Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1891-02-21
SW EATING
AWAY WITH THE BARBAROUS
SYSTEM.

anu ENtIttt IL sweaters n udNt
SOwn the Wind and Will Reap
the WindStOrm.
An immense meeting of the clothing
trades was held last Saturday, Feb.
IA, at the Cooper Union. The hall,
the platform and the lobbies were
packed to suffocation and more peo-
pie than had been able to enter the
building could gain no admittance.
In spite of the enormous pressure exert
ed by the outsiders upon the insiders the
vast assemblage was good-natured and
orderly. The small force of police in
attendance concluded that it was best
to let well enough alone and created no
disturbance.
The occasion of this great gathering
was the lockout of the Buttonhole
Makers, Tailors and kindred organiza-
tions by the contractors, or Sweaters"
Its object was to begin an energetic
campaign against the system with
view to its complete eradication from
the trades involved. By thus rashly
provoking organized labor, the contrac.
tors will find that they have started a
movement which will not down until
they have been annihilated-as they
should be.
The speakers were Lucien Sanial j.
Barondess, Mrs. Crete, Simon Gompers
and A. Cahan. Their utterances were
received with enthusiastic cheers and
the following resolutions were unani.
mously adopted by a Uiud uoce vote that
shook the building and startled the
passers-by in the adjoining streets.
WHEREAS, A certain class of parasites
calling themselves contractors but right
ly known abroad under the opprobrious
name of sweaters, have reduced to
the utmost misery and degradation the
workers in the manufacture of clothing
compelling them to toll in filthy, ill
ventilated and overcr0wded tenements
from IA to Is hours per day at rates of
wages which yield only from five to
eight dollars per week; and
WHEREAS, Those so called cOntrac.
tors or sweaters" standing as they do
between capital and labor, relieve the
capitalists of all responsibility as to the
treatment of the people who by their
labor and abstinence make them
wealthy, and thus act in our present
competitive system of production more
ignomnious part than was ever acted
under previous social systems by the
most brutal slave-driver; therefore be it
ReS0tued, THAT the "sweatng sys-
tenn is a disgrace to modern civilization
and must be wiped out;
2-That we, working people of New
York, in mass meeting assembled, pledge
our utmost support to the toilers en-.
gagged in the clothing industry in all
their present and future struggles
against the contractors, with a view to
the complete annihilation of those vam-
pires;
3-That we demand of the Legislature
a strict law forbidding all factory work
an tenement houses, as productive of
pestlence, physical and moral.
4-That until such law is enacted
we demand of the Board of Health
thorough inspection, every three months,
of all tenements where such work is car
ried on.
5-That, in the name of humanity and
justice we call upon all good citizens
and upon the press throughout the coun-
try, regardless of party politics or eco
nomic opinions. to assist us in stamp
ing out this barbarous system, through
which thousands of men, women and
children are annually sent to prema-
ture grave.
On the following day another crowded
meeting of the same trades was held at
Everett Hall and was addressed by other
speakers including Alexander Jonas.
As may be seen in our report of the
G. l.. F. elsewhere, the organized labor
of this city has taken in hand the cause
of these trades and will give them all
the aid in its power.