Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-05-09
ORGANIZED LABOR.
The Advance OF Education I'm work
The End or Strfkes-Fine Lecture by
MAYOR POwderly.

For some time past, the labor element OF
this city, and especially that portion
banded together in lodges of Knights Of
Labor, has awaited with considerable in
terest, promised lecture by Mayor T. v
Powderly, of Scranton, Pa, gentleman Of
prominence in the order and labor advo
cate of more than local reputation. After
one disappointment, their desire was graft
fed, and last night the expected lecture
was delivered. It was good one aud did
not fall short of their high expectations
Mayor Powderly is the advocate OF adj
vanced ideas, which would, were they uni
yersal, work the greatest good to his toiling
brethren.
The Academy Of Music held good mum
ber last night, of the "bone aud sinew'' oI
the city, with gathering OF others who
came to learn something OF organized
labor. Ii was q crowd of over the average
intelligence and appreciation. The com
mittee in charge had very nicely arranged
the stage and given it comfortable, home
like look.
The exercises were initiated by a chorus,
Come where my love lies dreaming by
the colored quartette, rendered in a style
Mr. J. II. Burt. the chairman Of the meet
ing. prefaced his introduction of the orator
with a very happily delivered little speech.
1t was the cause OF labor they were assem-
bled in, he said. and to remedy the evils
which grew out OF the wars of the subdi
visions of society, labor had organized. /;
was 10 prevent financial and commercial So
ciety from proving upon industrial society
and OF industrial society to perfect the mu'
tual relations of employer and employed
that such men as Trevellick and Mcguire
and Powderly were going about on their
noble missiOn-to lessen the eXactiOn,
made by non producers upon producers.
He topped off his remarks by introducing
Mayor Powderly:
To please by sight no less than by argu.
ment is one of the prerequisites OF an ora
tor. This gift Mr.. Powderly has in no
small degree. of progressing. gentle
manly bearing, pleasant, open face and
a slightly bald head showing a generous
development OF philanthrOphy, he is a man
calculated to favorably impress an audi
enCe, and he did, at first sight. His voice,
too. is pleasing and he completed the cap.
tivation when he addressed his hearers as
ow-workmen, claiming the right BY a
long service at the hammer and anvil. He
always felt ditlidenCe, he said, in address
ing such a congregation OF representatives,
of the Great Army OF Labor, the re-
suit of centuries of organizing attempts,
the perfect end of which was not yet
reached. Why? Would it were in my
power to reply fully but the great queS-
ton of labor requires for IS solution =
greater mind than mine. The men who
have been engaged in the work have at all
times been denounced aud pointed at with
sCOrn and called names that would disgrace
the calendar OF names; that would disgrace
the fish women on the streets; and they
come, too, from those who would teach us
lessons. Instead of converting or reason
ing with us, they hurl names at US. This
is not argument What the world wants is
argument. Lay it down in black and white
and convince us or be convinced in turn.
Abuse acCOmplIShes nothing, as We are 50
accustomed 10 hard knocks that it glidcS
from us as water from ducks back.
Men have striven right manfully to solve
the labor question, and for years. | was
one of the old band that tried it. the
Missionist and Blacksmith Union of the
Mnited States, and although years have
passed since this hand struck with ham
mer, yet | now wear, as my proudeSt
badge, the emblem of that order. | am
no longer in the workshop, but | am there
in heart am not for one branch, but
all wOrkmen whose sweat runs down their
faces. have followed up the struggle
and have seen its mistake. but now | am
seeking that advancement in society, where
man COmmuueS with man aud brothers
meet. We are reaching it now in our or
ganiGatiOn. We are where, ii you trod on
labOr's toes here, the head feels its
there, ana when the injury to the poor
workman on the railroad is felt and sym
pathi7ed with by the man who guides the
engine. The interest VI one is the interest
of the other, and injury to one is redressed
by the other.
In the old times they thought they had
found the remedy. Whatever the cause
the result was the same, and that result
was always 4 strike. No matter how sound
the motive, or how Unanswerable the ar
gument, always the strike. | am not for
strikes. am here to tell you the truth,
not to tally or to praise. Apply the lesson
| give, though you don't believe it, The
strike of the past was failure. no matter
if the object was obtained. The money
is still on top, and it is only matter
of time until il regainS all it had lost by
the successful strike. | don't mean to say
4 strike is always wrong, for sometimes to
not strike is cOwardlCc: but cool, calm
reason should be brought to bear. Strikes
are passing away. The day of that suicidal
instrument is past and the new and better
means are here. 1t lies with capital to-day
TO take us by the hand we extend and meet
us half way. Ii not then the world will see
it is wrong and public opinion is with us.
The day of trades unions has been disSl-
pated by the advance of educated labor.
1t is now the duty of labor, when it has
grievances, to map them out and lay them
at the door of capital and demand a full,
fair hearing and let the world and the pub
lie decide. \ grand tribunal, that. When
we are willing To arbitrate they should not
be unwilling, Tor they have no rights to
which we are not entitled. Labor aud cap
ital have only identical interests when
they operate on the same basis. That
basis. which we must claim, is the coming
half way. don't believe in strikes. They
are SuiCidal-they are warfare. When you
want to strike, ask yourself ii you are pre-
pared for war. Look at your family and
little ones and ask your wife il there is
food in the house for year. Look at your
purse and see if it has money for Il year
If you can do without eating and can stand
a starving stomach for year all right, but
when your child is starving on the hearth
and the wall comes up from the dying little
one, it is hard to 60 out and fight a COrp)-
ration that can laughingly stand it. Con-
slider this and then let arbitration be your
resort.
In our platform we ask to limit the
working hours to eight hours a day. Put
il on your statute books and live up TO ii,
and by cutting Off your long hours you
will make room for others and prevent the
OverproductiOn of workers. There are labor
saving machines, the work OF the brain of
the man who applied the labor Yet why
in the name of God do not the men take
advantage OF them? Insist on the eight
hours, put it on your statutes, and make
the national law living truth instead OF
the lie il is. Cut down child labor. Take
Your children away from the mine and
factory where they are wearing out their
young lives, and uniting themselves for
the struggle of their maturer years. Send
them to school and let their places be filled
by men who will get mems pay. Let men
take their plaCeS-nOt women. The only
labor for her is that by that sacred spot,
the hreSide. 1t is wonrg to sell her life for
gold. Begin and strike one blow at home
and humanity will be the gamer.
Another great queStion-it is scarcely in
order here, but | see the President has
signed the Chinese bill, by the grace of
Guiteau. This he couldn't do few weeks
ago, because the time was in the way, but
now ten years were knocked off and now
he can sign the bill that will damn his
party forever. The Chinese have been
turned in on the west and labor's toes
l.. 4 Al