmen OF the various
trades, who have made the unions che great power
they have become In the city, have too much com.
mon good sense TO be led by the nose
by any particular clique or faction Of any
political organization, and showed by their
absence from the meeting last night that
no matter how worthy were the motives OF the men
who called 1t together they, felt half afraid that
they would do themselves no very great benefit by
being on hand to cheer to the echo the speeches
that were made on the resolutions that were pre-
sented. However, there were about four hun
dred present, who were quite enthusiastic,
and who evidently were In dead earnest
In their EFFORT to let the world at large know just
what they considered was due to the workingmen
politically. There was not solitary politician OF
Mr.. ELLIOTT, OF the Painters Union, was CHOSEN
to preside over the meeting. He called the atten-
ton OF the meeting to the great objects which the
workingmen OF the city were aiming to obtain the
matter OF right and closed mis- short address by
asserting that the w0rkingmen could not obtain
their rights unless they went to work and elected
representatives 10 the Legislature who would
faithfully work for the benefit OF the
workingman, and have such laws passed as
would efectually crush out every OBSTACLE to the
workingman's welfare. Men SO elected would see
to It that the Eight Hour law was not dead letter.
that the system Of convict labor was abolished and
that such changes should be made In existing laws
as would be beneficial to tine masses OF the people.
Mr.. HALBERT. very quiet gentlemanly looking
man. came forward. after the presiding officer had
taken his seat, and read what he called
THE wORKINGAEN's PLATFORM.
pan ns; some Very GOOD but us
were made Of the most extreme kind Of
rG1
Of our government" and declared the following
gropositions as articles Of faith with al honest
are such that every adults share OF the labor to be
done II done properly, by all who should work.
therefore, in demanding the enforcement Of the
Eight Hour law they only demand one-fourth OF what
property OF mankind and any interruption OF the
general enjoyment Of It's benefits by monopolies is
auences 70 the voator that the s system Of giving
the public work to contractors should be abolished;
that all railroads, express companies, telegraph
and the proceeds used for the benent Of the whole
peoples. that education should be free to al
be open, free OF cost to all classes ana
be carried on by the government likewise; that on
erect buildings to be let at cost to the people; that
to prevent fraud new charter Tor the city should
United to the people for their approval or rejec
tion, aud that monthly returns OF moneys obtain ed
and expended should be furnished BY every head Of
ished and the salaries OF all public ocers made to
comport with tine wages Of the workingmen.
POETRY AND rROSE.
This platform, II is needless to state was adopted
by exclamation. whereupon o young gentleman
named McMackin was introduced as the. next
speaker. Mr.. MCMACKIN spoke at great length and
in slow and solemn tones. as though he was de-
the monrners BY the side OF a corpse lie went
over a great deal OF ground during his speech,
which was quite lengthy one, repete with qnoIa.
without gloves He denounced the "sycophants,"
as he called the men who belong to the trades
cradle ONCE Such men, he said. should be nounded
out Of the unions and the professional politicians
workingmen could not be bought with sweet prom
iseS and bribes, and that nothing short OF thetl
rights would satisfy their demands. 1t was well
understood, he remarked that the men who rule
e
1 would not grant them what was theirs BY right sc
| he had only to instance the case when they asked
for Assembly, and the comm ittee who waited upon
him we're cooy told that It had been decided a
orally 1sV entitled Blair" What had me people
OF the district to do with a nomination
was nf he %aatcd
then dlated at great length about the villany Of
monopoles and advised the work,nemen to keep
organize party OF their own night under their own
nag, and see 10 It that men who represented them
alone should be sent to the Legislature.
A LITTLE FROM DARWIN.
The next speaker was Mr.. James HodgKins who
declared from the start that he was not what might
be called a worKingman but "a man for a. that"
who was willing to do all he could to make the con-
Got 81 e n the now ana
his power. Like all the other speakers who pre-.
coded him ana followed him. Mr.. Hougkins had
therefore, 'by the book" iIe had evidently made
up his mind to mako hit, and he certainly did
persisted from beginning to end in speaking In
an actor-of tragedy style that was more entertain
He however, drew some very livery pictures and
made some very striking comparisons between the
n we're
ably that where he argued to show that the lay ms
out Of the Central PARK was work done to increase
the valuation 0f
THE RICH MANS PROPERTY
to the dctriment OF the welfare Of the workingmau
Darwin and his ideas about the changes every thing
IN life had necessarily, from time 70 time, 10 I'M
dergO, and to show that as IN nature, SO In the po
litcal aud social classes OF existence, changes had
been always taking place aud were stl taking place,
and that every change that was made and Is now
beng made was and Is q change for the better. lie
started out with his subject dating back TO the
middle ages, and after showing, IN his own way,
how this, that and the other kind OF rule and form
OF government had been changed to suit the times
he came to New York and then went for the
heather in the political arena with a sharp slick
He concluded oy declaring that the time had come
ior the w0rkinRmen to assert their lights anu that
the day had gone by when monopoly OF money or
any other KIND OF monopoly could keep the honest
men VINO gained their bread by the sweat OF their
brows under their neels
Mr.. H0dgKins was followed by Mr.. Banks, Mr.
Alexander TrOup and Others. Mr. Troup was very
emphatic In his talk aoout the International Society,"
every allusiOn to which was loudly cheered. The
meeting adjourned quickly after the speaking had
come to an end.
The names OF the following gentlemen were read
during the meeting as the candidates for Assembly
to be voted for by the WorkIngmens Assembly,
Second distrlct Michael EerQnen.