, 1877-08-25

The following account Of this meeting
a, well as the eloquent address Of Jas. +.
Darcy deliycd there upon that occasion
we condcnSc from the >1p FLuDciaco Mail
and the Daily Ecbo OF that place Of An.
gust 9Th
Jas. Darcy was nominated Chairman,
and announced the reading of the plat
form Of the principles OF the working.
mems party rs the first order ot business
The Secretary, Mr.. Il. F. French, then
read the following.
PLATFORM.
/. Eight hours for the prrscntaso nor.
mai working day, and legal punishment
of all vOIators.
?. sanitary inspection of all condition
OF labor, means OF subsistence and dwell
ings included.
B. Establishment of bureaus of labor
statistics in all States as well a. by the
National Government; the officers Of
these bureaus to he taken from the ranks
of the labor organizations, and elected by
| them.
4. Prohibition of the use OF prison
labor by private employers.
>. Prohibitory laws against the en-
ployment of children under II years Of
age in industrial establishments.
8. Gratutous instruction in all educa-
tional institutions.
Z. Strict laws making employers, liable
for all accidents to the injury of their
employees.
s. Gratuitous administration OF justice
IN all courts OF law.
8. Abolition OF all conspiracy laws.
10. Railroads, telegraphs, and all means
of transportation to be taken hold OF and
operated by the Government.
II. All industrial enterprises to be
placed under the control of the Govern
mcnt as fast as practicable, and operated
by free cooperative trades unions, Tor
the good of the whole people.
Following the reading OF the platform
which was applauded by the audience,
Mr.. Darcy addressed the meeting.
My subject to-day is the policy Of the
workingnlcn's party of the United States
in regard to the great strike. 1 will not
stop to dwell at length upon our plat
form you will find it in full in the Labor
Standard of New York. l will notice
to-day, in due time, the principle of our
platform, that bears directly upon The
present crisis. Great and successful
parties are formed upon m idea, the idea
first existing in the abstract, and opens
discussion and agitation, converts the
majority, eliminating in great party
that governs for time, secures its object
and lives its days of usefulness by the
very prestige of its fame, and then passes
away. What has ever been and must
always continue to be the object and
mission of great party founded upon
great idea. THIS is its mission:
First-To point out the danger, and
find the best way to remove the Obstruc
ton that threatens the nations destruc-
tion. The Republican party started upon
the idea that slavery WAS wrong and sec.
tional, that freedom was right and ma
lonal and that the Government could
not exist one half slave and the other
half free.
1t fought out this proposition on the
intellectual plan, arguod it from ocean to
ocean, until it carried the national elec
ton of 1861. War followed; the might
est rebellion that ever strove to destroy
nation untured its banner to the breeze,
threw down the guage Of battle at Sump-
ter and
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
was wholly inadequate totneet the crisis,
and the Union party was formed opros.
ccutc the war and preserve the Union.
After the successful termination Of the
war for the preservation of the Union,
the Onion party passed away, having
fulfilled its object, and the Republican
party came again upon the scene to per
pctunte 10 the organic law of tile land