St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-15
THE LAHOR LYCEum.
An Ola Podrida OF Economic Views
aud Facts--Ideas From All.


Garfield hall last night held the usual
large assemblage of working men that gath
ers every Sunday evening to hear and ex-
press views on the various topics now in
teresting the labor world. The meeting
was opened by choosing A. l.. Robinson
chairman, and the free and easy proceed
ings went on. q. A. Lafayette of the COM
mittee on convict labor, appointed Mt the
last meeting. reported that a conference
had been had with the committees from the
Trades assemblies OF the two cities; that
they were thoroughly investigating the
question, and that definite action would be
taken In the future.
). +. Crosby, young lawyer of the city,
was present, and was called upon 10 speak.
In his remarks he said that manufacturing
corporations were agents between the pro-
ducer and consumer The agent should
have fair price for work and capital. the
laborer should receive n fair recOmpense
for his toll and the consumer should be able
To get the products at a reasonable price.
Mr.. Robinson wished TO have it understood
that the meeting was not Knights of Labor
meeting, but an open discussion TO which
every class and everybody were invited.
w. III. Eyles. in brief allusiOn to the
foreign element, said that he had found that
it was that class that had started the trades
unions in this country. The wOrkingmen
were yet too much inclined 10 cling to party
and not go for measures, thus dividing their
power. They must unite to make effective
progress.
d. NJ. Minor rose TO ask what was being
done or To DO done towards educating the
workingmen to use the enormous power
they had recently acquired. What were
they going to do with the extra two hours a
day they were expecting TO secure shortly?
Would they spend il at pool tables and
drinking saloons? How were they TO edu-
Gated To the proper use of this time?
He thought that eight hours was enough for
man TO work, but were the eight-hour agI-
tators sure that the majority of skilled la
borers wanted eight hours? lie was work
ing few carpenters, and they preferred
working ten hours. He asserted that much
skilled labor was overpaid and common
labor underpaid. Timothy Reardon was
called on, and began his remarks by saying
that he
WAS HEARTILY DISCUSSED
with the laboring men. Their greatest enc
mics were themselves. The wrongs they
were suffering were due to their own negli-
gence. They had never been properly
united and had never properly used their
political power in this city. Skilled labor
could generally get along, but the common
laborer was underpaid and had a hard
struggle. He was in favor Of eight hours.
q. a. Lafayette turned his attention TO
the extra two hours the application Of the
eight-hOur rule would give. "What have
got to do with the way other men spend it,
so long as l use it Alright myself" said the
orator. ''Should nine men be kept work.
ing those two hours in order that one
should be kept from SHINING. The success
of the eight-hour movement means the
mental, moral and social elevation of the
human race. A people in a condition of
servitude is always an ignorant people. A
man mnSt learn not only how TO serve
others, but how TO serve himself, and he
must have an opportunity to serve himself
and family"
Mr.. Hopper said he was in favor Of eight
hours, and there were many points on
which the workingmen needed education
badly. There were some things they
needed even more than the eight hours, one
of them was an end to the Internal system of
gambling in the peoples breadstuffs, by
which -four was often made scarce and
higher.
j. NJ. Miller followed with crack at the
Minneapolis Millers' association, and again
suggested that a wOrkingmen's cooperative
mill be established reducing the price of
flour 80 cents or more barrel.
Mr.. McTeague INDUCED in a few remin-
iScences regarding the early youth of labor
organizations i'm this city. During a session
of the legislature twelve or thirteen years
ago the gaTnishee law was under discussion
and a representative from the southern part
of the state said in a speech that he
wouldn't trust any workingman for goods
whether he knew him or not This made
the class referred TO
A LITTLE HOT,
and one evening a small delegation waited
on him to see about il. Some one had told
him, in joke, that he was in danger of
being mObbed, and the frightened repre-
sentative took everything back at the first
opportunity. Out of this grew the first
workingmen's association. 1t was secret.
and numbered about $50 members. but it
got noised about that il numbered four or
five thousand. About this time
wood dealers raised the price of wool 81 a
cord. The association took steps TO bring
three or four carloads from the woods, and
the dealers dropped to the old prices.
\. J.. Robinson took the floor again. and
spoke I'm his vigorous manner against con-
Wet and city contract labor. One speaker
asked for information regarding the ST.
Paul Trades assembly and its relations to
other organizations. Its functions as leg
islative and deliberative body composed of
delegates from all the Knights of Labor
assemblies and trades unions of the city
were explained by Mr.. Lafayette. Mr..
Minor announced that the report Of the com
mittee on convict labor at the next meeting
would give number of interesting and au-
thentic facts regarding the subject before it.
L. A. Foster thought that the
proper remedy for the workingman
lay in cooperation. He alluded TO its sue
cess in England and stated that the business
OF such institutions In that country in 1884,
amounted to $500. 900. 900. Timothy Rear
don said that if large number would agree
TO trade only at one store better prices
could be secured. Flour could be bought
in quantities from the comm ission stores at
a reduction of 80 cents or more barrel.
After some proceedings of minor import
ance the interesting two hours discussion
closed and the meeting adjourned for one
week.
STOPPING OVER SUNDAY.
People at the western
Topics Under Discussion.