Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-18
HITS RIGHT AND LEFT
From the New President Of the VIM
dow Glass Workers Assembly.
Mr.. EBERHARDT TALKS OUT LOUD
A Conference on the Plumbers Strike May
be Held This Week.
DOINGS OF A DAY IN LABOR CIRCLES

deciarcu erected 10 the position oi LIehiuOH
OF the Window Glass Workers Association
also styled Labor Assembly No. 300, *. o
L. The following is q verbatim report o
his inaugural address, delivered before tn
assembly meeting Aside from dealing will
affairs connected with L. A. 300. he tackle
the labor problem with speech Of interes
alike TO manufacturers and workingmen:
To the oficers and Members OF L. A. 800:
BRoTHERs-I have been chosen by vote o
the membership of /. A. $40 to assume tho
leadership of the greatest and grandest labOi
organization the world has ever seen-tht
greatest In that IL has accomplished more foi
the trades OF which 1t is composed than has any
similar organization in this or any other coun
try. This is broad assertion but glance a,
the history Of organized labor will prove its
truth to any reasoning man.
Having to do as we have with a
manufacturing business, so per cent
of the expenses of which go 10
the laborers, and having TO contend with the
encrOachments OF foreign manufacturers who
not only possess advantages in cheapness in the
more costly of the materials used, but who are
able to procure the all-impo rtant item of labor
at less than half what we receive for ours. Yet
we have overrldden every obstacle and stand
to-day wonder to the world and an eye-sore
TO those who would make labor organizations
only mobs to create strikes. and of the men,
beTship horde of famishing sycophants, to be
gulled out Of their hard earnings for the ag-
grandizement of their loafer leaders.
CREDIT FOB THE TARIFF.
It may be urged that our success is due to
the protective policy of our Government
want to say right here that, in so far as that
policy has affected our progress it has been
shaped right on the floors of our assembly and
preceptories and in the councils of our leaders
more than it has in the halls of the Congress
of the nation.
1t is a true saying that God helps the man
who helms himself the of
success of l. A. 800 lies in the fact that we
have never swerved from a determination to
know our own business and assert our rights.
IL is my belief that L. A. 800 has struck the
keynote on which is to be founded the harmony
that is to relieve the groans of the wretched
and the dscordant walls of the oppressed. and
MI our earth with the sweet music of good will
and plenty.
Men prate about nobility of labor and at the
same time have not the least con ception of the
Infinite height and breadth and length and
depth Of the words uttered Ministers of the
gospel preach of the glory and wonderful plan
by which 1t was determined in the eternal coun.
cs Of the great Am that man should be saved
from spiritual DEATH and are too apt to forget
that alongside of and coadjutapt with that piap
was one by which the race was to be saved
temporal misery, which plan was spoken into
operation and nat vent FORTH "Cufsed is the
ground for thy sake" This created the peces.
atty Tor that physical and mental activity that
was TO save the race from that barbarisn and
ruin that are consequence of idleness and
lEholanNe, ana ny cnlafEihg MS capacity ara
multiplying his opportunities. developed his
mental and moral faculties TO raise man in
the scale OF rational existence and elevate the
standard OF civilization by harmonzing
concert OF the physical activity of the race,
10 that rightly understood that seemingly awful
aud, by the ignorant. 30 much deprecated de.
cree, was really 10 vouchsafe TO man the eK-
hited power OF glorifying anew his revised man
hood IN the doing OF good and true things.
CRITICAL POINT.
But you say what has all this TO do with
i. A. 800? Brothers, we have searched
that point Of the worlds his
tory, and in the history of L. A. 800 we find
that in proper and wise dealing with the
question lie success and life. In a failure TO
so deal with IL, lie feat and death. The
only as relates to eternity, is the solution of
the great labor problem. You may say let us
maintain our wages and attend to our own
BUS business, and let the McGlynns and
the problem. Brothers. if we had followed
such policy in the past we would not be the
great l. A. 800 of to day. Had we not stepped
IN TO save the manufacturers (our employeTsl
from their own folly. and had we not forced
them to act for the future of the business il
would long since have gone down, and we
would have been buried in the ruins III we
1ail now, in our faithfulness to the true policy
that past and present success should teach us
TO follow, all our prospects for prosperity all
our dreams OF future success, will prove as
Dead Sea fruits that tempt the eve and turn to
ashes on the lips.
