The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-12-05
f, ON new YORK.
New IoRk, December 4th. 1874

In great city like New York a CORE
spoudent need never be lost FIR a subject
to dilate upon. If he requires il. he can
ma an hundred a day. Ii he chooses he
can enter into the whirlpool uf finance,
which he finds on Wall street every day.
Should lie become nauseated with the
richness Of his theme, he Jan turn t. the
lower and poverty stricken districts Of the
city, and write volume on the needs and
requirements Of reform in the sanitary
laws Of the city, aud imagine to himself in
what form it would be best to frame the
new Poor Law bills, to provide FOR the in
creased Pauperlzatlou Of the city. Should
his genius not he satisfied, he can rauble
tor time among the crimes aud causalties
"t the day, whore he could lind material
for a new book. Should tins not content
his inquiring mind, he could drop into the
political cauldron among the rings, good
aud bad, which are continually bubbhnc
TO the surface in this great metropolis of
the West. Then, leaving all such vile
and unclean things, he might reiuvenate
himself by Walk among the churches.
as that venerable O. I'D fogy, the Times,
VT your city, puts it, But as thu Apvo-
CATE is tabor journal, will coutine nv
self 70 the progress Of the
LoNGSHoRE>MAN srEIkE.
which is at present absorbing much Of the
public attention. 1t must be confessed
that 1t has caused great Inconvenience to
the shipping interests Of this city, as many
Of the packet and steamship lines have
their vessels laying at their wharves with
cargues ready and consigned hut unable
or unwilling to nave them loaded, as they
u" not care t. risk their cargoes to iucxpe-
rienced hands Taking the number out
n employment gluyuuJ into cansidvra-
ton, 1t must be confessed that the men
that the men have conducted themselves
IN an orderly ana peaceabIe manner. 1t
IS true that there has been q fes enc, unit
rs 81 a personal character. which some IF
the papers magnihcd into a riut. but those
who Witnessed them know the falsitv 81
those charges. All violence ana disorder
= discountenauced by the Association.
whose officers are continually counsellng
peace and spbriety
ln order ~ place themselves right be-
fore the public, the Association held
A LARGE MASS MEETING
at the Cooper Institute, on the evening u
the 30th ult. The great hall II the Insti-
tute vas filled With 'longshoresmeu and
their friends, and every seat aud standing
place was occupied. Conspicuous among
the audience was George Francis Train,
who occupied seat On the front bench.
E-+SomPany with Theodore Banks.
The speakers Of the evening occupied
positions on the stage. among whom were
Roger Bank, James Ashton, Geo McCort,
and James Walsh. The meeting VAS
called t. order BY Roger Bank, who nom
mated the Hon. Richard O'Gorman as
chairman. Mr.. OGorman. on taking the
seat, SAID
! ask your good leave to explain who |
whose labor in life is So different from that
ut most q you, take SO leading part III
your convention tonight What | say
shall be frank and sincere, as a friend u
friends, and the things ! speak shall be
best tor your honor and my honor There
IS no natural antagonism between capital
and labor. 1t is by the union Of the two
that our prosperity is promoted, and by a
quarrel between them that our commerce
IS laId l0w. Such az .rrel it should he
the ann Of all good men to prevent, or
when once arisen, to end. There is on our
shore contention between the tWo-a Sc
rIous dispute between the owners of CAPITAL
and owners Of labor By it the commerce
Of our port Is delayed, and the vessels car
rvlng our flag go out to sea with matches
down over cargUes so loosely slowed that
not only IS the merchandise risked, but
there IS danger for the ships themselves,
and for the lives they bear. This meeting
Is timely ana proper. Some Of the news
papers have, to a certain degree, been hos
tile toward you, and have forestalled pub
lie opinion. Now it is time for you to
make your statement public, and rest as
sured If you present well your cause you
will find that prblic opinion is ready to be
convinced, and pretty sure in the end to
be right.
Mr.. Jennings was introduced by the
chair, and reiterated his charges against
the Welsh Bros, saying that they must
beat them or acknowledge them their SD
periors. They had boosted tile owned the
longshoremen He was interrupted by a
cousin Of the Welshes, who was subse- |
queDtly elected from the room, and when
order was restored the following resolu-
tons were adopted
WHEREAS, We, the men EMPLOYED in |
loading and unloading cargoes in the port |
Of New York, commonly called Long |
shoremen, feeling that unjust demands |
are made on ms by our employers. the |
merchants and stevedores, in pressing on |
us a reduction of wages unnecessary and |
excessive, are DESTROYS that our case should |
he fully and fairly laid before the public.
and have assembled in mass meeting for
that purpose therefore
Res0ired, That we yield to no men. rich
or poor, III respect for the rights of capital
or in solicItude for the prosperity Of the
port and city Of New York.
That We are, and always have been. will
ing to give our labor for the lowest price al
which it is possible to sustain ourselves
and families in ordinary decency and com
fort
That we have always been and are will
ing to bear our fair share in reducing the
port charges, and with that view have re-
Gently offered to reduce the rate Of our
wages by the hour to forty cents al hour
day work and sixty cents an hour for night
work, instead of eighty cents for night
work, which has heretofore been the rate.
That the merchants and stevedores re-
quire further reduction to thirty cents an