The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-07-08
Report or tho Doings or y sO-Callet
Communicate Meeting.
fGhicago Times, a,h.l

last night, anu was largely atenQeu, many |
women and infants being among the labor
ers present. Two United States flags deco
rated the hail, and the walls In rear OF the
platform were decorated with caricatnres
OF Henry Ward Beecher and alleged quota
were also choice remarks attributed to sew
cral newspapers and to Jay Gould and other
capitalists.
The demonstration, in point OF numbers,
was fair, aud the temper OF the people
might be judged from the stormy manner
in which they received all illusions to cap
ital.
MIR. GoLDwATER,
president OF the Cigar Union, was
elected to I'LL the chair. He briefly stated
the object OF the meeting. and introduced
Mr.. Mcneil to explain it further:
DIR. Mcneil said they proposed to get UP
a new interest In trade and labor and in re-
publican institutions. In order to begin
properly he invited them to rise and sing
ssJameS Brown" labor hymn.
The audience rose and sung it dolorously.
Mr.. McNeill then asked II the Rev. Jo-
seph Cook was in the hall.
The Rev. Joseph evidently was not, be-
cause repeated cries for" Cook" failed to
evolve him.
proceeded to allude to William Lloyd Gar
rison and other Abolitionists who used to be
abused for their sentiments as Abolitionists.
Now there was cry about communism.
Joseph Cook had used the term, but he we'll
knew that commune in France meant simply
township sovereignty. The editors and the
clergymen who said that the labor party
were men bound and pledged to destroy
property were liars, and so he would ever
brand them. [Cheers.1 "There," he SAID,
turning around and pointing to Beechers
picture, s'there is the communism to be
feared-the communism Of Henry Ward
Beecher and OF Jay Gould-of the
New York Tribune and the Chicago
Times lCheers.] He claimed that
the present condition Of things could
not continue unless the people were made
chattel-slayes, as were the negroes before
the war. he wanted the working masses
educated, even after leaving school, in the
principles Of government and IN the meth
DDS by which government can be preserved
and controlled. He alluded to the boule-
wards, over which he had driven, and re-
GREETED that neither the workingman nor
the workingwoman could feast the eye upon
their beauties. "Why," he queried "can.
not those who make the boulevardS drive
along them? Why cannot those who build
the fine houses live in them? Why cannot
those who build fine carriages ride in
them?"
These were questions the people intended
to ask until they were satisfactorily an
swered. They did not propose to destroy
the beautiful parks and boulevards, but to
enjoy them. [Cheers.]
He alluded briefly 70 the California labor
question and the ten-cent Chinaman.
Talking OF socialism, he said it was de-
scribed as OF "foreign Importation
Where was it so described, and by whom
BY ladies who walked on carpets of foreign
importation. BY gentlemen who wore
broadcloth Of foreign importation. BY
ladies who wore gloves Of foreign importa-
ton. Why, as to that, everything in the
country was originally OF foreign importa-
ton. Americans were not generally dis
posed to 60 back on Plymouth Rock; yet
the pilgrims were OF foreign Importation.
ICheers and laughter.]
He went further into the same matter,
and said that il everything of foreign i'm
portation was sent out Of the country Sit
ting Bull would remain, sitting here all
alone in his glory. This ancient Witticism
produced great merriment.]
They were all workingmen, and yet the
Chicago Times said that under the jacket
OF every workingman there beats the heart
OF communist.
The trades-unions OF Great Britain num-
bered, when their last convention was held,
$4,000 men; yet nobody in monarchical
England called for an army OF 100000 men
to shoot them down.
They had not made asses Of themselves
like American boards OF trade, who clam
ored for an army, but he would say that
there were one million OF workingmen or
ganized to meet those boards OF trade any
day. prolonged applause.l
lie alluded to the educational system in
the English manufacturing districts, and
said it was preferable to that in vogue in
Massachusetts. He wanted TO know why
Mayor Heath was not there to preside ut
that meeting, as he ought to be. Ii he was
there they'd make u communist of him.
ILaughrer.]
"Heath's looking after the Gattling
guns" cried a voice from the crowd.
He then dealt with the short-hour and
other questions in the usual platform strain.
Talking OF convict labor he said it would
be all right il the prisoners received fair
union wages, their food and clothing to be
deducted and the balance given to them
selves when they came out. They did not
get 1.-THE men in the penitentiary. No. it
was not the convicts who were inside who
pot the benefit. It was the contractors out
side who ought to be in. [Cheers.] lie be-
lieyed i'm massing togetherin "grand SOL
idaritY " every man who worked for wages,
whether he was type-setter or hod-car-
rier. lCheers.] He also believed in bring
ing all the workingwomen in the union.
In looking over the books Of firm down
East he observed that some women were
paid s. and IS per week. The manufactu-
rer biushed, like an honest man, when he
looked in his face. He said: "Mr. Nc
Neil, these wages look pretty small, but
they do worse in Chicago" Is that so?
Voices: eyes, yes"
Mr.. Mcneil: Then shame on Chicago.
TGreat cheering.l Any man who offers such
wages. to q woman is manufacturer OF
prostitutes. (Great yelling.l And he ought
to be convicted and punished as such.
ELoud cheers.l
He concluded by reciling poem, the re-
train of which was,
Eight hours for work,
Eight hours tor rest,
Eight hours for what we will
A patriot then arose and moved that a
collection be taken up.
Several persons rose to leave.
This alarmed Mcneil, and he hoped every
man would prove his manhood by putting
button into the hat. Yells.]
PAUL GRoTKAU
made some remarks in high.fown Deutsch,
and was much applauded. The general
tenor Of his remarks was violently denuncia-
tory Of capital and .eulogistic Of labor-the
son OF toll, etc.
10 4 Nay NAxED CLINTON.