The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-02-02
THE LABOR QUESTION.
A Large Mass Meeting at City Hall
Addressed by Hon. Charles n. Litch-
man of the Bay State.

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Addressed by Hon. Charles n. Litch-
man of the Bay State.
AS early as seven o'clock last evening
crowds began pouring into City Hall, and by
half-past seven every seat in the body of the
house, as well as every seat in the gallery,
was occupied. When the time came for the
opening of the meeting the hall was COM
pletely packed, hundreds standing in the
aisles and doorways. There were without
doubt, fully 22O0 persons present. all Knights
of Labor and those interested in the order.
Noticeable in the gallery seats were many la
dies, who thus showed their friendship for
the cause. Precisely at O'Clock, Mr.. John
NJ. Todd called the meeting to order and
mentioned Mayor Deering as the presiding
officer of the evening A quartette from the
Amphion Glee Club then came on to the stage
and sang in excellent harmony song of well
come. On being encored the quartette gave
the Soldiers Farewell"
The Mayor then came forward, and after
saying few words of commendation of the
object and aims of the Knights, introduced
the Hon. Charles II. Litchman of Marble
head, Mass
Mr.. Litchman, as an introduction, express
ed his deep sense of responsibility in ad-
dressing such a magnificent gathering, and
considered such large audience not only a
compliment te himself but--a fact that gave
him still greater pleasure-an excellent ex-
preston of the deep interest which the peo-
pie of Portland felt in the grand order of the
knights of Labor. He noted the new turn
which the labor question had so suddenly
taken, and spoke of the rapid growth of the
order, its objects, aims and influence. What
not tell you. [ can only tell you what
it proposes to do, taking as a
foundation for my remarks what
it has done and the principle upon
which it is working. For basis the speaker
quoted a communication recently printed in
one of the newspapers of the State, upon
which he made severe criticisms, ex-
posing the entire ignorance of the writer
concerning the relations OF the laborer to
the employer. AS an offset to this cOmmuni-
cation, Mr.. Litchman read the preamble to
the constitution of the order, and then drew
sharp comparison between the two. The
speaker next described the present system
Of the working of labor and capital, which,
he said, had a decided tendency to put
money into the hands of few instead of in
tending more to equality is what we need
It is on account of the lack Of such distri-
button that discomfort has arisen in the
ranks of the laborers, and it is for such a
distribution that the power of the ,organiza-
tion of the Knights of Labor, rightly direct
ed, is working We want less discrimination
by the capitalists and corporations in favor
of monopolieS in order for more equal dis
tribution. AS an apt Illustration Of the re-
suits of discrimination, Mr.. Litchman quoted
arlYc pnadn Nv Or
Patterson of Pennsylvania, in which the
latter said that railroad discrimination had
built up the Standard Oil Company and
other vast monopolies, had reduced the own
erS of farms, had centralized wealth and
caused a great mass OF dlScontented lab0rers.
The speaker spoke eloquently Of the Irish
home rule question and in this connection the
system of landlordism which was fast gaining
ground in this country, for instance the
specimen introduced by William Seully Of
London, recently discovered In Illinois, All
such things, said the speaker, have the ten
dency to put the wealth of the country into
the hands of a feW-the apitaliSts-inStead
of placing it in the hands of the many. We
do not claim that this is the fault of the cap
italists it is the fault of the system 1t is the
wrongs Of this system that we wish to right
by the right direction of the power possessed
by properly organized labOrerS.
He spoke of the excuses for the existence
of the Nihilists of Russia, the Socialists of
Germany anu IIc COMMUNISTS Oh fTdIlCe
He told how it was within the laborerS
power to adjust the wrongs of legislation by
the proper use of the ballot privilege of
American citizens which the speaker justly
eulogized. He spoke OF the temperance
question in connection with the order, of the
temperate habits of its founders and leaders.
He gave lucid explanation of the ideal re-
lation between the employer and the en-
ploye, and said that above all things the
employe wished an honest days pay for an
honest days work. Put the comforts of life,
said he, as well as the bare necessities at
least within the reach of all. Why is it that
poor man may stand on a street corner
with his boots full of holes, thinly clad and
hungry, when at the same time there is an
over-productiOn of boots and shoes, an over
production of clothing, an 0ver-productlon
of food? 1t is not because he will not work
for the means of purchasing. 1t is because
of reasons best known to the capitalists,
that he cannot work for the means of pur-
chasing as he should work. He spoke OF the
almost endless inventions and improvements
of the nineteenth century, and hoped for a
commensurate moral improvement in man
kind. He called for a change in the present
wage system of the country and claimed
that thorough organization, bond of union
between industries and &C confederation Of Of
explained the distinction between trades
unions, which were confined to the
laborers of one industry, and the
ordeE of the Knights OF Labor which was
extensive and confined only to the laborers
of all industries. But, said the speaker, we
do not take in for certain reasons the lawyer,
the banker, nor the broker, and for certain
other reasons we have no place for the rum
seller. The moral influence of the order
must always be on the side of temperance.
He spoke of woman's wages and said it was
one Of the objects of the Knights to keep
the children from the mills and in the
schools.
In conclusion the speaker defined the du-
ties of the members Work for the 0rgani-
zation he said, work for yourselves, but not
alone for yourselves, but for the generations
to come.
Mr., Litchman's address, which occupied
fully an hour and q half was listened to
throughout with marked attention and fire.
quently interrupted by applause
The mass meeting was in all respects a
success. There has been rapid increase in
membership in this vicinity lately, Eight
new assemblies have been instituted within
the last twelve days. One assembly of 15C
members win be organized this evening at
Cape Elizabeth, another of 100 members at
Woodford's tomorrow evening, and still an
other in Gray very soon.