St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-22
Hundreds of Workingmen Meet at Night
and Heartily Participate n
the Exercises.
prominent knights of Labor Address
the Large Assembly on PERTH
nent Topics.
Organization Urged as n Remedy for
the Evils of So-Called over
Production.

the ldOoIllS man as INplleu IN the nus
bandman of the Northwest, but it was eS-
peeially fitting that those concerned Inf the
dedication should have been the very men
10y whose labor and skill the plans Of the
architect and draughtsman have been so
satisfactorily carried out. The dedicatory
ceremonies, as was originally intended,
should have taken place in the
main building. The disastrous eff
/ feet of recent storm pre-
vented its being held at an earlier date,
as was originally proposed. and the cOnse-
| quent delay in the completion of the build
ing made Its occupancy for the purpose Of
a public meeting last evening impracticable.
IL was therefore decided by the committee
/ of arrangements. composed of representa-
/ tives from the different labor organizations
of ST. Paul and Minneapolis, that the
! ceremonies should take place in
one of the large machinery
sheds. AS the change in the arrangements
was announced early in the afternoon no
! Inconvenience was experienced. The trains
from St Paul and Minneapolis arriving at
Hamline between and o'clock last even
/ ing brought
SEVERAL HUNDRED
| from either city of leading wOrkingmen,
who were met by delegations and escorted
TO the place of meeting, which was
already well filled. In the large
shed or pavilion, plank seats had been ar
ranged, platform for the speakers erected.
and some attempt at illumination made
by the means of candles and Chinese Ian
tens.
The arrival of the delegation was greeted
with cheers, aud as the applause died away.
Charles Stevenson of st. Paul mounted the
platform and asked that nomination for
chairman be made. In response. some one
in the audience put The motion that Mr..
Stevenson should act in that capacity
which received the hearty endorsement OF
the-aSSemblage. In calling the meeting to
order Mr.. Stevenson returned thanks briefly
for the honor conferred, saying that he
would rather preside over meeting of
wOrkingmen than of the crowned heads of
Europe. While they were present for the
| purpose of Gedicating the new fair
grounds 10 the interests of labor.
he presumed and hoped that the remarks
which would follow would include a dis
cuSSiOn Of the questions pertaining TO the
present condition of labor. He did not be-
lieye that any man, no matter how poorly
he might express his convictions could be
heard without benefit resulting. In spite
Of numerous cries of Go on" Mr.. Steven
son concluded. saying that he would be
heard from later. lie then introduced
Cyrus ID. Brown OF Wife River Junction
VT, Is the first speaker of the evening,
Mr.. Brown explained that in consequence
OF short notice he hardly felt that he could
do the occasion justice. lie was cOmpar-
alive stranger 10 Minnesota. and did not
feel that extended remarks from him would
be appropriate. He would. however. pre-
sent some points which he hoped might be
70 Kan as f-,f, -,
mons might be preached by succeeding
speakers. lie regretted to see that labor
and capital are bitterly
ANrAGONIsTIC TO EACH OTHER;
also that In this county there are more I'M
employed men than any other. This should
not 5e,and he believed tOat the true remedy
for this deplorable condition of afIairS laid
within the power of the workingmen them
telveS. Its for them by united effort to
save their country from the impending
ruin. The victory of labor over capital
which he would advise would be blood
less one. 1t could be accomplished by or
Canized effort 10 carry through ideas which
and intelligent understanding of the crisis
would dictate. If ever in the history of the
country the time for such organization is
now.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Browns address
venSOn. and that gentleman finally complied
with the request TO address the meeting. al
though he said he should prefer to speak
last for the reason that less would be ex-
peeted from him. He said that the secret
of success is organization. Take any
of the great corporations and you
will find them thoroughly organized
with a complete understanding of each
other. This is why corporations oppose
the organization of workingmen of work
ingmen. They understand the strength of
organization and fear il. In thsS OrganiZa-
ton OF wOrkingmen there are three steps
agitation, organization and education. The
founders of this government declared all
men free and equal. and this declaration, if
carried out, would have made a knight of
every son of toll. But in order to per-
nit the existence of slavery in
the South this grand principle
was diSregarded and by this course the
enactment Of laws followed which allow the
grasping corporations of to-day to come
into power. The human slavery of the
south was only the taking from the black
man of what he produced. This system
was swept away by the war, but is sue
ceeded by another system of slavery which
Is equally rs bad-the system by which the
wOrkingmen are deprived of what they earn.
In the first instance the planters took
from the slaves what they produced. How
is it now? Is not the wOrkngman to-day
deprived of the benefit of his labor? Are
not you daily robbed in this way? You
who are spoken of as the bone and sinew,
yes. the very blood of the nation! We are
told that the present trouble lies in over
production. How can this be when there
is an unsatisiied demand for all products!
lou Hfa
clothing, boots and shoes, when we see
people by the thousand shivering with
cold?
THE TROUBLE REALLY Is
that there is an under consumption. When |
we are placed in position where we can
consume more there will be less of this |
overprOducti0n. The merchant is not 20 !
blame, but the men who stand behind him, |
who fix the price paid 10 labor and take care
that they shall receive five parts to the Ia |
bOTer'S one. We have got into |
the habit in free America" of |
thinking that we must have bosses |
these mens who fix the prices-and /
if six men should be started out to do a |
piece of work, the chances are that five OF /
them would be paying the sixth to boss
them. One result of organization will /
teach you to throw OFF the bosses and to
think and act for yourselves. Then comes /
education, which will enable yOn TO see the /
degradation of your present position and the
necessity OF improvement.
Mr.. Stevenson concluded amidst en-
thusiastic applause, and then introduced /
John p. Mccartney of Chicago, upon whom
developed the honor and the burden of /
making the dedicatOry address. The /
speaker thus introduced was inclined TO
shirk the responsibility thus thrust upon
him, but did the hOnOrs gracefully and |
easily, saying that it was truly APP