The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-08-07
Labor Reform Convention.

LOWELL, Mass. Aug. 4.
The following is the conclusion of the
Presidents address
The Pacific mills has gone further the
Atlantic mills has long been run on the ten
hour plan, Lowell has lately fallen so far
behind Fall River that she has not one half
the number of spindles and looms which
Fall River has. Lowell, too, has advanced
some steps towards the system which we
desire. In the last hearing on the question
before a legislative committee, openly and
frankly abandoned many of the objections
which they had heretofore strenuonsly
urged and avowed that they were ten hours
men, provided the system could be intro
duccd without legislation. 1t is to lcgisla-
ton alone that they now object. They no
longer resist this measure on its politico
economical or upon its sanitary account
and sense we have in the example of Great
Britain as conclusive evidence that legisla-
ton can effect the introduction Of the sys-
TEN, the merits of which our opponents no
longer dispute and especially since our bill
has several times passed the House of Re-
representatives.. The course to he taken
seems too plain to be mistaken.
1t is not to seekto create any new party.
1t is not to nominate Il state ticket in OPP
position to the two political parties which
now exist but it was to make our issues on
the senators and representatives and to the
good of both the existing parties to fur
thering our distinctive measures. Reform
ers were untrammeled by party ties and
would speak with whole mind on the
living issues of the day. After defining the
| policy to be pursued touching the hours of
labor it will become the duty to extend our
| fraternal congratulations to the farmers of
| wishes for the success in their efforts to
procure cheaper transportation from the
| praries to the tide-waters of the East. The
great demand of New England working
men was for cheap bread and that at pres
| ent the great prerequisite to cheap bread
was cheap transportation. The great battle
now fighting for cheap transportation in
| the West is essentially our own battle and
we should not fail here and now
to bid the champions of cheap transporta-
| ton and the enemies of all railroad mono
poles hearty Godspeed. The tendency
of the caucus system to stimulate the for
nation of corrupt rings and to fill public
offices with unworthy incumbents, had
a large manifest and il was the duty, as
tribute their share of effort to bring this
system into disuse, but it is not for me to
announce what the convention should do
except in general way. All know that
platforms of political parties are generally
composed of decayed planks, touching the
abolition of slavery which was swept away
ten years ago the prosecution of the war
which was barely closed by the construc-
ton of the Union, which was never
dissolved or the form of our government
which has long secured its original ANNA
ting spirit, whereas | think they should
touch directly upon the living questions of
the day, upon the restoration of our cur
rency, the reformation of our banks,
the interfering of our commerce, the
punishment of public thieves, the suppress
sion of Credit Mobilier scandals, the extinc-
ton of all forms of social spoilation, the
education OF the people and the elevation
of labor.