The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-07-30
Congressman Cobb Meets the
WOrkiDgmen Of the City.
A Rousing Reception rendered
Him 1T Laing's Hall.
Resolutions passed Endorsing
the Honorable Gentleman.
A Pcsume Of the Eight-Hour
Law and the Debt OF the
.",er, m.Mt to the La.
boring Man.

r
gratitude and appreciation, on the part oil
the workipemen, fer his strenuous and en-
deavors, vi lie in Congrss', to further their
iuteres an as i.t them in obtaining THEIR
inst dues from the government. II vas
full and most enthusiastic meeting. Repre-
seuting the hone and kinew Of this f.r mt
tronolis !, v.s an ovation with which but few
public men eIe blessed, and which cannot
help but be source Of Pride and grsunCa'
ton to the distinguished recipient; FOR inc
demonstration came from the oo'to% Vi
these work iagmeb's hearts. They we're hon-
est in their applause. P0iplcs ueN
throxn aside for the nonce. and kePooieans
and Democrats Wed with each ether IN sneal
endeavors to shout out their apPreciauon u
the man Who had of his own free VII con-
septed to be their champion in The ieels'a-
tive halls of the nations capital. Amer .
few soul-stirring airs BY the band, C'i; Co1o
made his appearance, accompanied 1y Ine
committee, and was sree.ea y
round after round OF applause
The meeting organized BY electing M.
Peter u Farrell as president, and feter Cal'
roll. secretary. MI. O'Farrtll stated oiiel-
" the object Of the meeting, and reiefreo 70
Col Cobb in the NEST complimentary man
ner. He explained hi, srjuous endeavois
in Congress. in behalf of the woIkingmen'
and wound I'D BY introducing the honorable
gentleman, himeelf, Who made the ioiioW-
Ing eloquent and practical remark:
Fsllou Citizens:
On the 25.h day of June, 1868. the act Of
Congress which provides that eight hours
sh,i1 constitute days work for al labor
o.. vorkmen and mechanics in the employ
ment of he L nited sta.es, became the Law
81 The land. and from that time forth eight
Ionrc of honest labor has constituted an
hone.t davis work for such employee. i,
Th;. l.v has been the subject OF EXTENDED
nd acrimonious discussion. 1t Is popular
n the nopuIsr branch OF Congress. and un.
ronnI.r n the Senate. 1t has been hailed
riih delight BY the toiling masses OF the
country. whom il did not personally AFFECT,
"A = recognition on the part OF the law
making pover, of the claims Of ''"'' - .
10 more leisure, for the. imprc' ue"' %, lac
mind and cultivation of social rel.tiois
II has been severely condemned BY many,
who deem it the of-pring Of the demagegue
ch.rlstsp. seeking to psnder 10 the wees
and wisbe, OF . class in order to retain pow
er Nv the votes of that clas'. Among the
oppouents of the law, entertaining these
viexs of is origin, are to he found large
nnmber of officials of the United Slater, who
for the most part, owe their official existence
IN The % same demaeogues and charlatans, -
thew conceive them to be. Upon these de-
! ,ol.ed the execution and far sdminisira-
lion Of the Law. Secure in their own posi-
tion,. and conscious of their own lmmacu.
late judgment of its iniqultous bir'h ana
early demise, they set about, not 10 admin
lister the Law as faithful ofhcer', Out 10 evade
it. Hence, in the midst OF NO extraer'
binary d. m,nd for labor at Fort Leav-
enworth, the commanding General Of this
Department, in violation OF the Iul and
regulations Of the army, ordered the pubic
work shops TO be kept open In order TO en-
able cit zen employees to perform extra
hours of labor, while at the same time he
reduced the wages Of the men in government
employ in the exact proportion OF division
OF the DAVIS labor into ten hours. The same
action was taken BY the officers 10 charge OF
the work on the public buildings in New
York, Boston, Chicago and elsewhere. In
short, 10 all tie departments Of the govern.
