The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-01-20
Labor nurIcsques Capital.

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Labor Rurlcsques Capital.
THE CRIspISs' BEEAD-AND-wATER BAN
QUEr-sPEECHEs OF TIE woRkINGAEN.
The Knights OF St. Crispin, who had
heard OF the iollity and good time OF their
employers, members Of the Shoe and
Leather Board OF Trade, at the Carrollton
Hotel dinner last Monday night, determined
not to be outlione, and accordingly issued
sssszssts to the members Of the trade, fhe
s0tlrneyn men .sh ooznsn e, ana n few OF her
Invited guests to ioin3 them at O Ess banquet,
at Rechabite Hall last night. Nearly
one hundred persons responded TO the call.
There were.no charges for admission. The
banquet was O peculiar one, and in its way
success. There were no tables in the hall.
each member taking bis seat at the bencn," :"
and walters, w-journeymen, served the
courses. Although iollity prevailed there
was no intoXication, and the committee hay
ing the arrangements in charge stated that
the entire banquet did not cost more than
twenty cents. The following was the menu,
with all the courses:
l. Bread and good water.
3. Water and good bread.
8. Water and bread,
One pitcher contained oil that was drank,
but had again and again to be filled from
hydrant in the house. The eatables were
on three plates on table in the centre OF
the room. One OF the plates was kindly
placed on the reporters table by the presId-
ing officer. The following was appended
to the blll-oi-fare, in explanation OF the
scautress OF the banquet:
"is not dollar day enough to buy
bread? Water costs nothing. and man
who cannot live on bread is not fit to live.
A family may live, laugh, love, and be
happy that eats bread in the morning with
good water, and water and good bread at
noon. and water and bread 1T night. III.
w. Bcecher, Print.
The reader will understand that the affair
was designed as burlesque CT the Carroll
ion Hotel banquet by the Shoe ana Leather
Board OK Trade.
SPEECH FROM THE CHAIR.
Mr.. Samuel Pierce presided, and upon
taking the chair made the following ad-
dress:
We have met here tonight in accol dance
with an annual custom, supposed to have
been established by our worthy patron st.
Crispin. He is represented by legendary
accounts as having given at the commence
ment of.each year banquet, to which were
invited all those members OF the trade who
during the previous year had been less for
tunate than himself. The anniversary Of
this event was to our craftsmen Of that Pc
riod q sort of red-letter day, to which their
minds often turned with feelings OF pleasure.
Among tue many virtues OF this remarkable
man none shed brighter lustre than that OF
benevolence. He was singularly benevolent;
so much so that he is represented as having
stolen leather to make shoes for distribution
among the poor. Fortunately for Crispin,
he lived in the third century. Were he a
resident OF the City Of Monuments in 1879,
and guilty OF so open violation OF the law,
instead OF it being accounted to him as a
virtue and his name placed in the calendar
OF saints, his picture would probably adorn
the rogues' gallery, and his body transported
across the falls, to be- used for the enrich
ment OF some prison contractor, to the detri-
ment OF honest labor outside. The committee
appointed to make arrangements for the col
lation have concluded to render report
instead Of preparing banquet, stating
that it would be ineXpedient to incur
so great an expense. They labored under
the impression that business had been dull,
and profits small. The business has been
under the management OF our co-partners.
the "Shoe and Leather Board OF Trade"
which left the committee in ignorance as to
the real condition of our finances. and they
determined to postpone the event pending
the report Of the Board OF Trade. Since
then banquet has been held at the Car
rollton, and report made, from when
the committee argue that our condi-
ton is not so bad as we were led
to believe, but that our condition was one
Of the greatest prosperity, and in view OF
the feet that our partners in the trade con.
slider themselves able to bear the expense OF
a collation., we proceeded to make arrange
ments for this occasion. But somehow, al
ter an examination OF our share OF the pro-
tits, they found themselves unable to pro-
vide an entertainment that could compare
with that with which our business associates
had regaled themselves. The entire balance
to our credit was only sufficient to provide
for us q collation. composed of such courses
as are recommended to workingmen by that
celebrated theologian Of the Elizabethcan
period, Henry Ward Beecher.
The following toasts were proposed and
responded to:
sour Crait-The fruits Of its labor forms
the foundation of society,"" Responded to
by Mr.. Uriah CARRIER.
! Bread and Water-The future regu!a-
tion diet OF American workingmen.3 Re-
sporded to by James p. Wright in a half
humorous and half-grave and sarcastic
speech. :.
4" Labor-Its present condition and fu-
ture prospects" Responded to BY Mr. ..
L. G. Wicks.
.sThe Patron Saint of Our Order-May
his disciples always remain steadfast."
Drank standing and in silence Baltimore
american, 10th.
"Would you mind readin' this for me,
s;r2 can't read myself." 1t was snow