Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-03-17
CITY AND DISTRICT
TALKING TO WORKINGMEN.
The Public Meeting Of the Federation
Of Labor.

TALKING TO WORKINGMEN.
The Public Meeting Of the Federation
Of Labor.
THE LABOR MOVEMENT AS INTERPRETED BY
MEssRs RALsToN AND GANT-THE NIGHT
SCHOOLS AND THE BREAD-wINNERs
The Federation of Labor unions held a we'll
attended public meeting at their hall, on Penn
sviVahla avenue, between 9th and 10th streets,
last evening. Mr.. E. w. Oyster presided. The
speeches made during the evening were fire.
quent1y applauded
Mr. jackson H. Ralston was the first speaker.
he said the workingmen's movement was re-
cognlzed as the leading movement OF the time.
~ was excited by no other in importance. 1t
had had its parallels; it supplements another
movement The fact that workingmen were
ape TO organize to carry out their purposes was
Ine natural outcome of contests our fathers and
grandfathers had been engaged in for many
generations. He sketched rapidly the processes
kings of their power The history of alt the
steps TO the present time, when we have at
least nominal equality before the law, were
| steps would not be complete and perfect until
supplemented by others. From the past they
OF liberty; now it was for them to fill out these
husks with something solid. In certain
sense Rns d adI men men were equal before the law
put uld they suppose the with
nothing enjoyed the same freedom of speech as
the man with million? Did he have the Same
influence or vote as many votes? What they
must aim at now was such perfect independ-
ence between man and man as that no man
could by virtue of wealth control the votes or
Liberties of others. That was a point TO be
gained largely through the instrumentality of
unions. After referring to the fight in the mid
trades unia aga, n kdagg ne said the
selves and for the country grander independ-
ence from the moneyed oligarches that had
taken the place of the kings of old. The con-
tests OF the past had been
WON BY FORCE.
force In certain sense, must be used now
and in the future. Money, iAtellect, organiza-
ton are force. They to-day had to call to their
aid these three factors of force. Without these
three nothing could be effected in the future.
All moneyed institutions now separated from
labor interests were backed by these forces
money, ability, organization. they must meet
them with the same weapons. After the long
struggle OF the past power had been withdrawn
from the camps Of the kings To the people. The
but the governors. We have now the
Two separate camps, OF the employers
and an the employed. The power belong ing to
the employer must be drawn over until there
is no employer and no employe as separate in
sttutions, but every employe will be his
employer. This, he thought, must be the logi-
Cal end OF the struggle going on to-day. The
condition of affairs to-day between a great rail-
road and its employees while necessary out
come OF the present system, was MT a natural
one. There was, he thought, but one solution
OF the difficulties: That was not through tenn
which are naturally nonopolies, by the state
Itself Nothing else could secure the welfare
OF the employe and the welfare of the COM
munity.
CONVICT LABOR ON THE STREETS
Mr.. John Tyler, jr made a brief address, He
said he was satisfied that in the hands of the
knights of Labor rested the future welfare of
the United States and not in the hands of any
existing politicians political organizations
For the first time the people were organized for
DurUOSpS. thQi
leaders. He said that two questions had been
submitted to him by the Fede. alton for report.
One was, Under what law, if any, is convict
labor on the streets OF Washington authorizedo
He said he could not answer that yet, because
he could lind no law but the mere dielum of
the employers. One thing was certain, law or
no law, convict labor should not be put into
competition or conflict with honest labor. The
second question was regarding liquor license,
and upon this Mr. Tyler made temperance
speech OF some length favoring local option.
THE NIGHT SCHOOLS.
Mr.. E. T. Peters spoke on the subject of night
schools in this city. He presented statistics
concerning public schools in the country, show
ing that the great mass Of pupils never attended
schools higher than the lower grades. The
children OF poor parents necessarily dropped
out as they had to go to work. The high school
was awaited only by a comparative few. ONLY
about one in twenty-five OF the population was
able to go through the whole course; only one
in four goes much beyond the primary course.
He thought the night schools were inuispensa-
bic, that they should be supplied with the best
teacnerS ana kept up as well IN every respect
the day schools. Ii necessary, the night-school
course should stretch out over a longer period.
Formerly it was useless to talk of night schools
tor the benefit OF working people. Men were too
tired at the close of their long days toll to at
tend school. The eighthour movement now
babe fair to be success in this city in
May, and in view of this movement he
thought the subject of night schools important.
The time which wOrkingmen would devote to
production, greater fruit than the extra labor
exacted under the long hour system. The efti-
cheney and inventive power of workers would
be increased to such an extent, he thought, as
in twenty-five years to double or treble prOduc-
tiOn Mr.. Peters recited briefly the facts regard
ing the night schools established during the
past winter, and suggested that the federation
take some action 10 assist in influencing the
District Commissioners and Congress to provide
When the eight-hOur movement succeeds, he
said there would be large number Of people
here who will want to avail themselves OF night
schools.
MR.. GANT'S ADDRESS.
Mr.. T. F. Cant, the next speaker, said that
two years ago he was member of the commit
tee of education of the Knights of Labor, whose
object was to secure the opening of night
schools. The District Commissioners and the
school trustees held labor organizations in so
much contempt that they could not get a hear
ing. He thought 1t disgrace that night schools
were necessary at all; the child OF the working
man should be as able to attend the high school
as the child OF the rich man. Night schools are
necessity; the Knights OF Labor necessi-
W. Inc h0lSnJS Oh LABOR are no longer
treated with contempt; the doors were open to
them now. The country during the past week
had been ringing with victories of the Knights
of Labor. Still, he considered the labor move
ment in q more precariOuS condition to-day
after these victories than two years ago. He re-
ferred to the disOrganiZing influence of victory
when armies lost their discipline. They must
not forget that in the glow OF little victories that
the fight had just begun. They had only sur
prised the enemy; they should make no mis-
take. The enemy had resources OF which they
did not dream. Capitalize parasitic class
was just waking up to the fact that labor was
organizing. He referred to a remark made only
a few days ago by Gen. Francis A. Walker to
the students Of Yale, referring to the labor
troubles, that 1.-THE time is near at hand when
the employers would have control OF the situa-
ton" That was the way far-sighted man
talked.
THE RAILROAD TROUBLE.
The work had been commenced on the Gould
system of railways in the southwest. The opera
lions SO far had been notable for the absence of
the state militia. The lawyers of the corpora
lions had been issuing injunctions against the
knights OF Labor TO keep away from the railway
property. This was q new line of tactics These
injunctiOns, coming from the United States
courts, took the matter out of the hands of the
railroads into the hands OF the United States
courts, which were supported by marshals and
deputy marshals. Behind the marshals was
the United states army. There may be
some question whether their brethren In
conflict with the Gould railroads would