Mexico weekly ledger., 1878-08-15
THE LABOR QUESTION.

Previous to adjournment the House
of Representatives appointed a Com
mittee consisting Of Messrs. A. S.
Hewitt If New York, III. G.. Riddle o.
Tennessee, Ell. l.. Dickey of Ohio, j.
5. Jones of Alabama, j. M. Thomp.
son of Pennsylvania, w. w. Rice OF
Massachusetts, and Thos. A. Boyd OF
Illinois to investigate and report on
the condition Of labor.
The Committee convened at New
York City and listened attentively
and respectfully to all the represent
atiyes of the mechanics of our nu-
merous trades had to say about the
condition of them.
So far nothing valuable and GER
tainly nothing new has been elected.
"s-~"-''-'--
information are vague, selfish and
conflicting.
j. Osborn WArd, who said he was
organizer OF the Socialistic Labor par.
ty in Brooklyn, advocated q grand
cooperative Christian society, in
which everything was to be equal and
in common.
Geo. w. Maddox of the Congress
of humanity wanted the government
to issue Sl4, 0OU, 900, 900 or SO to
New York, to build docks, etc., COM
paratively similar Sums to other cities
to be expended in public works.
When these works would have made
sufficient returns, then let them be
paid back and the notes destroyed
and cancelled rs bonds are.
Mr.. Bobb read a long statement
setting forth the importance of the
question under consideration. He
said .'God would hold the committee
responsible for every hungry ston-
ach and neked back in the Ian /. God
says: 'le shall not sell the land for
ever No mar has the right to give
a title to land. We have violated the
laws of God, and fraud, and perjury
prevail everywhere"
w. A. Carsey, who said he was a
b~ricklayer and editor, declared that
in his opinion the public school sys-
TEN was bad. The government, he
claimed, should establish schools
where mechanical trades and arts
wonld be taught. lie denounced
the contract system under II; tionaI,
State and city governments.
Geo. f. Mcneil, president of the
international WorkiLgmen's Union,
residing in West Somery.lle, Mass,
said: 'slhe whole difficulty. in his
opinion, is the wages system of labor,
or in other words, that the wages
system end steam engines are con
temporaneous, and that the produce
tive power has exceeded the power of
consumption. lie favored al eight
hour law throughout the country"
Peck, of Danbury, Conn, followed.
He thought instead of lending hun
dreds of millions of dollars to banks
the government should lend some few
hundred millions free OF interest to
workingmen. He read 0 long petit
ton to congress asking the govern
ment to lend any man $4,000 to build
a house with, the amount to be paid
I'm installments.
MI. Seilliek was for abolishing the
United States senate, restricting the
power OF congress and the president,
issuing S5S OF money per capita, r
failing home labor to six hours and
allow no M outside the labor bureau
to employ laborers.
James j.. ODonnell, who ANNOUNCE
ed that he represented only his sov-
ereign self, said the nonsense of pre-
vious speakers panied him. He
waited neither greenbacks nor COM
munism. nor eight hour law. He did
want some satisfactory method OF ar
bitration between master and man, a
restriction of rights OF patentees an.
the right to work wherever and when
e he could get it, and for NJ many
hours as he chose.
We have not room for further report
OF what was said. We have produced
enough to convey an idea OF the tone
of the talk before the Committee.
Kearneys the San Francisco COM
mnnist, advises the working men ito
put all their issues into one pool" Ifl
that we're done it would take q lons1
bead TO reduce order out OF such Ii
chaos. But Kearney says:
We have got power to d, with this
government 40 we please. We proN
Pc y TAX advantage OF that power