ment there seemed to be preconcerted and
willful scion not to carry out the supreme
legislative will, a. expressed in tbi. law,
until the 18th of May, 1869, the President
was compelled to to Go the surprising thing
of issuing q proclamation commanding his
off GERS TO obey the act 10 its letter and spirit
Bat all this awaited not, the Law in its spir-
1t c, NTH ued to be de6ed on many govern
ment works down to as late IS August, 1872,
when these recusapt officers, becoming con-
WINGED that Congress intended it should be
obryed, in good faith, gave up the light. 30
that to-day eight hours constitute days
labor fo- all laborers, workmen and me-
chanics in the employ Of the United States,
and full days wsges is paid them ior the
came. WOrkiDemen in Leavenvorth, te-
cause as your representative in C0nsres .,
have defended the justice ct this law; be-
cause have said The United States owed,
fcr extra service, its laborers, Workmen and
mechanics, Who, since the passage OF the acf,
had been compelled to work ten hours per
day to obtain . full days wages for their Ia
bor under the evasive orders Of the officers
cha, ged with the speei6c execution Of the
Law, ard introduced bill in the early days
Of the last session to appropriate funds to
pay this d BIT, and had it referred to
the proper committee; snl fail
bill from the committee having it in charge,
pressed the measure in sno:her form as an
amendment to pending appropriation bill,
and because, BY persistent eAor:s In the de-
partmentr, have secured 10 rome Of you .
Iortion of the money due you, in all Of
which I have simply done a Represents
tive's duty, ! receive the reward Of your
approval. Need ! tell you that the words,
well done, good and faithful seryan'," is to
. public man the sweetest boon his cOEsfitu.
ents can offer? For myaeif, I desire moth
ing more than such reward a. l lind 10
your welcome tO-ni.ht-s reward not len
dear to me because II Is rendered not by the
rich and powerful, but BY and in the name
of the laboring class.
Let me state, gentlemen, that when you
first applied to we 70 help You in this mat
ter, l, io,. va too strongiy Of the opinion
thst the eight hour lac "a, IN INV Sc oct,
and ouxh, 10 be abolished. l undertook to
sid you in the collec, ion OF these due~ in the
.puil Of lawyer who pre~.es . clear legal
ella 10, rgardIers Of its equity. But after
siudied the care my views charged. ] Io"g
since IL cided in my mind thrt the eight
tour Law was one IL The u ot ju-t aud v'sr
ac:s upon our statute boo, and thai 80 far
from its being IN ephemerai act, that il
would remain 20 long Is the republic de-
msnd IN diligence 10 iis rulere, dignity in it.
labor. virtu,. in is homer, and ~ide-spread
ard Discriminating knowledge among all
the citizens II there TO one ttone upou 4
which the structure Of the American Gov
-rnmeIt il ba~d. more distinct in it, out.
lines than on smother, more fair 10 look up
ON and whore outward eemblance fails 10 re-.
feet its inv ard trtc Ou-r e-s and which IL in
reality the chief stone Of It's foundation, il 10
that which supports the column Of free. TO-
dependent, ntsliigent labor. When the "a
Tiers pronounced the axiom thai ell Just
powers we're derived from the consent of
governed, they made su,e Of what you and I
sitoess to-dsy-ihe ballot in the hands of
every man VIC treads our s,a il he chooess
10 cast his lot With u. and citizenship, MOI
serfdom the birthIisht Of every ssnsient Be.
ing. viii citiz. nship came soveseignty
ADD responsibility. The fovereign who
rules . nation ought not TO be igoorsnt Of
bis nations wsne. No more should forty
million eovereigrs be ,gooeant spd unlee-
xred. The nation ruled BY one or many \,
ae'ds can oo'y be safe in the charge Of il
nte!l g p: and worthy men.
1t oilove, then, that the vorkingmen,
vho comprise . vast minority Of the elec-
ions. must be educated and Intelligent men.
The sfey Of the State over which they pre- [
ia With the sovereign power Of choosing {,
heir ruIess. and Of depos,sg them in COO. [
orrity to corsi.::--siessl form. pre- cribed I
y then = iike exarriss Of poS.s require {
his. and aai 500 cit;s@a, whether n.n,