, 1873-06-08

nominating candidates Tor State ana otnei
Offices The Organization 9f f. ka kpa1Sy to Mo51
object Of the cali. The General WAS hercely A.
tackled by some members, and as warmly de-
Tended By others. The meeting did not seem
to be in full accord as to it,
he3 dRnsat t. nd ose sASi %h. 'n0ag t6ss
wanted, and lay down their principles first
Another did not wish to lay down any principles
at all, but simply to unite on the question Of the
iaterests OF labor, and, after they got tho power
the principles and; measures would follow
Power first, md principles afterwards, may
strike many persons as q not entirely novel plat.
form for political party, though it is seldom &C
frankly ayoWed-
Then there Was the general convention Of
the
NEW ENGLAND LABoR-REFOnM LEAGUE,
whose mission ia not to organize the forces oil
labor tor any specific purpose, but to discuss
meetings we're held In Nassau Hall, and were
largely attendad, tho old agitators OF both
He1es, who come mp every year to pass ferocious
resolutions, and propose infallibls solutions oi
the great problems, Of aootety and politics,
presented the usual tumble Of sense and
nonsense. They declared al property not found
ed on a labor-ttle to be robbery recommended
to politicians, or, in their Own phrase, "poltical
Jockeys" to take measures "lookin8 to the
&UIHHVA g1 3AILk10lI116tit. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. y.
and tariffs favored free travel and transit, and
the reputation of so~called debts, the principal
whereof has been paid in the form OF interest. =
They also inyeighed strongly against the vim.
lence Of the Christian Church toward industrial
and social reform )" chAracterized the discrim-
ter Of wages as " an exhibition OK depravity not
pleasant to contemplate !" and urged increasing
effort for the assistance Of humanity against
still prevailing barbartBm."
THE SCHEME xosr N FAVOR
tor reforming the world, this year, was one
which: advocated BY several speakers, was called
graduated ta1at1on." The plan js, briefly, to
exempt from taxation all accumplations Of prop
erty leas than 5000; on all between 5000
and S10,0 to lay tax Of e of per cent
botween SIC, COO md $4,000, i Of | per cent :
and go on 10 ratio Increasing @ as IL The sum ln-
when the tax should be per cent. Upon es-
tates Of $1,000 600 it should be 20 per cent. and
OF s6, 000, 900 and upwards 50 per cont! That is
as far as the scheme goes, and very little
arithmetic is necessary to calculate the point
where mans accumulations must cease Alto
gether, and his property be wholly absorbed by
his taxes. The speeches made swept a. im-
menae range Of topics, some Of which did not
seem to be very well understood by the speakers
themselves All sorts Of people aired all sorts
for remodeling society, and showed all shadea Of
temper, benevolent and malign.
Black spirits aud white,
Blue spirits and grsy,
they seemed united mainly In q resolve to de-
nounce every existing form Of government and
religion, but had no call to show us anything
better to take their places. They we're, however,
very amicable among themselves; but few per-
sonalities we're indulged in +; and, doubtless, the
terribly ly-denunoiatory expressions they used
against all oPponents we're intended to be taken
mainly in = pickwickian sense.
Finally, theSe waa the
cHn1sr1AN LABOR UNION,
q recently formed organization, composed OF
those reformars who do not accept the extreme
views of the majority. The leader Of this move
ment is the Rev. Jesse Jones, the author OF
aud It's objee. Is to divorce tue - really,
meritorious elements Of the labor-ques-
ton from the mass OF Inconsistencies
and sophistries with which it has become
associated, and establish lahor-movement on
9 basis Of Christianity, sound philosophy, and
common sense. The prospects Of the enterprise
are encouraging, and it bids fair to accomplish q
really useful work.
regret that I have not left myself more
space in this letter in which to speak OF the re-
cent very interesting exhibition OF drawings by
the students OF
TIE SCHOOL or PRACTICAL DESIGN,
established less than year ago, under the d.
rection Of the Institute OF Technology. This is
free school, the expenses Of which are de-
1fAJed Dy the Lowell 1unn, and whose course OF
PafiBg j|RA5uGt6p9 in a{lgteating pre-
carpets, paper-hangings, oi1cloths, calco-prinfs,
delaines, shawls, and various si1k-fabrics, the
manufacturers ct which. have hitherto been
obliged to depend upon foreign talent for their
designs, as there were no American designers
trained for the delicate work. Less than
year ago, Prot. Runkle, President OF the Insti-
tuition, conceived the idea ct establishing school
for the purpose Of developing the talent which
he believed to exist here for this branch Of art.
His course opened in October last, under tbs
tutelage OF Prof. Chas. Kastner, q practical de-
signer, educated in Paris and the results, as
shown In the recent exhibition, have surprised
even the waxmest friends OF the echeme. The
problem whether arst-class American designs
can. be made, Is already solved by the results OF
these few months work. The progress which
has been made BY quite young pupils is truly
surprising, and it is thought that = three years,
course in this department Of the Institute vii
suffice to make these students proficient. The
course is free to both sexes, and the high stand
ing Of the Institute will give to it's graduates q
prestige which can hardly fail to secure them
good employment. The school is one Of great
practical utility, Is 1t must necessarily prove Of
immense advantage to many branches Of An2eri-
can industry. E. B. g.