New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-25
MEETINGS OF WORKINaMEE.

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MEETINGS OF w0RKINaMEE.
The meetings of workingmen are nc
longer confined to farmers. The spiri,
that first drove the tillers of the soil in
the West to make their grievances known,
and finally found favorable response from
the entire farming interest of the land, has
at last stirred up the workingmen of our
cities. In New York, Chicago and Gin
cinnati, significant meetings have already
been held; and others will likely take
place. The most significant one in New
York, in the recent movement, was held
in Cooper Institute on the evening of the
eleventh instant. The objects of that
meeting, as given by the chairman, were to
devise means by which the suffering and
unemployed of that great city might OBJ
tain work for the winter; and that the in
terests of lal or throughout America might
be permanently promoted. In connection
with these two propositions, the chairman
read telegram from Cleveland, Ohio,
saying that the hearts of the workingmen
of the great West beat in unison with
those of the East
But this meeting did not confne itself
to the objects set forth by its president.
There were other features in it that might
reasonably lead some persons to believe
there were political influences at work not
Ear from the agrarian stripe. These fea-
lures were displayed in the decorations of
the room in which the meeting was held
consisting of notices, placards, etc.
Among these, good and bad things were
made to appear. One of the placards
contained the following statement:
All salaries should be reduced; no $l7 900
judgeships 100000 sheriff, $250,0OO county
clerk, $40, 900 chamberlain. They are eX-
pensive luxuries in these hard tunes.
Though we are inclined to think the |
Democratic Office holders Of New YORK |
city who enjoy these high salaries will |
not agree with US, we think this one of the |
good features of the workingmens meet
ing in question. And this is not the only !
one Of the same nature, though somewhat
foreign to the objects of the meeting as
given by the president. The chief OBJ
ject was to provide for the one hun
dred and ten thousand idle per-
persons reported to be walking the streets
Of New York in search of employment or
charity by day, or sleeping in charitable
stationhouses, stables, carts
and Railways at night. This was mat
Ter that demanded immediate relief, and
The meeting should have confined itself to
that work. The committee that reported
one hundred and ten thousand idle per-
sons in the city of New York, in con-
1ition next to starvation, also reported
'ne hundred and eighty-two thousand
men out of work in the State. The same ]
committee also reported that they had
earned from the commissioners of
charity that more than two hundred
respectable poor persons find lodg-
ng each night upon the floors Of the over
crowded almshouses, and that no more
AN be admitted under present provis-
ons; and that at the various lodging
louses for women and girls, about one
hundred per night are turned away to the
nercies of the street, and that many help
ess women, widows and children find |
themselves on the streets for non
payment of rent, and totally unable to
provide themselves with food; and that
he average wages of thirty-eight thousand
Working women and children in the city
f New York is only 50 "a Fer week when
hey can get work.
This is certainly a more fearful condi-
ion of things in the city of New York
han persons unacquainted with them are
prepared to believe. There must have
een great influx of poor persons from ;
Europe to have thus overrun all the chart
able institutions in that city, noted for
IS munifcent charities extensive police
tations and prison houses. But taking
for granted that the statements made
q regard to the poor of New York at the
aeeting in question are correct, and with
ut stopping to question the cause of so
luch real poverty in the presence of IN
ounded wealth, obtained by industry S
nd enterprise open to all, many will
eem some of the means proposed to a
emedy the evils complained of entirely
ut Of place. In the first place, the great
lass of Americans will not agree with t
he assertion put forth at the meeting
bove referred to, which declares ''that /
overnment employment is the remedy '
or strikes" The demand made for sus- '
ension of rents for three months is an t
Their bad feature in the meeting. The 1
esolution setting forth that the working e
len Of New York being law-abiding citi- e
ems, wished to avoid all outrage on the b
ersons Or property of any, is strangely t
consistent with the one that follows it, j
eclaring that 'they will supply them I
elves and families with proper shelter r
nd the necessaries of life, and send the t.
ills to the city treasury to be Equidated,
ntil such time as they obtain work." In ,
lct, the resolutions throughout breathe ,
spirit of revolution totally out of place
l republican America. If they had been
rawn up by George Francis Train him
Elf, they could not have been more preg- .
ant with the elements of revolution of i
lie direst kind. The meeting also favored .
le American people with an address, ),
as cure for existing evils: :.
law shall be immediately y