The New York herald., 1877-07-27
TRADE AND LABOR.
An insignificant Meeting at
Cooper Union.
PUGNACIOUS RESOLUTIONS.
The Old Cry of Capita VS.. Labor-What
the Working People Want.

have endcavorcd to display for the public benefit.
But 1t was failure The hail was barely full, lees
than thousand persoos being present. The au-
diencc, however, was orderly and responsive. The
orntory was studied the speeches were anything but
spontaneous, tho local all usions the ciap-rap
order, and few young men, whose white hands
not suggestive OF hard work, served amuse tho
assemhlagc. 1t was anything but a mass meeting.
Representatives of many societies were present but
1t evident from tho that they lack ed organ
cation; that there Il GOODNESS The ranks and an
ndisposition to hurrah tor all tho Wild propo-
sitIons suggested by the speakers. At tho same
time II was evident that the promoters OF the meeting
determined 10 preserve order without extrane-
Gus aid, for when one two severe critics opened
their mouths and nvitcd the hows and hisses OF the
crowd they were quietly sat upon and siienced. Tho
fact Is not to be ignored, however. that there
undcrtone OF earncstuess pcrvadng
the meeting and that the resolutions were heartily
indorsed. Some Of the speakers allowed themselves
to say ugly things which they likely to repu-
date hereafter, but mono OF the parties are OF
sufficient influence 10 load reformatory
movement. Detachments from tho Fifth
Fifteenth, Broadway, Western Steamboat sqund, and
Eighth police precincts. IN all numbering about
hundred and fifty mon, were guard At the Central
ONCE, ready to be called at moments notice In
OF any disturbances. Ther services we're not
found necessary, however, the audience quietly dis
persing about ton O'Clock
INCIDENTS.
Outside the building everything was quiet, and the
lovely moonlight illuminated peaceful and Sc
rene, to all Appearances, rs though every work ing
man IN New York In tho receipt OF five dollars
a day wages and went to the opera I'm season.
three times week The audience showed
strange admixture OF the American, Teutonic and
Celtic elements The mon were set OF "hard work.
ing, ~ large brained vlduals-some OF them over
lear ned and under worked, who fancy that every
capitalist and employer Is their born enemy.
At least this is the idea when
seemed toe pervade tho mass Of them
At the entrance ana IN the body Of the hail unique
specimen OF the singular genus New York Hlberhan
poddlcd numbers OF labor organ which set forth in
naming coors the rights OF labor and the tyranny
Of capital 1t proclaimed war shouted Tor
.plandered N,o .aoor IN, IN arms" a.n ana ravsd
gauntlet to their oppressors" &c, &c AS the weather
was exceedingly warm. the sweltering operatives in
attitude OF men in decidedly melting condition.
Even tho "gentler sex" was represented by
when ono of the speakers made good point, the
cosmopolitan nature OF the audience showed Itself by
power 10 yc, any way!" "Ya, va, das vas good
peter ash good ~ You bet old man !" &c. In all
robustness II must be sad that the occasion
remarkable for tho harmony which
for the hour seemed unite tho Celtic
and Teutonic elements present, in one 'band CT
brotherhood" Whenever the name OF Henry Ward
Beecher was mentioned, which happened frequently
during tho night hcry Celt and sturdy Teuton sautcd
It with showers OF ep'thets which aptIy Illus.
trated their separate national osyncracies The
HERALD, too, came IN for its share OF left
handed compliments, and its advice to tho miitame n
10 s.am low" was hooted the echo. II was re-
markable that at the close OF the proceedings, when
the audience wcrc betaking themselves soDery to
their respective homes they sent cheers 'thc
President"
THE PRocEEDiyGs.
Dir. John Fortune 0f the lailors' Union, was
motion unani inously elected chairman. He thanked
the meeting for the honor conferred upon him,
should DO elected secretaries The proposal being
adopted, Mr. Fortune proceeded to remark that the
to express thor sympathy IN the present struggle OF
labor against capital He said that the expressions
of the latter had been borne with patience by tho
workingmcn during many years. But tho
monopocs have farther and farther ll at last,
the wrongs which they had borne so long became too
great Tor toeration IN Tree country Though u Is
against tho law TO ntmidate any citizen body Of
citizens, still even military force had been
ing classes. Tncy had right to assert themselves
and II iorce be used TO hinder thcm, should be
in the same spirit.
THE RESOLUTIONS
Mr.. J. ?. Macdonald read an moved tho adoption OF
the following resolutions
Whereas the wokngmen of tho United States have been
Suojected to great oppression during the last three
their wages have peen again and again reduced
by large and private employers until they
Whereas hundreds of thousands of industrious work.
and ny snsS uss n Nr to s ~ ct ana
Whereas brother workmen who toll the
!
revolt aganst starvation pay which their wea thy
poyers would impose them tor long and killing hours
Whereas tts revolt strike OF tho railroad men has
he It resolved by this mass meeting
That the time has arrived for the working people OF
America to resist by all legitm,e means the oppros,on
That condition which the capitalists Of this coun.
this So called republic tApp'suse)
wages workpcop" and the Increase which bosp
sgitaton part OF the wokpsope better pay aud
:nosss hours OF G. tho latter
That we enter our strong protest against che manner in
our Co ns vonmse el, wa sad
nsed with their fellow ~orkmen Aoud mud continued sp
That We express sincere sympathy with the railroad
to use evey effort render Gn.ca aid not osy to te
strike but to those workpeope who have suc
That I. is the imperative duty OF all work,nemen or
OF all trades that combined capital can te
successfully resisted and overcome loud appanseJ
MIR. We'll then read the resolutions In German anc
seconded them. after which they were adopted.
MAcDoSALD's SPEECH
Mr.. Macdonald addressed the meeting as follows
/ Mr.. CuArgMAS AND FELLOW woRKMgS-For NOR,
than three years the workingmcn OF America have sub
mltted TO oppression scarceiv equalici in 'ns
years they havo been engaged in sort
of guerilla warfare Tor their rights. They
have lallcn from Que reduction another nnti they
are covered with rags and are on the verge OF stav
ton. tAppansc.) The mill operatives OF Massa
chusetts have been giving up all their
rights, even TO the marrow OF their bones
TO put money IN the pockets o
miloEnares VINO earned honest cent IN their
/ lives fApplausc.) Miners have been reduced In pay
ana have endured the iniamies OF the truck system,
though they have battod often against the tyranny OF
/ their employers
/ Mr.. Macdonald said that he had not come here to
speak. He dlstrusted mere oratory, but he would,
Z before he sat down, suggest practical cure
Tor tho difficulty. lie would glance the his.
tory OF the present outbreak lno locomotive cu-
gncers had long ago begun struggle They bad been
put down, but There was u cause tor that. WOrkmou
were living ebodcs wncrc neither nor dcccncy
could DC found. They marched through the streets,
forming tn" most pteous spectacle tue speaker had
DeAeld. They had torches on thor
shoulders that the on their backs ana
the hunger IN ther faces might be seen BY ALL But,
wnilc they doing TINS. the legislature was voting
that any locomotive engineer who lett his engine with
due should bc regarded as criminal nnd pun
isncd accordingly These struggles have culminated
IN the present revolt against oppression. tAppausc
No one thought the movement would have spread SO
/ much. 1t may be quickly ended, but II VIII leave
nnrlunnenI Iruce. unon the Ilre OF lhIs COumtrY.