St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-31
ROASTING THE TRUSTS
As So Many Combines Against
Labor-PIea r Organization.

At the meeting held last evening
under the auspices of the Brotherhood
of Carpenters, about $50 members of the
local lodge of the brotherhood were
present. Chairman Mcclure intro
duced w. IL. Kliver. of Chicago. THE
object of this meeting" said the
speaker, sis to lay before the tOilers in
this city the condition of affairs under
which they at present exist" Capital
throughout the country had cOmbiua'
or was combining. The question was,
was the combination a benefit to the
working man or the universe.
In his Judgment it was the
reverse. The latest combine was the
wire trust, which was becoming one of
strongest IN the country. This does not
interest US as directly as the sugar
trust. If you will ask your wives they
will tell you that sugar is from two to
five cents pound higher than before.
The employees engaged in the manufact-
ure are receiving no better pay than
before. They will tell us that the rise
is on account of scarcity of the sugar
product Shall we believe it?' The
anthracite coal company is another
combine. Have these coal men in
Pennsylvania combined for the benefit
of the starving miners of that
state? These men to-day are asked to
maintain their families on 20 cents per
day. These same poor miners might
have stood up like determined men
asking for their rights, but the most of
them had wives and children to sup
port, and they begged-actually begged
Their employers to be more generous,
to give them enough return for their
labor to respectfully support their FAM
lilies, or even to support them IN any
way. | have seen the miners wife
compelled to descend the dark dungeons
of the mineS-Seen her. the darling of
some mans heart, bound to labor,
in the damp, filthy passages in
order that she might help to
sustain their offspring. The only
thing left for labor is TO follow in the
footsteps of capital and organize; not
only organize, but organize to pur-
pose. If there is farmerhere tonight
! want to say TO him that it is high time
that he got down from his high horse
and combined against the city cOmbina-
tons known as the boards of trade.
They sit in their chambers of commerce
and legislate to the best of their knOwl-
edge against the farmer. And yet the
farmer joys along and seems to ignore
the wholesale robbery of which he is
victim. We must have men to represent
US; we must elect men to positions
in the government who will truly repre-
sent us. The only place we can look for
men who will give US justice Is in the
ranks of the mechanic and laborer.s
There are thousands of mechanics, aye,
and laborerS too, who will make better
legislators than many that sit in the
halls of congress to-day.
He referred to the progress Of trades
unions in the city of New York, where
carpenters received for nine hours work
So per day. The idea in reducing the
hours of labor is not that nine hours
work is more than man can ac-
cOmpliSh, but that the thousands of idle
men now tramping about the country
may be given a chance to work and sup
port their families "SOme people say
that most of these fellows wouldn't
work. | say that is not fair PROPOSE
ton. Few men. in my opinion, will re-
fuse to work if offered work to do.
There may be some, but they are so few
as to be the exception, proving the
rule"
The speaker concluded with fervent
appeal to the carpenters of ST. Paul to
make 4 determined stand fOr.an eight
hour day. The address was frequently
interrupted with loud applause.
Christian Gaefke, of the local lodge,
spoke briefly in German, reiterating the
utterances of the previous speaker and
supporting his theories.
The speakers description of the falls
of this valley was Interesting. lii speak
ingO the Bridal Veil fall he said: ut is
not one of the great falls of the valley.
but in some respects it is the most beau
tiful. The water comes over the lip of
the cliff, descending perpendicularly
GOO feet and breaking into cascades for