The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-04-13
From the Peoria Democrat.
Meeting of the Workingmen at Peoria.
speech hy Gapsaln Cogxw we'll.

hlled by the most Respectable OF tne traues-
men of the city and the meeting was or
DERBY throughout. Mr.. c. e. Coffinberry,
President II the Labor Reform Association
ii this city called the meeting t. order
and stated its purpose and import In the
absence Il Conrad Juelg. Secretary, j. W.
Nyrlch. Secretary pro tenn, read the min
utes Of the previous meeting for organiza-
tiun held ii Frnian Hall on the 18th of
March
+. VI. Barrett, Chairman of the Execu-
tive Committee. made statement that it
was the Judgment If the committee that a
vice president from every general trade
should Is appointed, and that there should
hc member II the Executive Committee
from each ward IN the city, and also from
each township Of the county, as fast as they
can organize branch societies
The Chairman announced several trades
which had not vet provided a member Of
the Executive Committee. James Hazard,
for the brlcklayers Robert Stillwell, for
the Plasters James Day, for the miners I;
and John >tIllwell, for the painters, were
nominated and their nominations unani-
muusly Endorsed by the meeting.
The following trades are still to furnish
committeeman
Timers. cigar makers. engineers, tailors,
mlllers, bakers, sh"emakers, harness max
ers and hoatmen
James Hneman. + NJ. Barrett, Robert
Sullivan and MIR. Green were appointed to
suggest a full executive committee and to
report after the meeting
Captain William Cogswell, Of Ottawa,
vas then introduced, and addressed the
meeting at some length He is a plain,
blunt speaker. making his statements with
great precision and clearness. and ready at
all times To- hack them up with proof His
speech Was listened to throughout with
marked attention and was frequently ap-
plaud,d.
The speaker said that he would not 90
into general detail If the causes and ef-
ircts, and the anticipated results Of the La
hur Reform Muvement He was a work
Ing man. and labored at his trade as a
muuldrr IN Peoria - years ago. He had
been identified with the working mems i'll
tcr,sts for long time Ii these men ex-
I.tct anyh.,dy L. labor for their cause they
must labor fer It themselves.
4 prejudice exists at the present time
against any man taking the stump for the
cause Whu has not been educated in some
honorable profession. This prejudice,
u y. ever j. against the spirit az free gov
ment When the government was formed
it Was designed to he a republic, with equal
rights t. all The census Of 1890 showed
that the property wealth reached y. 600
0". $50, and the population 5000, 900.
Thirty p,.r cent. of the population owned
one-half Of the wealth and 20 per cent the
other half, which was a better showing than
could W. made by any other country on the
globe What is the change that 20 years
have wrought
In 1850 the wealth d the country was
S20. Wu. ono WD. and the population 80
HO, WO. How was the wealth distributed
Five per cent. Of the population was in pos
session If "a per cent. If the wealth, and
that per cent. never earned dollar Of it,
In another seventy years, at that rate, we
will BE- il the condition Of England, where
one per cent Of the population own ninety
per cent. of the property, and then good
bye to republicanism and free government
Those who now have votes for sale in all
the cities are paupers, who have no pride Of
country, and it is not desirable that one
halt Of the voters Of the country should
by bad legislation be reduced to such a
condition. The laws Of the country from
Washington down, have not been made by
those interested in the productive classes,
and hence they were not made in the in
terests Of these classes
The speaker then gave a history of the
National Labor Society, which had laid the
matter If reform before the statesmen of
the country. but had met with no encour-
agement. The matter was brought before
the Convention which nominated Grant at
Chicago, and the committee presenting it
were mceremoniously given To know that
they were not delegates, and that their
room was more desirable than their pres
ence. 1t was brought to the attention Of
the Convention which nominated Gov. Sey-
mour, and that Convention white washed
it and incorporated it as a plank in the
Democratic platform. Grant was inter
viewed, and he gave the messenger to UNI
derstand that he had no time to attend to
such things. and had no confidence in the
Trumbull, Davis, Gratz
Brown, and others were asked for hear
ing, some Of whom spoke encouragngly Of
the movement, and promised cooperation.
In 1870 the first political step was taken,
and at the National Labor Congress at st.
Louis in 1871, delegates were appointed
who nominated Judge Davis at Columbus
The speaker then proceeded to discuss
the platform Of the Columbus Convention.
We have space to refer but briefly to a few
of the points made.
The money system of the country is
governed by a ring which endeavors to
fleece the producing classes out of every
thing excepting barely enough to keep soul
and body together. Labor produces all
wealth Production is made only by rise
in real estate, home industry, and importa-
ton. The rate Of increase for the past 20
years has been only 3 Is per cent per an
num- Then why should our Legislators at
Springfield enact law that money shall
draw 10 per cent. per annum. Laboring
men not only proposed to send men to
legislate for the country, but they are going
to do it. Do not vote for man who is not
qualified as well as his opponent, but let
working men, if they are not themselves
well educated, train and educate their chill
dren that they may take their position in
the affairs of the nation.
To intelligent mechanics is due the credit
for all the great improvements which have
been made in industrial machinery, not to
professors in colleges, to doctors and law
yers To the brain and the muscle of the
land, belongs the praise for the steamboat,
the steam car, the reaping machine, the
power loom, and all the great inventions
What improvements have been mada> in the
learned profession Twenty yeaz 40, in
4 his CfrcnTf Co1tr& fx.-o lou-xyo,.. = -