Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-07-30
The Ranks of Labor.
March IF tie Lochea-oaa EaJorers IN.
ENGLAND.

-HdTcR of tSe L0ckea-Ola Ldb0reYs III
England.
! Cambridge June 2f-Night> Correspondence
of London News.
The long-talked-of procession of ag-
rioulturai laborers through the North
ern and Midland countries has at
length begun. This morning Mr..
Taylor. the General Secretary of the.
National UufoR. selected about seventy.
men in the Newmarket dictrict, and
started from thas sowa Ser Cambridge
shertly after clock, arriving there.
about 8. All the men wore blue rib
bons, and some carried flags, while
others collected money along the route.
The Procession was headed by wagon
drawn by one horse, on which were
pflcarded the words -'luoney-box,
troIa which ore was gwen to uader<
stand that ample provisions had been
made Tor conveying almost any SUM
that woald bes forshcomiag. The
weather, taking all things into consia-
GRAFTON, was everything that could be-
desired for the commencement OF ths
march II not too hot or too cold. with
few drops of rain to iay the dust, so
that un Ter these circumstances the
first days work was by no means
severe, considering the distance
thirteen miles.
The object of the march, as defined
by one of the men. who, by the way,
all appeared exceptionally quiet and
respectable, is to excite sympathy
and to collect subscriptions, = to which
may, perhaps, be added for the pur-
pose Of improving their moral and
social condition and that of their class
generally" From Cambridge they
p oeeedel to Bed ord via Potion and
u4m!ingay, where they will arrive in
the course of tomorrow, doing part of
the journey by rail. Among the more
important towns which they propose
visiting are Wolverhampton, Sheffield.
Birmingham, Coventry and Noting
ham, where the final demonstration is
to take place, probably on the 11th of
July. In some Of these towns there
are, as it is we'll known, large and in
fuontial rade.unions, who will, in all
probability, march in procession with
the laborers through their respective
towns, besides atiording them material
help in a pecuniary point of view.
On arriving at Cambridge the men
We're supplied with substantial din
ner through the hberality of local
gentleman, and afterwards proceeded
to all open space known as Midsummer
Common, to hold what is usually de-
scribed as a demonstration, but which
on the present occasion was nothing
out OF the ordinary way as regards
open-air meetings. A large wagon did
duty as platform, and on it were the
chairman, Mr.. Hail, member of the
Cambridge Town Council, Messrs.
Taylor, Ford, and one or two others.
The. Spectators below were tolerably
large in number, perhaps 2000, but
most Of them seemed to be there more
tout Of curiosity than for any other
purpose.
Resolutions were carried upholding
the right OF combination of laborers
and according sympathy and support
to the men. Mr.. Taylor said the ac-
ton Of the laborers was not due to
agitation, but to the dissemination Of
the principles Of uniorssm in rural dis
tricts. The farmers had adopted
unionism, though Of an unjust kind.
and as they employed as secretary a
lawyer, they had no right to object to the
labofers having delegates and advocates.
The lab,rers did not intend making
this ''pilgrimage' pleasure trip, but
a means Of circulating the facts Of the
case throughout the country. in order
t. elicit sympathy and support 1t
was stated by otheEspeakers that there
We're 5000 union men in Cambridge
district. After. a coIleetion had been
made the pilgrim laborers formed
procession through tue streets, amid
steadily-taliing rain, and were then
told of TO their respective quarters for
the nj ght'