The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-07-20
OF IND UsERY COOPERATION

The presence Of DR.. J. H. Randall National Lee.
turer Of the Order of Sovereigns Of Industry last
week, was the occasion Of quite demonstration
on the part OF the members of that organization.
On Monday evening, lecturer Randall ad-
dressed small, but apprecative audience at the
opera House, In reference to the aims and objects
OF cooperation as connected with the above Or
der; and on Thursday evening, having returned
from New Philadelphia, where, In the meantime
he had organized new council under very fiat
tering auspices, he addressed quite large audi
ence composed principally of the intelligent
WorRingmen OF our city, and fair representation
ofsubstantial and publlc'sprited citizens
After music by the G, A, Band, for which cour.
tesy vote Of thanks was rendered the Speaker
was presented by one of the members of the Or.
der
In the course of his address the Speaker alluded
to the circumstances which induced few intelli.
gent and philanthropic working men in our
eastern cities soon after the monetary crisis of 73
to take action in reference TO the founding an Or.
der similar to that Of the Granger, among those
whose vocation comprehended great majority
not eligible to that large and prosperous order
From this small beginning, the Order has spread
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and includes In
Its membership more than 100000 of the artists
commercial men, laborers, professional men, and
skilled workers of our country.
Our object the Speaker declared, was antago
nistical to no legitimate interest of society. We
neither seek nor countenance any conflict with
capital. We propose TO employ capital and make
1t thus subservient to the interests of those who by
the sweat Of their face" create IT, He was op
posed to strikes for they almost invariably ult.
mated adversely to the interests of both employer
and employed. Organized capital was stronger
and was able to hold out longer than those who
cOntended against it,
The statistics Of the Labor Bureau of Massachu.
sets revealed the fact that forty years ago the
owners of real estate were eighty per cent of the
population whereas at the present time twenty
per cent hold all the real estate of that common
wealth
The Speaker portrayed in vivid manner the
necessity of the most rigid economy, If the work
ing man would emanclpate himself from the
evils which surround him, and eventually be-
come, not indeed rich but the independent dis
poser of himself and his own He referred to the
Improvement obvious on every hand, of English
cooperves Their business from an original
capital OF Sl4iOO, invested by ten members thirty
years ago. now amounts to eighty million dol
lula SSully WIN membership OF three millions
with manufacturing establishments of all kinds
owned and controlled by cooperative establish.
ments on the Rochdale system.
But the Order of the sovereigns of Industry
said the Speaker, was instituted not for these ma
teral considerations alone. By the social fea.
ture of our fraternity, the initiation of women.
and their equal prerogatlve in the Order, 1t in
vies to higher sphere the moral and mental en-
ergies, eliminating in a higher selfrespect and
universal intelligence which will eventually dis.
slpate all injustice To this end we propose libra.
ries lectures original essays and other papers, dis
| cusslons, and all other means of mental and
moral improvement.
At theclose of the address, which was charac-
terized by one of the audience, not member of
| Order, as the Every best ever delivered in Can
ton" The question was asked; "What were
those to do whom this new state of things would
deprive of a means of livelihood, 1.-THE Lecturer
answered with so much readiness terseness and
candor that he elected from the audience uni
versal applause.
vote of thanks was suggested by an eminent
citizen, which upon motion was given with accla.
nation,