Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-02-18

WorkHhopB grimy ana ulrty, swinging
along the streets, tin pail in hand,
have you less respect for yourselves on
account of your begrimed appearance, or
more respect for him, white cuffed and
with trim toilette, who daintily sweeps
you aside2 You should not Have re-
spect for all, yourself included. In what
consists the dignity Of labor and, where
should it exist, If not on this Soil 2 Your
appearance is the result of most honor
able labor. Water is just as pure to-day
as centuries ago on the banks Of the
Euphrates. Your perspiration is nothing
else. The griminess on face and hands
is simply mud caused by the emulation of
water from the myriads of pores OH the
body's surface. quitenatural. WHAT'S
there to be ashamed of in it? All
humanity perspires more or less and dirt
appears. Even the pretty arm of the
young lady next you is not free from the
law. [Sensation]. Oh yes, I've proved it.
Laughterl. kept company with the
ladies' once. l have been good looking
tho perhaps you may think it hard to
credit All ha, (pointing TO a gentleman
at the reporters table, who, naturally,
raised his eyes, upon that assertion, to
scrutinize the speaker) think he looks
TO see whether I'm good looking. [Great
laughter.
Now, as regards the Knights of Labor,
what are their aims and object. What
compact does new member undertake.
Well he does not swear TO do this or that
he simply affirms. For / think that q
man whose word is not binding cannot
be credited when he swears by an oath. l
lift my hand and say, I will, as Knight of
Labor, demand the right peacefully to
assemble at proper times and places i'll
convention Of men and women, and this
without let or hindrance from any power
in the land or by any legislation, and
added the speaker, with significant en-
phasis, by the eternal, l will have that
right.
The speaker then referred in detail to
the usual methods practiced in forming
my association or organization, showing
how that in the methods the Knights of
Labor there were no general dissimilari-
ties. He referred again to the ancient
rights of citizens to assemble peacefully
and discuss any matter they may con-
slider needful. "Any newspaper" he
said, ''that would deny that right to us
has not sense enough TO be a common
fool" LFf
He continued. find that for thousands
of years the MASSES seem to have forgot
ten what popular rights are. God said,
''The heavens are the Lords, but the
earth hath He made for the children of
men, From the twelfth century l find
men toiling in beautiful, sunny France,
from boyhood to gray hairs that the lord
of the manor may live in idle luxury.
II is not wrong that they toll; all must
toll, but the wrong is that they should
throughout their lives see no rest, have
no enjoyment whatever. Years pass by;
the old man, unable further to work,
asks bread of those he has sacrificed a
lifetime for in order that they may live
in ease. He is let starve and is then
placed for sepulture in the cleft of o
rock. HE asks for fish and he is given
q stone." But at an epoch in the history of
that country the cup of bitterness, desti-
tuition and toll was filled with tenrs and
brimmed over. Then Robespierre leapt
into life who through bloodshed estab-
lished the theory of republic. What is
| the matter with the Englishman to-day !?
The laborer and the mechanic in that
rich land are beginning to discover that
he has been giving of his hands out of ell
proportion to his receipts. Happy con-
tented Sandy in Scotland is becoming
thoughtful too, and now Pat says: "Och,
be my sowl, if could only get hould iv
the British government I'd knock the
d. out of them" [Laughter.1 I think
| il possible we may not be learning as fast
/ in this country. Do our young people
here read Now, / say it, and hope the
reporters will take il down, 88 per cent
| of the reading matter taken out of the
public reading rooms and libraries by
our young people is not history, but
novels.
Why is there such poverty in the world
alongside such riches Simply because
| the people do not know their rights OF
knowing them have the craven hearts not
| to dare to assert them. I'll give any man
in this audience five dollars who will
prove that England is poor country.
Her exports are $4,000 tons month,
Well why does she export it2 Because
they are too poor to eat il. Laughter
Is England poor? It is the richest sol
under the sun. Ask the English emf
grant why he left England. Did he leave
the beautiful hedgerows, starred with
aromatic primroses and scented yioleti
without n sigh? Why, it takes $4,000
Delaware roses, most carefully nur
tured to produce one ounce o.
essential oil, $4,000 English rosei
will do the same. You sturdy ploddint
rosy. checked English lad left your ole
home because some one else claimed thu
soil which the son of man said was yours
Yes, you of Ben Lomond remember witt
tender sadness those windy crags witt
5000 blue bells on their healthy sides
You son of Erin did not leave the ashe
of your ancestors because your love ha'
grown cold, but because you are apariah
fugitive in the land of your birth
English, Irish, Scotch-all the same. l
a sailor have often recognized You on tn
omigrant ship, your heads over tn
Watching the vanishing purple shore
~ the old, old home. fet
Iinew York, sure enough. As plaini
ictured as if the emigrant ticket wer
listed on your back. Did you wee
, seause you were cowards2 The Island
! lot England don't breed cowards-th
II world knows otherwise. But the duke
Y aid lords of England take all your land
SAYS young America. And he adds the
couldn't do it here. By the heavens, II
code and coal corporation are doing
! To-day in Pennsylvania. The Duke
! bpiutherland who owns whole counties
, / scotland, owns 10000 acres more und'
.your American flag than the total Of b
i vide domains throughout the Britlt
q islands. There is no difference betwee
n senators and dukes,
The Knights of Labor say that senate
! will be elected direct by the vote of u
people, or they won't go to Washington
y all. To Uncle Sam the Knights of Lab
n saw that whatever of public lands y
, need for forts, arsenals, &C., you shi
"a have, but we deny your right to sell o
i foot of it to corporations; it shall be he
4 for the people forever. Young Amer
y saws, but has not Congress the right? y
II we pay Congress for serving us, not
!. stealing from us. And, Young Amer
= adds, do YOU mean to say that You
~ Take those lands back from the corpol
n lions? BY the eternal they shall
. keen them, the people, who made
q laws. can unmake them. What makes
Va rich = If / have lots of money, i invei
10 other men settle near my land i beco
\, rich nv their working on thsir own Ia
ns and improving il. l allow "
~ many acres to lie idle, / can ade
ie to do so. My neighbors, who must wo
hs because they are poor, uuconsciously
ns my pockets with q I'D. 1t is the fool
,ra law that allows of such results.
II, lie shields the lazy vagabond. But
IA understand these lawmakers. Wen NJ
Of them, they've got to meet MS. Weprop
y; that the tax be taken off the Il
a,, that ia cultivated and put on the uneu
waited land. We are the voters, and
IL attend to this. The l1nighthood of la