Wilmington daily commercial., 1876-07-21


by number of unemployed laborers, with
many other persons neither laborers, work
ing men nor unemployed, drawn in by Curl
osity. At the outset, the hall was about
full, but the extreme heat gradually emp
tied it, until at the close about hundred
and fifty remained. Miles Burke, (grocer,)
of the 10th Ward, called the meeting to
order, "bv request he ssid, aud on his mo.
ton Martin Farrell, (1our dealer.) was
elected Chairman, with Alison Mills, (work-
man on the BASIN as Secretary. A COM
mittee on resolutions was also appointed
Mr.. Farrell was called down from Council
Chamber, and thanked his "fellow working
men" for the honor conferred, as he had
particular reasons for thanking" them. 1t
had been said, he remarked, that he had
been irving to excite distrust in the minds
of the workingmen, which he denied, and
he also discaimed all political feeling in
this matter. 1t is because you think so,
too, that you have called me to preside over
this meeting. This is not a time for ora
tory, he said further, but for bread, work
these are tho questions before you.
Mr. Farrell then proceededt to form another
Committee on Resolutions by which act the
former committee was deposed, although
they had been elected by the meeting. He
called the wards and the audience named
the candidates., the chairman sometimes
suggesting names himself and ignoring
some nominations which were made. The
following was his
COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS
1st ward, Michael Murphey, (not in direct
ory,) 2nd Ward, Harry Dugan, Qaborer on
the basin3 Sd Ward, James McGlinchey,
(member City Council, body maker by
trade, now employedD 4th Ward, John J.
Toner, (assistant freight agent at p. W.
Il B, depotD 9th Ward Thomas 81. Kane,
GourneYman carpenterD 9th Ward, John
gibbert, QaborerD 7th Ward, Thomas j.
Bowen, (boss bricklayer and contradictory
9th Ward, VIM. H. Pierce, Carpenter and
builder0 9th Ward, E. @. Knight, (ship
carpenter at 81. & Fl. Co.. 50 10th Ward,
James Bourke, (employee at the gas works,
now and for some years.)
ALI the foregoing are Democrats.
The Committee retired, and during their
absence, Mr. Farrell made another
speech, in which he expressed the opinion
that the workingmen are too apathetic and
stand back and say nothing and
stay away from the Council Cham
ber relying for their information as to who
are their real friends upon the newspapers
which in nine cases out of ten misrepresent
the facts in the case. Workingmen are
also to blame, he thought, for the apathy
Of the members of Council on the subject
of this Improvement. The money Oesa DO
got, he declared, to PROSECUTE The work,
but not while there al two parties on the
floor of council who oppose it and seek
only to make political capital. Men stand
ready, he said, to advance the money on
a mortgage upon the improvement and he
recommended that it be done. He spoke
of the kindred interests between the work
ingmen and the capitalists, said there is no
city 30 apathetic towards the workingmen
as Wilmington, and then pitched into the
newspapers for the support which they had
given the Governor for his refusal to con-
vene the Legislature in extra session, init
mating that the workingmen should cease
their patronage to all such newspapers.
James P. Hayes was
Justify CALLED FOR,
as was also Alison Mills and Miles Burke,
which showed that there was not unani-
nifty Of sentiment among the workingmen
present touching the new Moses who had
assumed to lead them. Amid these calls
the Committee on Resolutions returned and
reported the following
WHEREAS, There are at the present time
NOT less than $500 unemployed working
men, citizens Of our city, representing at
least 1900 families, the majority OF whom
are, or will be, in a shorJ time, destitute,
and believing that relief can and should be
given to said unemployed men by the City
Council of Wilmington, at once, which
would keep themselves and families above
want.
AND WHEREAS, the city OF Wilmington has
a large work known as the Cool Spring
Reservoir suspended for the present foI
want of funds to complete the same. AT
the last meeting of Council with but three
dissenting voices. viz Messrs. Lichten-
stein, Febiger and JONES' committee was
appointed to wait upon His Exoellency, the
Governor, John P. Cochran, and request
ing him to convene the General Assembly
to enable the city to obtain power to issue
bonds to complete said reservoir, which re-
suited, as we are informed, through the
columns of the the press, in refusal upon
the part of His Excellency to convene the
| General Assembly for that purnose.
AND WHEREAS, His Excellency does moi
consider the condition of our unemployed
citizens sufficient to warrant him conven
| ing the General Assembly for the purpose
| of authorizing our City Council to issue
bonds for the amount sufficient TO complete
Cool Spring Reservoir, which would, in 6
| measure, ameliorate our condition and en-
able us to pay our taxes now due, support
| our families and save our little homes from
the hands of the sheriff, also saving to the
city an additional $50, ,O0e or 1000, which
| it would require to place the work in itl
present condition were it left unfinished
during the coming winter.
AND WHEREAS, 1t is with feelings Of re
greet that we review the reasons assigned
by His Excellency, the Governor
for refusing to convene the General AS
sembly, viz that he was afrai(
to trust gentlemen who had been elected
by the votes OF the people to meet together
for the purpose of granting power TO the
City Council Of Wilmington to complete /
| great work already costing our citizent
over $a50,000, and relieve the distress o.
the workingmen Of our city lest they (the
Legislature) should pass the Sussex county
railroad bill. And we do hereby express
our disapprobation of the reflections cas-
by his Excellency, the Governor, upon the
members of the Legislature by insinuatine
that they are not to be trusted to take care
of the interests of our State, and we fur.
ther condemn the newspapers of our city
who have sustained the hasty action of oul
Governor in this matter, and we. the work
ingmen Of Wilmington, have entire conf.
dence IN the members Of the General AS
sembly irrespective of party.
AND WHEREAS, II workion Cool Spring
Reservoir can be resumed at once, which We
are of the opinion that it can, if there is g
! will and desire on the part of. the Oity