St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-01
SELF.EDUCATEON.
An Interesting Discussion of Vital
Questions by WOrkingmen.

Questions by WOrklngmen.
A largely attended open meeting at the
Coopers assembly, K. of L., was held last
evening at A. o. II. hall, at which some of
the leading questions pertaining to the cause
oflabor were intelligently and earnestly dis
cussed. Mr.. j. Gill of the Sixth street shop
presided and introduced j. P. McGaughey
as the first speaker. who confined himself
in his remarks principally to the necessity
of the workingman's assuming his true
place in society, and demanding of the state
legislature and congress the passage of laws
which will protect his interests. He did
not advocate the forming of new party
which would attract the disgruntled poll
ticians from the other parties, but urged
that by their votes and united influence that
the industrial classes should gain repre-
sentation in these bodies and different
branches of the government.
EIGHT HOURS A DAY.
The next speaker was j. S. Rankin who
discussed the eight-hOur movement ably and
candidly. He said he felt prepared to advo-
cate the eight hour-system on several
grounds. While not likely to remedy all
evils, it is one step in advance. One thing,
it will give more time for education. The
all-important matter now is to get the labor
ing classes to think about this subject. The
speaker quoted the saying of political
economist, ''the great difficulty is in obtain
ing desire for knowledge" This, he said,
is true. The workingmen are too apt to
read the sensational news of the day, and
neglect to educate themselves on the vital
questions which relate to their own and
their children's happiness. If the working
men will study. and finally decide upon
what they want and need, there will be
little difficulty in obtaining what they de-
sire. The laboring man is himself to blame
for his condition, for he has the power to
produce change if he will only assert
himself.
If you throw into the market ten hours
of labor when there is a demand for only
eight hours. you flood the market and les
sen its value, just as the same market can
be glutted by overstocking 1t with fruit,
produce or anything else. A reduction of
the hours of labor will reduce the produc-
ton and will be of immeasurable benefit.
1t will raise wages 25 per cent. and will
give employment to thousands who are now
idle In order to increase the price you
must cnt down the supply.
The chairman next announced that c..
W. Curtiss, one of the pioneer coopers of
the city, would next address the meeting
upon the history and present condition of
CooPERING IN MINNEAPOLIS.
Mr.. Curtiss was greeted cordially and
proceeded to give very plain, practicable
talk upon the subject, with which he showed
himself to be very familiar.
Fifteen years ago, he said, there was a
crisis something like the present. There
was an active demand for barrels and there
oOtuo1 caornitxr of labor nd ryaf th q
price for making barrels went down from
25 to 10 cents. The boss was then getting
Is cents profit on each barrel we made.
The only reason for this was the entire
lack of unison and organization. This
lasted until we organized a union and then
within six months we were getting 90 cents
a barrel. The bosses opened their eyes
and wanted to know what we wanted 20
cents for when we could live on 10 cents
just as they'd ask what's the use of feeding
horse oats when he can live on straw.
For three years this price was paid by the
bosses and agreed to by the millers,
who could not help themselves. At the
time of the J.Cooke failure the country was
plunged into financial distress. MinneapO-
lis did not feel the blow as soon as the East,
and coOpers began to come here. and so the
millers succeeded in breaking the union
down. While the union was destroyed, the
seeds sown by it were not thrown away,
and cooperation shops followed. The in
corporators nearly became martyrs for their
cause, and had to fight inch by inch. They
had slow struggle to get contract for
furnishing any of the mills with barrels.
They were opposed by the other coopers,
and the millers were quick to see the point
and fan the flame of dissension. The
trouble is just the same to-day. One part
of the coopers is fighting the other part.
The result is that some are hopping off bar
rels for 5. 6 and cents, and making hand
made barrels for IL cents and others are idle.
Nothing but poverty now is going to bring
the coopers together.
THE ONLY REMEDY
is organization. Through the Knights of
Labor, working for one grand and glorious
aim, it is possible to make the entire finan-
cial world come to your feet. In order to
do this, personal jealonsies ard enmities
must be buried and you must act in concert.