The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-01-11
THE WORKINGMEN.
Great Meeting at the Cooper
Union Last Night.
CALL FOR A LABOR PARTY.
How the ToiIers Are Oppressed by the
Great Capitalists


the great importance Of promptly adopting such meas
ures as will revive our Industries in order that
employment may be obtainable by the thousands OF
cperatyes now so much in need OF it, The hour
for opening the business OF the evening was
ret at haltpas seven, and promptly at that
time Miss s Myra Hall and three other ladies'
appeared on the platform, and thereafter they
were followed thther by Peter Cooper and other
gentlemen, among whom Thomas j Dreamer,
Alexander Troup, Lee Andrew Thompson, T. Mas
torson, W. NJ Boucher and others. The assembage
called 10 order by W. A. A. Carsey who after
briefly stating the objects of the meeting called upon
the Secretary g. W. MADDOX read The list OF officers.
Mr.. Peter Cooper's headed the list
Mr. Cooper said that he desired unite with the
workngmen in acourse OF efforts TO find out aud re-
the that now render it difficult for even
those who willing work find shelter and sup
port Said Mr.. Cooper:-"It will be a bright day for
the workingmen of our country when they firmly de-
clare their independence of all the entangng alliances
that prevent them individuals from
demanding their full rights al American citi-
and substitute instead Of their present
societies cooperative unions means of securing to
themselves the profits Of their own labor am con-
WINGED that when American system Of finance is
adopted which shall put all that circuates as money
entirely and exclusively under the control OF the govern
making II receivable for all duties and debts en-
ployment all the working classes and prosperity for
Al the conclusion OF Mr. Coopers speech the Secre-
tary read a letter from George 0pdyke in reply TO
the Chairman of the Executive Committee OF the meet
ing inviting him TO attend IT, The gist OF the response
was prior engagement would not allow him to be
present but he felt authorized TO that the Board of
Trade had deep interest IN the subject TO be discussed
= the meeting and would be grat1ed TO confer with
any committee they might appoint TO meet them.
The next speaker was Mr.. Lee Andrew Thompson,
who advocated a union of the workngmen 10 control
Legislatures so as TO make the national government
the superintendent OF education, commerce and
finance for the benefit OF the people.
Mr.. Wallace ?. Groome, following Mr.. Thompson, ad-
vsed the reduction OF rates OF interest by the national
government making money OF paper, regulating its
chan geable holders option with bonds of the gov
eminent bearing equitable rate OF interest
Alexander Troop, OF New Haven, was next intro
duccd, and called upon the workingmen who had come
TO the meeting to ind fault with municipal State or
national governments to remember that they consti-
tued sevenenths OF the voting population, and had,
consequently, the iull power in their own hands to
make laws He declared that the workingmen OF New
York would stand higher the social and
political scale II there not many OF them venal.
Referring the treatment which the laboring class had
received at the hands of Kelly and Wickham and their
correS the speaker said he regretted that the work
had been obliged to take hold Of branch of a
corrupt organization to rebuke another The evils that
Cypress the industries of the country he attributed
tirely bad legislation the currency question.
Peoniug the State national Legislature the speaker
deprecated as something humiating and useless
'Who heard.n said he ''of national bank pc
titoning Congress for anythingy They have their
representatives the floor and the lobby; but you
voting population, out in the cold and must petition
the men you have elected TO power"
The Secretary then read an address 10 Congress,
citing the grievances of the worklngmen of the United
States, and setting forth their needs; currency Of
adequate volume and unnuctuatng value; the present
national debt put possible in the hands
people 10 furnish the necessary credit to
TO work again the enterprise and labor Of the nation
The following preamble and resolutions were
adopted
Whereas the working and producing OF the city,
for Of organization aud unity, have allowed the
Who by OF class rule and class legislation have
tVe Of Suffering aud crime therefore be L
heSvea mat tae working people OF New YORK repndate
opposed TO the best interests aud welfare the people and
new party based upon The principles OF liberty equality and
Resolved That all labor organizations friendly
TO labor hereby requested send delegation Of Eve
street and Third avenue York on Thursday evening
January ~ TO aid in forming central committee OF the
Labor Reform party.
MR.. cRKAmER's SPEECH
After speeches by several workingmen and by Mrs.
Myra Hall the Hon. Thomas J. Dreamer was introduced
He said
LADIES AND GESrIEMKS-Even at this late hour III
ask you and hear a few facts in relation to
pocs, but relation 10 taxes Nearly 100 years ago
lreland's great phisosophic poet wrote the lines:-
III fares the land to Fastening ills prey'
Where wealth aecumulates and men decay
A little more than 100 years ago, IN Boston Harbor
the people Of the Commonwealth OF Massachusetts
beiled against the mother country, and, repudi-
aiing the action of Great Britain in taxing
tea boarded the vessels in Boston Harbor and
threw the tea into Boston Bay. More than 100 years
have rolled to-day grand old Boston instead OF
throwing tea in the harbor they dshng soup
the poor. To-day New York there over 200 900
idle hands in the great Western metropolis
the great financial centre OF the world There
Is poverty such as we never before have
perience The panic with us is chronic Why is II
elsewhere ST. LOUIS whose citizens claim that city
will run by US at an early day, = prosperous CHI
g0 pr0sPe sD WE re" s oTS ana bo sCs
n pecuniary revolution. No longer do the
cities OF the West come New York buy goods but
20 direct TO Europe, and simply have agent here.
The first great obligation OF society is furnish
people with food and shelter, and not
outstanding that this great country produces
here but all OF Europe II necessary; find that the
great monster the great tyrant OF the day, recog
toll upon the produce Of the he West ' that
II starvation here upon seaboard.
u formerly occupied you've got TO have the right OF
way 10 the great West Capital Is not only
throtting labor here but has been cheating
and defraudng IL | wish that the great Railroad
King Of this city would such an interest in these
questions as the venerable citizen whom all respect
30 much and who rs with here TO night would
that the great Railway King who reputed worth
from 100000, 600 TO $50, 900, 900, would endeavor
TO do something for his fellow men instead
Of gratifying his thirst aud avarce
Notwithstanding the high freights OF railway
corporations we could tolerate them but for
one thing In this city alone there $500 900 900 In
mortgages on personal properly and In this State there
are $500 co., 900 Of capital IN stocks and bonds
SAfooV ~oN,VVV h ah-ieptesehNnb to',VOO OF taxes
that does not pay. There will be
6ny per fewer property owners and
lot on this island next year than there
years ago; capital Is absorbing Il all The MORTGAGE
Is coming down the mortgsgor and taking his prop
erty from him. Wealth Is accumuatns, and OF
course, will decay
AS the bells o. ST. Faurs church. in London rang In
ihe year their sound fell upon the ears OF 1000
beggaTS In that great city, the commercial metrop-
OILS OF the financial and commercial world, men
decay because wealth accumulates Eighteen thousand
people all the land 10 Great Britain The citizens
Of this country are allowing themselves by degrees
10 be treated IN the same manner You have here a
railroad aristocrscy. Take the New York
Central or Hudson River Railroad, which
represents a capital Of $50 700 00O-sq0 900 900
stock and $40 600 90 Of bonded debt Where does Il
pay It's taxes Its representatives, 60 tax Office
and make affidavit that they pay taxes Albany while
q is evident that the entire county Of Albany pay
axes altogether on bat $500 000, o0O.
Here in New York real estate has deprecated from
forty 10 sixty per cent man pays interest a
mortgage upon bis property 10 tho capitalist who