Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1884-12-20
LABOR AND CAPITAL
DISCUSSED I'M THE FIFTH WARD.
A Meeting of Laboring Men at New
England fiaIl-An Address by
Joshua Tibbetts.

The announcement of Labor meeting al
New England Hall last evening, despite the
bitter cold, drew together over half hun
dred of the brawny sons of toll, who believe
in discussing one of the leading questions of
the day, from an intelligent standpoint
The audience, from their appearance, was
such as TO convince the beholder they could
not only labor, but think aud reason upon
all subjects concerning their immediate in
terests and future welfare. Joshua Iibberts
was the speaker of the evening, and, IN an
impromptu sort of way, covered the
ground for powerful argument why
the laboring man if he had
any wrongs that reeded redressing was him
self at fault. The trouble was the laboring
men op, ned competition with themselves
instead of by a solid organization COM
petiting fairly with capital. Laboring men
must learn there is something in life worth
living for besides eating, sleeping and work
ing. Cranks on both sides of the question
would urge strife between capital and labor
This was wrong their interests are identical,
and labor's proper standing must be brought
about by natural causes and must be brought
by slow degrees to where il was thirty years
ago. The speaker did not believe God had
given man the faculty of invention as curse.
but his inventive genius had been turned
against him by the employment of child
labor. to the injury of the child in an educa-
tional way This had TO be stopped, and
all the ills of the laboring man
could be cured by educating them
selves up TO the wants demanded, aud then,
by voting intelligently, the ballot-box would
bring them relief. To engender strife and
riot was not a cure, was not manly, was
fiend-like. Capital should be sought as
friend and made to know that labor is its
friend and desires friendly relations and to
work hand and hand with ii to the mutual
benefit of both. Labor should not expect
that when capital has to pay ten and fifteen
per cent. for the use of money they were
going to get big pay. 1t couldn't be done.
As long as the finances of the country were
controlled by syndicate of eleven men
there would be alternate depressions and
booms. Peace and plenty would never
reign tlilc CouCc4ifdliOn Vi Ntdtlii l1ito
the hands of few was gotten rid of.
Laboring men don't watch the tide of the
times close enough. They must remember
they are but an immense cooperating COM
pany with capital upon proper basis. By
eternal vigilance, only, which is the price of
liberty, can their rights be maintained. The
oppressor always has lived in history from
the time of Moses down to the pilgrim
fathers. The time was, when to be Roman
was the proudest boast of man; and so it was
once of an American. That day passed for
Rome in the concentration of wealth and
was fast approaching for America, unless
things were soon changed. He was opposed
to the importation of pauper labor, TO the
competition of convict labor detrimentally to
legitimate labor, and believes the industrious
convict should have some reward for his skill
to begin life anew, upon an honest basis.
To regulate this, a Labor Bureau should be
formed and the votes of the laboring men,
which are a majority, could put statute on
the books to accomplish il.
The burden of the address was that the
laboring men should recognize their own ig-
norance. educate themselves, make common
cause with the honest manufacturer and by
organization unite, so as to accomplish the
greatest results for themselves by legisla-
| ton.