Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-09-14

grounds long before the time to COM
mence, and soon after we start thou
sands are egarly listening, and loudly
applaud every point as it is made, and
manifest every appreciation of what is
said. Mrs, Merritield is always the
most attractive feature, but at the after
noon meeting Comrade Hugo Bauer
gave a fine address, which was taken
down in shorthand. 1t is in substance
as follows:
Comrades. Ladies and Gentlemen
More than half the labor of the world is
now performed by machinery, and the
invention of labor.saving implements is
rapidly increasing, In a few years ma
chinery will do three fourths of the
labor of man. This alone in time would
necessitate readjustment of our social
| system to meet the changed condition
of affairs 1t is estimated that the ma
chinery of England performs the labor
of six hundred millions of human be-
ings. Is this performed for the benefit
of the English people? Let the gaunt
forms, the half-clad bodies, the Woe
begone faces of England's poor answer
| No sooner is new machine invented
than capitalists take possession of it and
human labor is crowded out. Machines
do not eat; and, still better for the
owner, they do not think. They are the
inauimate slaves of man, and should be
for the services of all. Indirectly they
do not benefit all, but, at the same time,
they add very greatly to the power of
wealth and decrease the value of man
ual labor, and this mnst continue to be
so under our present system. Even
| those machines in most common use
and the benefits of which are most
widely distributed are made the instru-
ments for reducing the price of labor.
Take the sewing-machine, for example.
1t has reduced the price of needle work
more than one half True, nearly every
poor woman can have machine, but
the supply is unlimited, and if she will
not take pantaloons at fifty cents pair
the monopolist clothing manufacturer
will have a shop full of machines, and
girls or Cinnamon at starvation wages
to run them What are the tears of the
starving to him He cannot afford to
think of human misery while struggling
in the race of competition for wealth.
Working men and women are but used
as mere machines for his benefit. He
has rich and active competitors in the
manufacturing business, and if he does
not get ahead of them, they will of him.
That is his lookout. So, not only is
machinery largely controlled by wealth,
but the labor that runs it is also con
trolled; and the tendency of machinery
is to lessen the independent labor Of
individuals, and to increase the number
and extent of large establishments.
Did you ever think what that means :?
1t means the precipitation of the mass
of the people into the condition of wage
slaves. 1t means the crushing out Of
manhood and womanhood, and trans
formation of Independent thinking be-
ings into mere human machines -servile
tools for monopolizers Of the means OF
their labor. This system of wage slav-
cry is born of the spirit of despOtism
and should have no tolerance on this
American soil, yet we have drifted far
down the current that leads to this
maelstrom of iniquity. Evil, indeed,
will be that day for the American peO-
pie, when their workers become starved
hirelings, and their employers the pam
pered lords of labor as well as of the
soil 1t has been Americas boast that
our system of free labor gives citizens
an equal chance in the road that leads
to pecuniary independence, but it is now
an empty boast, for hired labor is no
longer free. To talk of the blessings of
freedom where oppression rules is bitter
mockery; and when workers are ad-
vised to spend less and save more, insult
is added to injury. Ispeak not now of
those twin vices, the use of tobacco and
whiskey-cursesa alike to rich and poor
but of living expenses.
In the evening Comrade Bauer spoke
on the folly of workingmen connecting
themselves with the two old parties with
strong condemnation. David Taylor
presided in the afternoon and your cor
respondent in the evening" H. w. B.
BOSTON AMERICAN SECTION.
! The American Section of Boston has
decided to cooperate with the Jewish
Section in securing a hall for public
: agitation meetings.
Communications having recently been
received from New York in the German
) language, the Section considered that a
protest was in order, and accordingly q
resolution was passed protesting against
being addressed in German.
Concerning the recent illegal action Of
the New York German and Jewish Sec
tions, resolution was passed deprecat
ing strife between Sections, considering
the action of the German and Jewisl
Sections illegal, and endorsing the actor
of the New York American Section, a
expressed in its resolutions.
: 1t was reported that the State Cen
tral Committee had not received sufi
cient encouragement from the nlassa
: chusetts Sections, and had consequent,
: | decided to take no political action thi