New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-01-11
UNEMPLOYED LABOR.
MASS MEETING OF wORKNGMEN.

THE GREAT HALL IF THE COOPER UNION FILLED
WITH NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. THE LACK OF EN-.
PLOYMENT AND SUGGESTING REMEDIEs--AN ADJ
DRESS BY PETER COSPER-Hs FINANCIAL pANA-
CEA-A MEMORIAL 10 CONGRESS ADOPTED.
A call was issued for mass meeting lass
evening at Cooper U2on, OF the workingmen aud
women OF this city, under the auspices Of the Brieklsy
crs' Association and other Trades Unions Tie meeting
called for the purpose Of urging upon our law
makers the importance Of promptly adopting such
measures VIII revive industries in order that en-
ploymnt may be obainable by the aud hundreds Of
thousands in enforced idleness" The large hal the
Union was filed, mainly with workngmen very
few women being present. William A. A. Coz
sey, President Of the Executive Committee
Of the Trades Unions, briefly explained tie
objects Of the meeting, and the following officers were
elected President Peter Cooper Vice Presidents I'm
A. A. COrscy, Thomas +. Tully, John Kennedy John 7.
Elliott A. Hotter d. Ryan, joseph Doochy Jacob Tor.
stall, George Blair T. Masterson. John Ennis, Jas p
Taylor, ~ NJ. Boucher Secretaries q. N. MADDOX. J.
Finely, 7. J. Baxter, T. Williams, Henry A. Cole, T.
Bannon. Robert COrnc, c. Osborn Ward.
Immediately after the election OF officers Peter Cooper
addressed the assemblage. As he advanced TO the
speakers stand he received with lond and prolonged
applause His address was in part as follows:
FELLOW CIrarNs: A most profound anxiety for tho
welfare Of all who live by honest labor impels me to say
few words in aid Of your cause this evening" prQfe2
to have been workingnan through long life with all
my sympatbcs enlisted ia OF efforts inter ID TO
elevate aud better the eoSdton OF workingmen nave
felt especial sympathy with those who with their best
efforts nd life perpetual struggle and that for bare
subsistence. desire TO unite with yon my friends N
Of efforts to find and remove the causes that
render il 80 difficult tor even those who are willing
70 work TO find shelter aud support In view OF the yast
mount ~ individual, town. State, aud national debts
that hang like milestone on the neck Of tho
country may well ask In all earnestness what must
We what we, do To be savedl One thing Is certan-
that the nations debts never be paid by enforcing
idenesS on large mass Of the American people II our
national honor to be Dy an honest
OF the nations debts can only be accomplished ny tns
application Of knowledge, economy, aud labor to all thu
useful and necessary purposes OF life.
All nations are now using their highest arts TO BUY a.
cheaD and sell dear they can All are trying to buy
their material in the cheapest market, aud To sell
THEN manufactured articles for the most that can be OBJ
The arts both fair and foul that human ingenuity can
devise. The American PEOPLE and Government eannot
as nation to buy anything cheap from foreign conn-
tries must dc bought at the expense Or leaving our
unemployed. our Government should remember that
is never sac TO egsae IN accordance with the advice %
nations that have direct interest 10 mislead AMI
deceive us. The strange anxiety to establish creole
abroad, order to purchase things for which there WAS
no special need been made Tie basis u excuse for
the adoption Of policy adverse to the employment and
nosperity of the aborng classes of the country-a poll
Icy which las dried up their sources OF employment ana
ea te yerv mechanical produes OF which our people
are Tie producers and the chief out Of tho
of The and piled them up III the factories 40
though they were over productions. .
