Workmen's advocate., 1890-05-10
MAY DAY IN NEW YORK,
UNDER THE BANNER OF SO-
 ClALlSM.

Twenty Thousand Turn out in a Pel,.
 ing Rain-They Demand Eight
 Hours as Measure of Temporary
 Relief, but they Repudiate the
 Wage system and Urge Indepen-
 dent Political Action on the So
 calist Platform,
 If the capitalists who own the earth had the power to make the weather they could not have prearranged meaner storm than that through which seventy labor organizations of New York city, numbering together twenty thou sand men, marched to Union Square on the 1st of May. They came from all parts of the town, with red flags and banners, singing the Marseillaise. The demonstration was imposing even under the peIting rain. What it might have been if the evening of the day had kept the promise of its morning, when the Sun rose in all his glory, may be inferred from the fact that the Jewish trades, who had decided to have an afternoon procession of their own on the East side, were 10000 strong when at D. m they started from their headquarters. Shortly after, tho storm broke out in all it's fury, and although the processionists stood it manfully until clock, many of them were prevented by the soaking they had received from again turning ou in the evening; so that hardly 5000 of them were in line when their bands and banners heralded their presence at Union Square. Again, there were very i, few ladies in the vast crowd, although plarge numbers of them would have attended if the weather had not proved so forbidding.
 For over an hour successive organiza- tions continued to pour into the square from various directions, and although the stream of humanity that flowed out was as large as that which flowed in, so long as the meeting lasted the whole piazza was crowded. Ats p. m. no man, however powerful, could have cut his way through the large masses of people in front of the ladies cottage and around the two trucks from which speakers were doing their best to be heard above the martial strains of the Marseillaise
 The New York Socialist Sections, together with the Unions that meet at the Labor Lyceum, did not reach the square until 8.30. They made a fine display and were enthusiastically greeted,
 At 945, when the meeting was about to adjourn, other bands a ere heard and another great procession was seen march, ing steadily through rain and mire with red flags and torches. They were the plucky men of Brooklyn, headed by the Socialist Sections of Kings Co., and New town. They were greeted with mighty hurrah, to which they responded in thund, ring style. These were the Brook lyn organizations represented in that procession:
 BROOKLYN CONTINGENT.
 Furniture Workers Union No. S.
 Germ n Fran
 Section Kings Co.,. s. l.. P.
 Carpenters Union No. 29l.
 Palnter-' Union No 8.
 Secti n Gree int S, L. P.
 Section NentOwu <. L. r,
 Amer can Section s. L. P, Brooklyn.
 Bakers Unions No B.
 Ladies' Shoe uakers.
 Tail rs Uni u.
 Ciparmakers Unio No. 149
 Clothing Cutters Union Progress"
 Blicklayers Union No. 9.
 Locksmiths' and Railngmakers Union.
 cement Laho CTS Un on
 Arbei CT Mennerchor.
 August Delabar, Sec'y of the lnterna- tional Bakers Union and of the New York Amercan Section $. L. P, pre- sided at the ladies cottage The first speaker was Thaddeus B. Wakeman. lie said in substances:
 "When the sun rose this morning he saw labor from the Ural Mountain to our osn Pacific united in enc great de- mand, one assertion to one great right the right to live. He saw labor united not only in request but in demand. Labor will no longer live in slavery. It claims the equity that those who pro- duce most shall no longer enjov least. My friends, the ultimate results of this demand are certain, but immediate re- .quirements must not be neglected. Ci- vllization cannot rise higher an its source, and the source of civilization is labor. Eight hours is good beginning,