Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-07-31
nrrrnLIcNN corNrY rIcNrr.
4 Council Of LabOrerS.

council Of eccesiastics in the most historic |
city Of Europe, whose apparent object was to
bind more firmly and rivei more securely the
shackles which they have woven around the
conscences and spirits Of men. Whenever
men Of any class or guild Gnd their power
waning, or wish to devise new methods to in-
crease it, they come together in council
Sometimes also they take counsel to resist
oppression, to bring cooperative Influence
against those who have de.poiled and trodden
them down.
Ecclesiasticism is not then alone in holding
its ecumenica councils Councils are not
the monopoly Of the church. Very lately
there has been movement going on in the
rural districts Of England, revealing on the
part of the agricultural laborcr a growing
dissatisfaction with his position, and growing
determination to improve it. 1t has swept
over several of the bost agricultural counties
of the kingdom. Last February about a
thousand farm laborers gathered at Wells
bourne, in Buckingbamshire, and banded
themselves into " LaJOrerS' UHioa," and
spoke out their slowly formed but distinct
purpose in the following letter to their en-
ployers
SIR We jointly and scyerully request your
attention to the following requirements two
shings eight pence per day for our labor, hour
from six Ia FIVE and to close at three ON Saturday
and four pence per hour overtime. We are, sir,
your humble servants.
The recipients Of this ineligible epistle
treated it with dsdain; with silent contempt
and outsiders generally gave but little heed
to it, imagining that the men would soon re-
peat their temerty. But in week the let
ter-writers struck work Tidngs Of their
action spread and, Inspired by so unwouied
an example and by the ringing cxhortatiou,
Of some of their leaders, the peasants all
through the country began to rise Union
after Union was formed, and landlords and
farmers, rubbing their eyes began to question
to what this thing would grow But it kept
growing aud in April the original " Laborer'-
Union numbered over 3 1000 members and
in July it had spread into every county III
England became the fonding Of leading MEM
beers of Parliament, aud was organized into
1.-THE National Congress Of Agricultural La
borers'
This Congress has recently held an assem-
bly, at Birmingham, presided oter-b by Mr..
Dixon, NJ. F. At this Assembly the facts
were elected which furn she'd the basis aud
justification of their action. English farm
laborers and common. uuskillcd hands, have
been accustomed to receive for their labor on
the average, Is. 81. per day or about 81
cents in our money. Ga this paltry sun
they bring up-or, rather, drag up-theil
families keep from the parish, aud are ex
pected to maintain a good character l. G..
keep from poachiug or piliering, and be at
tentive and well-dressed at church on Sun
days 1t has been rather more than morta
flesh and blood could do on such meagr
terms. With the increasing price Of coal an,
provisions, it has come to be necessary tina
the aborer should have more wages Or els
settle back into savagedom and prey on hi
neighbors. The laborers have determined no
to go back into greater ignorance, aud wors
poverty, and organized crime, but to dcman
a larger remuneration for their work, and 5
keep themselves above water, and bring u
their families in the fear Of God
The accounts which we have received @
their first general Council at bennington ar
very entertaining and instructive. 1t was a
assembly Of thousands. 1t was composed @
men whose honest faces shonc with a ne,
hope, and whose STOPPING forms seemed to ris
iuto ereciness, and whose ringing cheers wer
mixed with deyout utterances of #" Amen,
! " Praise Him." and Glory to God" On
old man, who had been thirty years soldier
then farm lnborer, aud had never receive
over one shilling day for war or work, an
( was finally pensioned of on 20 cents wee
and a loaf of bread, said, Sir, this be
blessed day. This ere Union be the Nose
to lead us poor men up out O. Egypt" Hun
dreds Of the delegates to the assembly had
story to tell of their own sad lives, and the,
would tell it, and they did. The speaking fel
out of the hands Of the parliamentarians ant
gentlemen who undertook to guide the move
meut, into the hands of the poor peasants an,
humble villagers. The striking difference
between the pronunciation of the yarou
speakers, and the homey honesty of all, wer
very effective. One delegate commenced hi
speech with, " Genelmen, aud b'Iuyd Chris
sen trends" A second informed the assem-
bly, that King David sed as how the US
banman as labors must be fust partaker Q
the fruit - adding, "and now he's mostly tn
last, and loike euuff gets none at all An
other remarked, " that little things wus ofte
chuz to do graat ones, aud when e sa' tn
poor labrin man comm forrud in this 'er
, movement aud bringin' O. the farmers +
! terms, he wur reminded o many things in tn
Scriptures, more perticler o. the rams horn
what blew down the walls o. Jericho au
frightened Pharo King of Egypt One excl
ted considerable amusement by quoting tw
j verses descriptive of farm life in 1867 an
1870
! 1867.
The farmers at the plough
HIS vile milking the COW,
, His boys threshng in the barn.
His daughters spinning yarn,-
) All happy ~ a charm.
1870.
! The farmers gone to see a show,