The Labor enquirer., 1884-05-24
THE HAGIC CITY.
Organization Beginst to Boom in chsy'
enne, and the Good Work
Will Do On.

Ever since the attempt made by the
Union Pacific authorities to reduce the
wages of employees there has been quite
an awakening all over the lines of this
immense road, and at points where the
forces are large there has been consider
able agitation looking to the organization
of the men into CO operative and pro-
tective societies. Particularly has this
been the case 1t Cheyenne, and the de-
sire to effect organization in that place
has not been confined to Union Pacific
employees alone. All classes of wage
workers have been studying the question
during the past few weeks, and agitation
has been carried on inl that little city by
the representative men of the various
branches of industry. Messages were
sent to this city ssking for the assistance
of men experienced in organizing, and
last Saturday afternoon Mr.. s. H. Laverty
of the Typographical Union and other
labor societies, went to Cheyenne.
On Saturday evening the requisite
number of old members of the Knights
of Labor we're brought together, and
Local Assembly 24S7 was reorganized.
This assembly had lapsed during the
strike of the telegraphers several months
since, but the'charter and other work of
the order was still in the city. After the
reorganization of the assembly it was
decided to hold an open meeting on the
following afternoon, in Library hall, for
the purpose of agitating and explaining
the principles and objects of the great
order.
The editor of The ENQUIEER arrived
in the city at noon ON Sunday, and after
having been royally entertained by the
committee repaired, with them to the
hall, where a large, crowd, filling the
commodious hall completely, soon
gathered.
A few minutes after o'clock Mr..
Frank Printz stepped upon the platform
and called the meeting to order. Mr. R.
NJ. Hathaway, president of the Typo
graphical Union was chosen chairman,
and upon assuming the position ex-
planned the objects of the meeting. He
expressed his thanks for the great
honor conferred upon him and gave, in
a few words, his views upon the subject
of organization. Mr.. Hathaway paid a
Just tribute to the worth of the society
he had the honor to represent and
pledged its support as well as his indi-
vidual effort to the advancement of all
moves looking to an amalgamation of
the producers Of Cheyenne and vicinity,
and. in fact the whole world.
At the close of the chairman's remarks
Messrs. Granger, of the railroad shops,
and Morrison, of the Tailors' Protective
Society, were chosen as secretaries of the
meeting
Mr. Laverty was then introduced, as a
representative of the Knights of Labor,
and addressed the meeting upon the i'm
portance and necessity of organization
of the workers He spoke of the COM
binations made By capitalists, of the
railroad, manufacturing, mining and
other monopolies, which in their greed
despoied the producers of the world and
crushed the hopes of poor humanity.
The speaker read the declaration of
of the knights of Labor, and
dwelt for few minutes upon the great
benefits of this order, and its unparal-
leled growth in this and other countries
during the past decade. In, conclusion
he urged upon all present the necessity
of each one being attached to some as
sociation whose aims are the ameliora-
ton of the condition of the workers, and
earnestly counselled that they join the
unions of their trades, or the knights Of
Labor, which latter organization he an
nounced admitted to its fold and well
coined all classes of workers, without
reference to country or creed. The
speaker took his seat amidst applause.
The editor of The ENQUIRER was then
introduced. He talked to the assemblage
for about fifty minutes, going into the
depths of the industrial question and
pointing out the injustice of present
systems. The readers of this paper can
form pretty fair idea of the nature of
his remarks, and it is unnecessary to say
more than that he endeavored to keep
up his custom of calling things by their
right names.
Mr.. h. T. Goodwin, of the Union
Pacific machine shops, was loudly called
for, and that gentlemen responded in a
brief speech, which was listened to at
tentively and the speaker was frequently
applauded. He spoke of his experience
in labor organizations in the east, relat-
ing some little sketches of the stirring
times of 1877. He recommended the
Knights of Labor to those desirous of
entering the fold of organi zation, and
signifed his determination to be unceas-
ing in his efforts to consolidate the work
ingmen of Cheyenne.
Mr.. Charles w. Beck then arose in his
place in the assemblage, and added his
testimony to that of the gentlemen who
had preceded him, with reference to the
tendency of present systems to deprive
the worklngman of his natural rights,