New-York tribune., 1886-06-03
GEN. UooDFoRD on IHE LlBOR PROBLEM.
\ ECTUHE BEFORE TIE COLUMBIA CHAPTER OF
BFTA KAPPA.

\ IECTU3E BEFORE TIE COLUMBIA CHAPTER OF
PHI BETA KAPPA.
The library hall Of Columbia College, with its
vaulted ceiling and brick walls wainseoted with
books, formed fit meeting place last night for the
aucent literary fraternity of the Phi Bette Kappa.
The occasion the delivery OF an Grafton by Stew
L. Woodford before the Columbis College chapter on
the Labor Question" The hall was decorated with
the blue aud white and waa fairly well fed with
dcrgraduates aud alumni On platform with tho
speaker Of tho evening sat President Barnard Pro-
iessor Chandler and Robert Lenox Beknap president
of the Columbia Chapter All were clothed in
academic gowns. General woodford on being intro
duced by President Barnard. began his address by
sketchng briefly the history of Phi Beta Kappa from
its foundation by Thomas Jefferson in 177G to the
present day. He thought that society that owed its
existence TO tne who pelned the immortal words
ave hold these truths to be self evident: that all
men are created free and equal that they endowed
with certain nalienabe rights and that among these
are lie liberty ana the pursuit of happiness" should
ever be ready to discuss the means by which these
rIghta should be firmly secured TO all men.
While II is true" lac said, that among the Greeks
and Romans manual labor left for slaves. have
now reached era when manhood is manhood asserts
its rights and labor as labor Is an estate al the D0d
politic The immense OF steam. electricity and
mechanism has chang the working conditions OF the
world and by the practical application of science the
laborer has been placed i'll position ID at makes him
more intelligent than his predec of centuries
ago. In the present labor problem are some peculiar
conditions At no time has there been such an
cumualon of capital in intelligent private hands "a
today This capital is largely al mnstered through
corporations. While thinking man can utterly de-
nounce corporations it undenable that more bribery
and corruption of legislative bodies springs from cor
poratc greed than from all other toge ther An
important factor in the labor problem OF to-day that
our workm ntelligen ana are vested with the
ballot Ii is cant to tnat labor and capi
tai ore. but the laborer who walking away from
his noisome tenement passes the residencts of bis
millionaire employers will find this hard to under
stand"
Before closing lis address the speaker propounded
to his audience these three questions. begging them to
ponder well upon them: Ought we not as a COM
muny wisely. earnestly, if necessary releness y in
sist upon corporations living absolutely within the
lines of their delegated p0wersi If all wealth is pro
duced from the earth, if land forms the basis OF the
Stale shonld the law hinder every attempt to ag
gregae land under ownership to transmit 1t in
great bodies to bostority' And finally ought ever
TO forget that associate labor with all the harm il may
do il pIovdcntial in this land CT Ours Remember,
however that every citizen has rigl to work when,
wheo and how he will and neither strike boycott
should be allowed to interfere with his personal