Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-07-26


teen hours a Day-The "Hell's
Mills" of Smith and SOn-True
Protection to American Labor
The Shabbiest Mayor in America.
Although the showers Thursday even
ing for time threatened to interfere
with the success Of the public mass
meeting arranged to be held in Getty
Square under the auspices of the Early
Closing Association, yet at 8 O'Clock the
rain ceased, and shortly afterward
crowds began to assemble from all sec
tions of the city.
Delegates representing the various
labor organizations marched from
Kochs Hall, South Broadway, to the
Square, headed by Harvey's band. The
Butcher Guards, attired in white busters
and carrying brooms, next arrived at
the meeting headed by Murrays band
and were greeted with cheers About
three thousand people by this time
crowded the square and gathered around
a truck which was provided as stand
for the speakers. After several overtures
by the bands places on the truck were
assigned to the following persons: Pierce
Roth, w. Nealy, Charles Boether, Ter
renee Smith, President of the General
I.aborers Union; A. G. Sutherland, John
Hoffman, Jacob JAM, Frederick Feak-
ins, A. McLain, Edward Smith and wife
and several ladies.
The meeting was opened by Chairman
G. Stanton. who introduced assistant
organizer of the American Federation
of Labor Edward Smith. In few we'll
timed remarks on the object of the de-
monstration Mr.. Smith gave clear out
line of the benefits of early closing: after
which the Chairman introduced the
speaker Of the evening, Lucien Sanial,
editor of the WORKMEN's ADVOCATE of
NewYork, who addressed the assemblage
AL SuLlSJhuC6 DIS lOllOWS
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the City of
Yorkers-'This is, in the face of most
discouraging weather, a very large meet
ing, that shows the deep interest which
you take in its object. In order to ad-
dress it properly l should have, like the
Hon. Chauncey NJ. Depew, taken the
precaution of getting my nose reamed'.
You know that this great man, upon
whom 4onkers is largely dependent for
its communications with the outside
world, had his nose 'reamed' lately for
the purpose of increasing the power of
his lungs. This operation, it seems, was
rendered necessary in his case by the
constantly increasing size of the audien-
ces that flock to hear him exalt the
benefcence of Doodle politics and mono.
polistic economy Great Laughter.
l think, however that his voice is most
potent when he speaks in a whisper to
our state and national legislators.
"To come to the point. This country
is rapidly increasing in population and
more rapidly still in wealth. In 1880 its
population was 50,00000 souls and its
wealth 43 thousand millions of dollars:
its population is now 67,000,000 souls
and its wealth 70 thousand millions of
dollars. The population is disseminated
all over the country, but the wealth is
concentrating more and more in the
hands of few plutocrats. The number
of people in enforced idleness is increas
ing at more rapid rate even than popu-
lation and wealth. Women are taking
the place of men in many industries.
Children are taken from their homes
and the schools and sent to the factory
or thrown upon the streets as bootblacks.
newsvenders, messengers, etc. The
progress of machinery, which should
have been accompanied by correspond
ing progress in the intelligence and wei
fare of the people, has been used by
those who control the means of produc-
ton for the degradation of mankind.
But there is great movement all over
the world, movement of the working
class for its own emancipation, and, as
first step in that direction, for the reduc-
ton of the hours of labor. If the work
ing day is shortened more people will he
employed and the workers will at least
enjoy some of the benefits of modern
progress in the form of decreased toll
and increased wages. The machinery
now in use in all branches of manufac-
ture is such that the product is at least
twenty times as much as it was fifty
years ago; but the share of the workers
in that product has not sensibly increas.
ed, the toll of those who can get work
has not sensibly decreased, while many
are actually starving because they can
mob get employment. The average rate