The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-08-16
Labor Reform.

ZenS assembled III the Court House on
Tuesday evening, the 10Th August,
for the purpose of completing the or
OF the Abbeville Labor Re.
form Association.
Mr.. l.. w. White called the meet.
ing to order, when he made the fol.
remarks:
GENTLEMEN ! note with feelings
of honest pride and great satisfaction
the interest and enthusiasm will
which you are taking hold of this new
enterprise. We begin the work under
the most favorable auspices, and we
fail in the accomplishment Of
great good if we he but true to our.
selves and true to the purposes Of this
organization. discern much of hope
and encouragement in the grave anC
earnest faces which / see before lue,
They tell me that the undertaking
upon which we have entered is nc
play, they indicate work
work, work, and speak forth o deter
mination to dare all and do all in Que
great common cause-a cause dear tt
every lover of his country. y cause
in which all are equally Interested
and hlack-the cause of peace
and prosperity and good government,
1t is in this noble cause, so dear, SC
sacred, so absorbing that we now pro-
pose to labor. Let US enlistin it undel
the broad banner of charity to all
malice to none. With such feelings,
let Us take hold of labor reform and
push forward the work calmnly, yet
~fearlessly, kindly yet tirmly-with 50
much moderation yet with such deter
that even our bi%tterest enc
mics call find nothing in our conduct
to object to, but will themselves be
forced to own that we are in the right.
In taking hold of labor reform 1--WE
disclaim any intention to interfere
with, to destroy or even abrldge the
right of any class, yet while we VIII
respect rights guaranteed to
others, We do not and will not entirely
our own rights on the contra
nv, by the very movement we propose
to acknowledge that VIC, oppressed and
fettered as we have so long been, have
some rights still remaining which
we dare assert, and dare maintain. We
propose to demonstrate that there is no
|ncompatibility between the mainte-
nance of rights Oh our part and the
by others of their rights.
Let us enterinto this thing with a will,
md we have every reason to believe
hat the community of interest which
We now ought to see exist between the
white aud black man, will be acknowl-
edged and recognized too by that class
# our population who hitherto have
gone against US. Let capital
nd Intelligence once join hands with
honest labor and the rehabilitation of
he grand old commonwealth of South
jarolins will have been inaugurated,
new ERA will have dawned upon us,
nd the blessings of peace and'prosper-
ty will oncea again constitute q portion
or ourselves and q heritage for u
hildren."
The Committee on Constitution
made the following report, which was
unanimously adopted:
We, the citizens of the town of Abbcvilte
vicinity. disclaiming any intention to
snore, destroy or even abridgc the rights of
class, but believing 1t to be the duty Of
very able-bodied man in the community to
isome visible means OF support, or ut
east to cvince a disposition to earn his living
n an honest way; and impressed with the
act that there are many IN our midst, who
% not by their own eXertions earn So much
s their daily bread, whose presence is an
incubus upon the body polite, do hereby Or
vowed purpose Of giving encouragement
honest labor and discountcnance to Idle
and vagrancy. We therefore invite the
Of oil honest men, and
.ereby pledge ourselves to be governed by
nc '0''0"'1 CONSTITUTION.
ARTICLE 7.
Section ]. The Name OF this organization
hall be Labor Reform Association No..
f Abbevllle County.
Section 2. Its o6jeat shall pc to regulate;
ystemut sc and improve labor; () To rid
Ociety OF ~loafcrs, T~agabonds n floating
makers; 81 TO %rcpudiute and utter
y discard all lawleSs characters aud foinent-
RS Of strife; a. To ensighten the ignorant as
81 To lesson the intoierable burden of taxa
ion; ~ TO prevent illegal trlttio In seed
Section l. The officers OF this Association
shall be a President, two Vice-Presidents,
me Recording Secretary, one Corresponding
secretary, and a Treasurer, who shall be
sly ballot and serve one year.
Section 9. The duties Of the President,
Vice Presidents, Secretaries 0nd Treasurer,
hall be such as usually appertain TO those
officers.
Section 8. Their snail bea Executive Com
composed of the officers of this asso,
submit such business. IS IN their Judgment
be acted upon by the Association, and
enforce the provisions OF tie Constitution
md bylaws, subjec, to en- appeal to the
Association.
Section !. Any perso1 may become mem
Der Of this Association who shall be elected
~ q vote of two-thirds Of the members res
mt at any regular meeting, II subscribe
Iis name to the Constitution.
Section S. The regular meeting Of this AS
shall be held the I'd Thursday. OF
.ach month ut o'clock P. NJ. But special
meetings may be called ut any time by the
ut the request OF the Executive
And one-fourth OF the mem
oers OF the Association shall be necessary to
q quorum.
Section O. This association shall have power
o make such rules and bylaws no: incon-
istcnt with the laws of the land rs in their
urpOScs of the organization,
For the purpose OF making or altering By
Avs a two-thirds vote of those present at
ny regular me aRTi shasi H. Il necessary
Section /. 1t shall be the duty OF every OF
his Association to report to the Executive
any person Of notoriously bad
character, and any person engaged in Illicit
ranlc IN $500 COTTON, anu u III inc guuSIleIlt
( the Executive Committee 1t should be
to have such person or persons dealt
nth, and they shall report the same. 1t shall
q Yote Of two-thirds of the membcrs
TO sustain the charge and decide what
ction should be taken in the premises.
Section .. 1t shall be the duty OF the Secre-
airy to keep a record Of all persons against
Ihom he Association has AIKEN action.
7hich record shall at sl times be subject to
insp ectlon Of each OF this and
ther similar organizations.
ARTICLE w.
ona of This Constitution shall subject the
fender TO the censure Of the Association or
EXPULSION thereirom.
Sec, 2. A vote of two-thirds OF the mem-
present at any regular meeting shall be
TO expo! O member
ARTICLE ".
This Constitution may be gathered or amend
d by a vote of four-fifths Of the members
without notice, or by u two-thirdS
ote after n months notice.
> Those desiring to become members
we're offered the opportunity of sign
ng the Constitution. Seventy-four
were enrolled.
An election of officers was then
,one into with the following result:
l. w. White, President.
j. G. Douglass, 1st Eice-President.
#. Q. Seal, I'd Vice-President.
Samuel G. Cason, Recording Secre-
AIRY.
". A. Lee, Corresponding Secrc-
tary.
A. B. Wardlaw, Treasurer.