The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-10-19
KNIGHTS Of LABOR.
Speech BY Capt. Tre,ellick, Setting Forth
the Condition OF the Labor Men.
His Plans for the Remedy Of In
justice.
From the kan.as Git, NO. Post. !


meeting Of the Knights Of Labor ut
Assembly Hall. assembled for the pur-
pose Of listening to r. i. Treyellick.
the famous Eastern orator. on the labor
question. The meeting was called to
order shortly after : o'clock Ivy Mr..
s. n. Clutc. the Chairman. who. IN a
brief address. introduced the orator OF
the evening. who was greeted with loud
applause. The speaker started with
the statement tlnat the solution Of the
problem of human government is Mt the
present time the one great problem Of
the age. In mathematics. rs he learned
them when a hoy. there was always
given two sums, and ii was from these
TINT the solution Of the problem must
he made. In the solution of the great
problem of human government we have
the history Of the past and the history
Of the present. and with these must he
worked out the great problem Of the
future. During my life" said the
speaker. Il have visited, in the capacity
Of a sailor, nearly every country known
to the world. In visiting Russia l
found the most absolute form of gov
ernment. in America the most liberal.
Britain medium between the two; but
in MI OF these countries | found the
same facts staring me in the face. Those
who work the longest hours are always
the poorest paid: while those who never
labor Mt all are those who have most
money. l am told that labor is the
curse pronounced by God upon man.
but do not believe it. Labor can b.
made curse or blessing. 4 mod.r
ate amount Of labor does man good,
hut it is ovcrwork that kills. Give a
man exercise enough to expand his
lungs and open pthe pores oi the skin.
and you benefit him. hut double the
amount of that exercise and YOU break
him down.
The curse of labor lies in the fact
that man has not studied its philosophy.
In the years that | have lived | have
seen many changes, and these changes
have been degrading to the laborer.
Forty years ago in Brooklyn or New
York the mecha4ic was looked up TO.
and not down upon. by society. Now
he goes about like cringing puppy,
only taking the crumbs that fall from
the rich mans table. Forty wears ago
there We're only two men in the great
city Of New York who had liveriel
coachmen in their employ, and now
there is not city Of $4,000 people in
the country where You cannot find these
cockaded monkeys percled on a COACH
mans box. / can remember when it
took 30 per cent. Of the population OF
New York to own - per cent. Of the
property there. Now 5 per cent. own
50 per cent. OF the same. The great
daily papers Of the country contain two
and three-column reports of some great
ball or party, written in what has been
called the jenkins style, and outside oil
this and the telegraph there i inst
room enough for al account Of some
dog-fight, and | am sure cannot tell
which is he most interesting of the two.
Even parents seem to think that their
boy cannot learn a trade and still he d
gentleman. The fond mother hes;tates
w IAahS bislthsliiitH vi II.
She must needs have him gentleman.
and so she makes LAWYER Of him. The
lahorer has himself to blame for his con.
dition, for he himself is in this country
sovereign ruler and has the right 10
demand his rights ut the ballot-box
There arc 1900. 900 of us in the country
between the ages of Ii and 65 wears.
How many days do we work III the year :
An average Of $40. What is the aver.
age amount of wages that each one lie.
ceives Only 1863 Remember that this is
the average. What is the average siz,
Of the workingman's family? Gen
Walker SAYS five persons.
What proportion own houses? Mr.
Wells. of Connecticut. SAYS that 30 pc,
cent. pay rent. Think of it. 1850 t,
support five persons on. Allow an nv
erage of IS month for rent, or 81:
per year. Each family will consum,
four tons OF coal or five cords Of WOOD
per annum. bringing the figures for fue
and rent up to $lOu. lie wing n balance
Of $500 to clothe and feed the .mily on
and, saying nothing about clothing
this will leave only 81 cents per mea
to each person. We lay our wrong.
before the world, and we are told tina
the laborer drinks. / am sorry to s.,
some Of them do, but | myself havI
seen lawyers, Congressman. Sena. or
and even two Presidents drunk. The,
they will ask again, are not the laborer
here better off than they are in Europe
In the name of God, hadn't they ough
to be? The situation of the countr
alone Is in its favor. Every pound q
coal and iron dug in England is brough
up from q depth OF Its feet. i
America we dig on an average only l.
feet for il. Europe has to go All oye
the world for its wood, while We hay
all We can use at home 1t is a free eli
OF nature to the American people. W
have the grandest rivers in the world
and 1000 miles Of inland seas. Ii
old man tells yon that he used 10 wor
from early morn to dewy eve for fou
bits day, but then he neither had til
reaper, the mower and host of oihe
machinery that has come into vogu
since his day. When was boy ther
were only two threshing machines in tn
country, fail and lady's slipper
With the last had an intimate acquain
ance. When / was boy to make tw
knees to ship was good days worl
Now in Boston they turn out fifteen
day. To say that we should work t,
nothing and for the benefit of the few
An insult to our manhood"
The speaker then gave other illustr,
tons Of the progress that had bee
made during his lifetime. and the
said: The Bishops and the preacher
say, in the beautiful language Of til
church litany, As it was in the begin
ming, Is now, and ever shall he, worl
without end, and so it would have bee
with labor had not some one taken Lol
OF it. Boats sail faster because the
are modelled after the fish. They use
to be built with great bluff bodies thu
went lurching at great wave, simpi
overcoming it by great force, while 10
they are sharp and long. and cut il lik
knife. Should the wheels OF YOU
commerce stand still to-day; should Il
fires die out on your FORCES, and IL
h. a., A