Tie uncertainty Of the future financial policy Of the
Government has paIayzed corporate and private credt
and has thus brought on q stoppage in buying and
are about one.half what they three years
ago throwing hundreds OF thousands Of Indus
trious people ont Of those employments which
active capital, supported by credit can alone sustain
believe that this parayzng and ruinous policy has al
ready shrunk the of the whole property o the
ton to the amount thousands OF millions of dollars 10
"A vain effort to bring S3oO,OOOOOO OF legal Tenders 10
A par with gold This ruinOus contraction policy has
Drosen up the varied industries OF the country, On
which millions OF worknsinen and women were depend
ing support. Iou now ask our Government 10 save
laboring population from the desperation OF starya;
ton. This can be done ~ the adoption OF nhahsia
policy similar to That which carried France through
var a deSfsras ana at PrS anDo t b csabsh
and the general welfare Of the nation cannot be
promoted wthout rescindng the Resumption Aetof 1872
and substituting Currency Dill similar 70 the one ne
House OF Representatives passed in 1867 which made
Treasury notes legal tender for an duties and
debts made them convertible into tue interest bear.
ing bonds Of the Government am eOnVlnced That When
a American system OF hnanee ID adopted when shal
put all that ciIcuates as MONEY entirety anu eAesVey
under the control OF the Government, making recoV-
able tor az duties Sa a pro. 9sgf o e Whole O
viii Oe the natural and permanent result
The applause with which Mr. Coopers address was re-
ceiyed was very enthusiastic Mr. Corsey read letters
from George Oldyke and Judge ID. Kelley regretting
that they could not be present at the meeting Leahdef
Thompson made brief speech referring 10 the iacs
that tho country had abolished slavery, and asserting
that 1t should DO away with poverty This could only W
accomplished he declared, by breaking up the presens
system of Industry which is managed by individuals and
corporations for their private interests ana not Tor
the interests OF employees, and by making the Govern
ment truly Democratic all laws TO be submitted directly
TO the people before having any binding force
Wallace p Groom followed Mr. Thompson. lie said
among other things:
For many wears have felt very deep interest in the
currency quest because Of ito very Important bearing
non lie welfare Of all classes have therefore, been
eGyty s s@neth1s III ike ihs Wha@brcf sed~s
sought 10 be attained by tue reform IN the lninHsehet
of The currency that you are pereisteny urgng My
answer ia something like the following: We desire TO az
tain tIe largest possible production OF useiu eonlo
les ana then secure and equitable distribution 0f those
the end that the llcn may ENJOY
little than they now possess wne Tie poor naf9
large additions made to their scanty store u shoui
sne, to YOU Tor hours tie currency question, could
only enlarge upon the advantages OF money coAeu W
paper by the National Government, having Tvs Volume
REGULATED In exact accordance with the needs OF com
m, rec and its value fixed by rs lnterchthgeapuy at
holders option, with Government bonds bearing an
Alexander rroup OF New-Haven, Conn, was the next
sneaker "Tcn years ago." he said, 81 got through with
both Democratic and Republican parties and ever since
have deposited my vote in the interest OF the WORKING
man without asking whether the man who received my
vote was Democrat or a Republican lAppiauseJ
take hold OF wing Of one Of the parties II orier ~
p%1G the as s'Af wolnsen and s9S
work independent OF both. WoIkingmen should learn TO
many take care OF themselves. Applause You came
here 10 complain that You have mol the honest employ
ment necessary TO suppGrf ySu ea ~ xenr avn baps
n il your free ballot Why don't you unite Why don't
SS,iii do What tie workingmcn VINO elected him want
him to doi IAppanse send men rom the TolKsnops s
to Congress and the Legislature Hereafter YOU must
put your ballot where 1t VIII WORK OUT 9nr saivauo,
and let the Republican and Democratic politicians "orA
out their own
Mr.. Corsey read long Address to the workingmen
Of the United States" which included the following
ssatement OF the part taken by worSingnon IN pre-
serving the Union; the new conditions OF poltcs ana
finance brought about By the war-amOnS lh.se nc"
measure vi value IN the currency OF tae county 90 an ia
larger standard OF value in the wages OF laOr ana so
prices OF property anu issues and credits But
emit