Let us, then, continue to educate ourselves
an the knowledge of things pertaining to our
business. Let us train ourselves in the nrinci. |
pies of right and Justice, so that we NAV be |
able TO meet any man as our equal and claim |
1Or ourselves Just share of the bounties which
God, in His wisdom, has hidden away and
buried from the reach of the slothful and igno- |
rant
has been hindered in her progress by circuIn- |
s,ances incident to the phenomenal |
growth in tn. business in which we |
are empioyed. The last year or two has |
put our stability as an organization TO crucial
test l need MT particularize here but will 4
only say that the officers have had an arduous |
task 10 steer our bark safely through the peril
Gus waters in which we have lately sailed Not /
only have they had to contend with newand |
untried difficulties, incidental to the unpre-
ceoented @ ana uniooked-for growth in the busi-
ness; but these difficulties have been enhanC ed
py the bltter antagonsm of would. be LABOR
leaders who are jealous of our success bnt
whose malignity only hurt in SO far as they
nave succeeded in reducing the minds of some
OF our own members into loss of faith in our |
association and its officers.
AN INSTANCE CITED.
Allow me to cite one instance-tbe case of
the alleged importatons of foreigners The ac-
tion taken by the officers was to avoid a rreat
menace to our success as an organization. 1t
was taken after every effort had been made TO
accomplish the peace. safety and success of the
/
ohly alternative by which to meet a great and |
important necessity, yet these would-be labor
.esAoeIs; ,s and certain labor organizations had
themselves proven miserable failures in thair |
attempts to protect themselves and raise The |
cry ol bad faith to American labor
q, ms DelnE cry that possesses not popular
llhgle. they succeeded in bamboozling some of
our otherwise faithful members into the bel,ef
that great wrong had been done This 10 the
greas S.1s annoyance ana ltndrance Of the Cfcers
w Nat Is the outcome Of IL alli Only Thurs
0f h.
accused, the case was finally bropSht
70 trial when all of the accused voluntarily ;
look tho stand for the benefit of the nrosecn,
ion; and when they had unrestrainadiy toid |
III they had done and how thew had dono ~. | .
when all our secret records we're upened mn,
III the evidence the prosecution could ohtslnn @
vas presented; and, when our officers snhr,,,nS n
heir case without word OF defense and | =
he Judge Of the United States Court Iaughed
It the prosecution, telling them that thew lad I
'een only successful In proving beyond a donht o
md by their own Witnesses that the accused | q
we're guilty Of no wrongdoing, and the case I
vas ended 20 the discomfort of the accusers !.
Brothers! Ought not this circumstance alone
each our members TO place more confidence IN |
he honor and integrity OF their officers and 7
make them slow 10 listen TO the tongue OF | n
lander? Brotliersl There 10 only one thing IN | T
" this world that can defeat L. A. 500 and that !,
; uniathfuness on the part Of our own men,
'ers.
NO FEAR FOR THE FUTURE. !
Were ] to assume the duties of this Office. s
lthout proper appreciation of the RESPONSE
ilities would take upon myself, and without
ecogniEng my inability to discharge them
lone and unalded, it would only be evidence Of :.
~ unntness for the place. Yet, while feeling
~ own inability and deep sense of the re- w
possibility OF The office, / assume the duties q
lthout a tremor Of fear for the issue a,
want 70 say that this boldness is not born of | N
sii-conhdence, but rather of the knowledge | :,
iat have the sympathy and friendship of SO '.
iany of those whose services and counsel | 81
ave contributed largely 70 our success in the | Ii