Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-06
I Virginia, have advocated in Congress such

OF Virginia, have advocated in Congress such
I measures as, il adopted, would give employ
| ment 10 the millions of idle men and relieve
the country from its suffering condition, there
| Dy proving themselves good friends of the
! W0rklngman; that We recommend those gen.
| tlenen to the confidence and support of the
Workingmen of their several Congressional
districts; that the parsimOniouS policy which
| characteriZes Congressional legislation is a
| disgrace to the nation and not acceptible to
the people, who favor liberal and judicious
| administration of the affairs of the govern
! ment that the repeal of the eight hour law,
! increase of the hours of labor. reduction of
wages paid to the employees of the navy yards
ter of political economy demanded by the
| people.
COMMUNISM AND SOUP HOUSES
| Mr.. f. b. Robinson was introduced and de-
! livered an address of some length, in which
| Re said the workingman was now contendIng
for the inaienable right pledged by the com
| pact o. our forefathers, who designed that the
| blessings of government should fall equally
upon all. He said that there was nothing in
| the cry of communism. especially as to this
District, and he did not believe that there was
a communist i'm the District. tCheers.l He
lived in hope that through legislation better
times would he reached. industry would thrive,
and that during the few remaining years of
his life he would never again hear of soup
houses being established to furnish food for
utaCying labOrerS.
GENERAL GRANT, PRESIDENT HAYES, AND THE
EIGHTH LAW.
George Z. Mcneil, Of Boston, chairman OF
the International Union. was introduced. and
received with cheers: He spoke first of the
immense demonstration, which showed that
the WOrkingmen are interested, and proceeded
to discuss The rights of labor. He referred TO
the passage of the eight-hOur law, which had
been decided by law officer to be inopera-
tive. General Grant had decided that it should
be enforced and he honOred him for his course
lApplauseo When the worki2gman asks tnat
the eight-hour law be enforced he is called a
communist and an incendiary. The speaker
claimed that those who violate the law and
"a uyhf IF n nri i'll I,y-
and his cabinet, who set the precedent-are
more chargeable with communism.
COMMUNISM.
MI. Richard EmmOnS closed the meeting at
this stand. He said that if the fact of the me-
chanic wishing to educate his children in the
same manner as those of the rich was com
ditv. The labOring classes had good friends
in both Houses, prominent among whom was
lion B. f. Butler, tapplause,l and they were
eight-hour law. The secretary Of the NAVY NV
Will then be made TO obey the order of his
SuperiOrS.
The Meeting at the West Wing.
Mr.. A. I. Cavis, of the Typographical Union,
addressed the crowd at the west portico of the
City Hall. He advocated the eighthour law
and the dignity of labor. He spoke of the his
tory of the struggle between the advocates of
ecute and administer the laws, and said the
efforts had failed; And not a single measure
Dteu passed by the present D8reSS In the
interests OF wOrkingmen.
THE EIGHT-HOUR LAW,
which has been standing on our statute books
for ten years, has, he said, by a system of
ties, been totally ignored, while Congress has
been industriouSly at work upon class legisIa-
ton and the result has been that not a mea-
sure which could be devised in the interests of
capital has been overlooked or neglected. The
pay OF the workingman has been cut down,
while that of government officials has general
" been increased; He spoke OF the official
A. b. Mullett. the architect, who had 50 long
been deep in Uncle SANS pocket. had always
ueen against the eight-hour law, and did all he
could to defeat its provisions.
PRESIDENT GRANT
had, however stood by the law and the work
lngmen, and said that the law should be re-
Spected by every contractor who had anything
to do with government work; but we have
no such advocate now. A laboring man en-
ployed at the Naval Academy at Annapolis
leave the service and give place to another
who would do 50. This case had been carried
to the Court of Claims and from them to the
Supreme Court. The result was that a decision
had been given to the effect that contractor,
upon either private or public work, could fix
his own price for labor. Thus they find the
Judiciary against them as well as the legisla-
tive and executive branches of our present
government.
4, Voice." Are you working MANI"
Inc Speaker.-" have been hard working
printer for over forty years, and ] have a
ranks
The question was put by some one in the
quickly replied, I'm union among ourselves
and in the ballot box" [CheersJ Voices
We have no ballot box in this city" The
speaker repeated that in union alone could
Trey hope TO succeed, and said
PRESENT PARTIES MUST BE IGNORED
as az their law making IS in the interest Of
u
of party now. Look at the legislatures-rings
upon rings and all in the interest of capital.
They are at the same time told by these full
some legislators that there is no antag0niSm
between capital and labor. Is there no an
tagOnism between Heaven and He'll? What
is the magnificent banking system, but a
rich richer and poor poorer The desire ito to
obtain wealth, leads to the worst kind of
crimes, sWindlng, perjury absconding, .defal-
eataosne Are yon w hi t that st the nn ns
of the government Shall be perverted to such
ends, as this stupendOus banking system of
frauds? Voices No, mol No man who has
upon this system, has got his wealth honestly.
1t is impossible, and is against the nature of
non honest ways and means. These banking and
ing schemes. This is the true state of things
under our present rulers. Under these laws
the government loans to every bank so per
cent. of its credit for these jObbers to thrive
upon, and the S35OOO0,0OO Of bank capital in
the form of bonds, if put into the industrial
pursuits to develOpe the resources of the land.
would not only furnish employment to all, but
such source OF wealth would follow, that the
government could very soon cancel and wipe
out its Indebtedness and the government
would again be free. GreenbackS should be
substituted for bank notes and be madepre-
Geivable for all duties and debts: [Applause].
The time is fast approaching when the work
lngmen in this country will find themselves
on level with European SerfS Stand firm by
your rights-the rights fought for and left you
by your fathers. Applause and three cheers
for CaviSl.
The resolution of thanks to B. F. Butler.
Wright and others, was then read by Mr.. E. l..
Barker and adopted with general yell of APP
probation.
STARVING MEN AND A USELESS INyESTIGA-
TON.
The chairman, Mr.. Jack Reynolds, here in
PRODUCED DR.. Alfred Thomas, who proceeded
to address the audience in most earnest
manner. He said men and women clamoring
Tor bread from one end OF the land to the
other, and our Congress organizing for a use
less investigation to keep trouble and turmoil
alive in the interest of party. This inveStiga-
ton can be of no possible benefit to working
men-and is only intended to put this man
into power and that man out 1t is simply
fight between ring men. A few days since a
resolution was introduced apprOpriating $4,000
to send a few of these public drOnes to
Louisiana to inquire il President Hayes had
been properly elected! Does any one suppose
that this is going to change the condition of