The weekly miner., 1879-06-24
Delivered juno 18th, 1879, Before tire
Butte Norkingmsn's Union.
BY e. .. Thempson, Astoraey-at-Lnw.

lens, long bejewel'GiE 3 he wisdom &a
learning of our profsuadsb philosophers assd
political economis :, a,td leasie end that tue
objects and aims 9.5afr be properly 4A
derstood it were i;Qt ..s,' ,',.at we discuSs thg
origin and antiq " such societies, 8st
mark their grow. al ing the march of tie
centuries. Properly speaking, modern soeia-
ties or labor unions, are but the direct resulJ
and outgrowtll Of the ancient Guilds or Gttjid,
(the term being derived from the saxon s!to
pay," which was name given in England and
France to societies organized flr mutual aid
and protection as well as to contraternitios
whose chief object was piety and beneficence.
The denomination Of conf aternities, how
ever, was formerly bestowed in France on lay
brotberhoods, united for secular as well as re-
| ligous purposes, but in modern days it is re-
stricted to both pious and eleemosynary insti-
| tutions. As an outgrowth sprang secular
guilds or societies OF altiZails, which We're Or
ganized in Rome at a very early period, AND
some at Piedmont as early as TOT, and togeth.
er with merchants corporations continued to
| increase in numbers and Importance until the
fall of the Republic and the decline of the
| Roman. eagles. But the decadence was of
short duration, and though they were sup
pressed and throttled by the arbitrary meas
llres Of Caecilius and a Maltins they, Phoe-
nix like, rose to potent power under liberal
and enlightened Clos.ius.
|
were denominated hy early Christian writers
as CollegiG op$fc,un, or companies Of crafts
men. To them belonged two essential char
acteristics-the banquet and the purse, and
both in common. In many instances they had
a religious, and in some secret ceremonial
to knit more firmly the bond of fidelity and
fraternity, and from the private guild possess
ing the vital spirit Of fathiillness and BROTH
erly love sprang the sworn community, of
| w., al, hi. JTr-t hut bp
that peer " body of citizens bound
by a volu r d obligation to guard
each or , = nalienable rights, and
like the 2,rla- of storied old with
dewitt 81 Keep watch and ward
as aga ,. lh3.,-, ION Of capital and the
thefts tl2 <ncul a robber. And to this day,
scarce j! there :. .llrch or cathedral in Hol-
land Oh u 4: 9,r Dat boasts a tribute to these
Unions, way of sculptured or pictorial
monument commemorative of some event
connected with these guilds, and representing
their festivities, their banquets and their tri-
umphs.
Thus do we mark the gradual growth of an
institution as permanent as it is ancient, and
which IN its nature is essentially conservative,
progressive and philanGhopic, being as it is,
conservative in its policy, progressive in its
march. and philanthropic in its aims; recog-
nizing as il does, the universal brotherhood OF
man and thesdignity of labor.
| Seven centuries have now passed since the
civilized States of Europe, under the influence
of sublime enthusiasm combined in expe-
ditions to the Crieni, trougnt with hardship
and peril, but in 1860 all Christendom aga II
united in sending forth expeditions to cline
more dangerous than was sought for by God.
frey de Bouillon or Richard of the Lion
Heart. Then the pale light Of the crescent
lowering over Jerusalem was the center
, around which the nations gathered, but witt
the Montanian arGonauts; it was the virgir
metal, deep buried in the caions OF the Rock
les, that lured these fearless men to a cline
less SUMMER than they had known at home, io
here to the youngest and faircst OF tile galaxy
+ abiurng society and foTsAking kindred dear
journeyed these PIONEERS Of go and tie SOLE
men of to-day.
To these heroes are we indebted for til,
l pleasant homes we enjoy. and 10 their Inlsc,
and grit did the mountains first yield thei
golden tribute, in spite Of the h. tilc rife al,
the strolling aboriginc. Such, my h2arers
were the pioneers Of '6o, AMI wi5h rare cXcep
ton they are the Union of to-day.
VI a,,,la since 1SG2 has yiclGco III nrco,or
metals the enormous sum Of s.. 100000 ~,
until The cXigencieS prompiin~ tie org ii; /
ton of thc Union the Wagrs II rla l-1H1 in!
man We're ample to procure tn n2cess; i2a c
life. Times had been mo0l and the h0,1 "
OF civil strife III ! not reach Il II" I0rder- 90
with the close Fl the W. 4. E., 7 lis j.,
corpu1o,t With crceI e." gold, 81! saeeiug il
'rC ,-l..t IT. tIle Transmitted ace. -r:1- .. 81.
a ceutrry fourneYeL Mont. .1.--,Tal,. IL
found an,rle ,c0ne. Mines were onanCt
stamps erected, wages remained uni on. .
the eenerns earth yielGnG lic7t 81, .tlUc 10 l..
ital and toll. butes prosperity smiled en! r2iet
profits waHed LARGE jIeir O.. .tigv in.'o s1f
and wares within Veil were .o;l.i.s 10
cut down, while no rroyi,ion VS. 1s..,.l vii
REGARD TO a moDcTtionable de..e..,e i'll IL. e.
/. penscs of tie weary tolels ii the Ground
But as
..Diseases desperate crown