St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-09-23
WHAT SHALL BE DONE,
II. J. McGuire's Views Upon the La
bOr Situation of the Day.

P. J, Mcclure, the general secretary of
the Brotherhood of Carpente rs and JOiner'
of America, last evening addressed an au-
dience that comfortably filled Harmonic.
His address last night was not confined to
discussion of the labor question as affect
ing carpenters solely but was applied to the
condition of the working classes generally.
He Saio:
wish to open this address by thanking the
press OF this city for their aid in giving notice
of this meeting. ! come to talk 10 you on
questions that no legislature can solve that
can be solved, indeed. only by higher intel
ligence and greater unity among the working
classes There was no chance for the labor
question to be introduced until the slavery
question was settled. But that question is
now out of the way, and the great discussion
of the day is that which we have come here
to examine tonight. If labor and capital
are partners, as some say, why is labor made
Il silent partner? Why is not labor permitted
to have some weight in the partnership!
LABOR AND CAPITAL
are not partners, but we wish to make them
so. Years ago we found the villages OF our
country filed with small shops and the pro-
ducers and consumers were brought into close
contact. All this has been changed, and
middle men are needed to make exchanges
between the producer and the consumer, who
are thousands of miles apart. These middle
men become millionaires and the working
classes are made their serfs. Chill
dren are forced to leave school in
order to work for them. After
having filled the warehouses with goods,
the toiers are told that they have produced
too much, and must now be laid of. Would
it not be better to produce less, and to work
less-to shorten the hours of labor? In the
factories of to-day every trade Is cut up into
Ia the shoes hops of Massachusetts it takes
thirty-eight different hands TO make shoe.
Production has been increased by this and
other means a hundred fold, but while in
this city there are palaces, there are novels,
also 1t is the labor OF the masses that
has enabled the owners of these
pal2ces to build them. Had these million
aires been placed by themselves on an island
they would have no more than they could
obtain by the use of their own hands, and
that would be small amount. 1t was once
our boast IL this country that we should
never be troubled with the evils and injustice
of Europe. But what do we find?
OUR LABORERS AND BUSINESS MEN
are alike in state of uncertainty and know
not how soon they may be bankrupted or
thrown out of employment. Out of $1,000
OOO, 900 produced in year the sum Of $780,
OOO, 600 was divided among the working
classes. Seven-tenths OF the people received
only One-Sl4Ih VI IuS WHOIo prOuucl, "uIO
three-tenths divided the other fve-sixths
of the $1,000, 00O,0oO Under-consump
ton on the part of the seven
tenths is the real difdcuty-not over
production. Low wages has the effect OF
making hard times. The people have less to
buy with, and the only remedy is to give them
better wages. This country was never in
tended to be country of low wages, with
many men out of employment, or working at
starvation wages. How can they live? Go
ask the paWnbroker. This is not merely
POLITICAL QUESTION,
it is also a religious question. So long as men
strive TO underworld and undersell each other,
this is a religious question. The church is
doing wrong not to take up this question, and
show US to live better, so that we may be bet
ter men and women. We want
more clergymen on our side." Here the
speaker mentioned DR.. Deems and others,
who are now laboring for the poor. Even
politicians ara now getting on our side. The
men who tell us we do not need trades unions
and other organizations are forming and
maintaining unions for themselves. The
speaker referred to all the usual points of the
labor question in earnest and effective style,
was frequently applauded, and closed with
an eloquent appeal to his hearers to unite
for the protection and elevation of humanity
and the safety of our country.
Mayor Ames was called for. He re-
sponded in a brief address, in which he
took occasion to indorse the stand taken by
Mr.. Mcclure. Col. n. w. Glenn also
made few remarks. giving his views upon
the labor question and stating that in Or
ganiZation lay the only means of protection
for the wOrkingmen. Both speakers were
greeted with applause, and their remarks
were well received.