Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-05-11
ORGANIZE.
A Large and Enthusiastic Meeting
of the
Ohio Valley Trades and Labor Assem-
bly,, in Martins Ferry, Yester-
day - Two Splendid
Speeches.

Yesterday Stternoon at ) o CLOCK an open
meeting of the Ohio Valley Trades and
Labor Assembly was held in the Excelsior
rink at that place There were perhaps
Two hundred persons present, nearly all the
trades and labor assemblies in the sssocIa'
ton being represented.
The meeting was called to order By Rich
ard Robinson, of the News Letter. I. j.
Irwin was then chosen chairman.
THE FIRST SPEAKER,
Mr.. John Ehmann, of Prosperity Assembly,
X. of L. of Wheeling, then addressed the
assemblage in very neat and sensible
speecb. BE commenced by citing the fact
that according to the statement OF
MIR. Blaine, made during the time Of the
late campaign, that during. the
past twenty years this country had increased
its wealth to the extent of thirty billions OF
dollars or one and one-hslf billions each
year, He then went on to show how little
of this money had been and was now held
by the laboring classes who are, as all
writer's on political economy admit, the real
and true factors of the prosperity OF couu'
try. "Wby is it," he said, that not quite
o6e-sixth of this wealth is in possession of
the ones who earned il"
THE CAUSE OF THE PRESENT DULTNEss,
according to his statement, is not lack OF
money, but it is the fact that wages have
been cut down until the ones who need
their own product are not able to buy them,
and therefore the mills and factories are
shut down with full warehouses. The man
who furnishes society's wants the cheapest
has the better hold on society, and if he can
cut on the expenses incurred in furnishing
these things he has that much frmer hold
| and all at the expense of the man who tolls
for his bread. Before labor was organ
lied men bid for their jobs, and the
one making the lowest bid got the place.
Now, in places where labor is organized,
the man who is the most competent gets the
preference. Laborers, if well paid, consume
accordingly and the more they receive the
better able they are to put themselves in fit
condition to be benefit to society instead
of drawback to our social and moral in
terests. Therefore when wages are cut and
men do not receive enough to justify them
in living properly society is
| DEGRADED ACCORDINGLY.
Machinery is in great measure
curse. Instead Of shortening the hours
of labor, it is used only to increase
the amount Of the output with no consdera-
len for the men who operate it. In some
of our factories even children are worked
eleven hours each day for comparatively
su all wages in attending machines that
have taken the place Of men whose aggre'
gate wages are many times the amount now
spent in manufacturing these articles. As
his shows these houses are not even will
ing 10 divide the benefits derived from this
source. He then proceeded to explain that
the producer only received about one sixth
of what be produced, that is, a laborers
wages average only one-sixth OF
THE PROCEEDS OF HIS LABOR.
The other fve,sixth 60 to the capitalist and
the Spectator.
When it comes to question of life the
capitalist cares nothing for the labo'er ex-
cept What he can get out of him. Ware
houses may be filled with goods and still
the laborer and his family almost starve
and freeze because they are not wise enough
to get their share out of what they produce.
The bosses when they make cut do not de.
rive an benefit from the reduction in the
cost of manufacture. They do not gain the
percentage they cut of from the laborers,
but instead they take it off the price charged
and make it necessary for all other similar
concerns to call for cut, 80 it will be seen
90 one is benefited by a reduction.
Btadstreet's Mercantile Report says that
where trades unions exist wages have been
kept up and when labor is not organized
WAGES HAVE FALLEN
in proportion as the depression came on
Capitalists admit that trades unions keep
wages from fuctuating with the short de-
pressions and improvements of trade. They
also claim that trades unions have no right
| to run their factories But laborers have
right to protest against the continual cuts
called for by these men, and if possible gain
their points Now, our houses have more
power than had the kings of old. By fash
of the wires, Jay Gould tried to degrade the
condition Of 10000 men, and had
it not been for the sensible
action of the Governors of these
States he would have no doubt gained his
point. 1t would be well if the Governors OF
al States would make it their business to
see that the capitalists did not bring about
trikes and bloodshed by their heartless re
ductions and improper manipulations OF
| lower.
To show the utter folly of laborers con-
plying with the demands of the bosses he
cited the case at the quarrieS at Lemon,
III. About two years ago the men at these
works were getting from 81 to 81 50 per
dsy. The managers called for reduction
and etrike enSued. The places Of these
men were
FILLED BY FOREIGNERS
at reduced prices Now the bosses are
| not satisfied with these prices aui
have called for another reduction of such
proportions that even these foreigners can
not stand it and have been forced to strike
If these requests were complied with the
time would soon come when workmen could
not live at all. Bosses would never grant
an advance unless requested, and time and
money spent in strike is always amply re,
paid in advanced wages. He further showed
the good of Trades Unions in the case OF
he cigarmakers When the So revenue
was thrown of, the union men demanded
that a share of this advantage should be
given them in the shape Of an advance in
wages. The non.union men are working
for the old wages, while the ones who are
organized are getting share of the in.
creased profit. He then stated in conclu.
sion that meetings were to be held frequently
and that any one interested in the cause of
labor should come forward and become q
member of either the K. Of L. or to join the
national union of his trade He also stated
that the President of the Carpenters Union
would hold three meetings, one in Bellsire,
one in Wheeling, and another in Martins
Ferry, in the near future the object being
to organize the carpenters of this section.
He was followed by
| JOHN ". ARMSTRONG,
of Typographical Union No. 70, who, after