Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-04

MEssRs OYSTER AND BEAUMONT.
When, at o'clock last night. Mr.. Thos J.
Foley,president of the Federation OF Labor. Hon.
Wn. j. Cornell CT Nebraska. Mr.. z. W. Oyster
and Mr.. Ralph Beaumont assembled the platform
at Grand Army Hall the hall was well filed
with members of workinsmen's organizations,
the District branch of the Farmers Alliance
and others. 1t was cight-hour meeting
called by a committee representing District As
sembly &C. X. Of L., and the Federation of
Labor. There were several speeches and reso-
buttons were adopted urging the passage of the
eight-hour bill pending before the Senate with
the amendments proposed by the Federation of
| Labor.
Mr. Foley. who presided. called to the post of
secretary Mr.. stephen A. Clements of the Plas-
terers' Assembly. The meeting, Mr.. obey said
! in calling the assembly to order, had been
called for the purpose of giving the organized
labor of the District az opportunity to express
| their views Oh the subject Of the shortening OF
the hours of labor, and particularly to express
their disapprobation of the action of the Senate
in refusing to take up for consideration the bills
before it of interest to labor and especially the
! general eight-hour bill. He did not think they
| could too strongly censure the action Of the
Senate for persistently side-tracking these
measures whenever they were called up.
| TIE COMMITTEE ON REsoLUTIoNs.
Mr.. Foley appointed a committee on reso-
buttons Willard F. Hobbs of the Federation of
Labor, chairman; Edwin N. Blake of ID. 4. G6,
| X. of L.; p. O'Brien of the Carpenters As
| sembly, John T. Suter of the Carpenters
Union. J. Pierrepont Of the Timers Assembly,
Robert McMackin of the Bricklayers' Union,
| W. Stickeli of the Plasterers' Assembly. W.
Robbins of Excelsior Assembly 1872, John
| Gates of the holders Assembly, l.. l.. Smith
| Of the Machinists Assembly. Chas. Wells Of
| the plate printers, j. W. Doyle of the Bakers
Assembly w. Hambleton OF the Clerks Assem-
bly,, CO Cunningham of the Painters Assembly, II.
r. Wasser of the Tailors' Assembly. A. NJ. Law
son of the Engineers Assembly. W. c. Hert-
| furth Of the Cigarmakers' Union, Charles
Moran of the pressmen. John Clarkson of the
pressmen, Edward Pywell of the Carriagemak-
ers' Assembly. ". f. Shields of the Topographic
cal Union 101. Mrs. Kate Kelly of the Ladies'
Progressive Union, o. A. Emmons OF the
Bakers Drivers Union; T. A. Denham of the
brotherhood of Painters and Decorators, L. p.
Wild OF the Citizens Alliance. II. F. Gray Of the
Farmers Alliance and Paul I. Bowen Of the
Nationalists' Club.
REPRESENTATIVE CoNNELL ADDRESS.
Representative Connell the first speaker, was
| introduced as the author of the eight-hour BILL
the passage of which was urged by the work
lngmens organizations. Mr.. Connell said he
| always felt at home when among laboring men
| or those considering the rights of laboring men,
He always felt it more Of an honor to be invited
| to address workingmen than he would to re-
ceiye gilt-edged invitation to address the Ma
| tional Association of Bankers and Capitalists.
! He said startling condition of affairs existed
| in this country. The rich were growing richer,
| the poor poorer. One-half of the entire wealth
| of the country was owned by 10000 people.
| That certainly was not a just or equitable dis
| tributiOn of the wealth of the country. The
workingmen Of the country we're not. he said,
| communists, or socialists or nhilists. All over
| the country they saw workingmen assemble as
| they were assembled here tonight to secure
| their rights in a peaceable, orderly manner.
He thought they would see good results from the
agitation going on among the farmers and the
workingmen- proper adjustment of the
| great questionable matter of transportation
and the great overshadowing labor question
was not, he thought, far distant
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE RAILROADS.
He believed the day was near at hand when
the great railroad systems would be not only
controlled, but owned, by the government. 1t
was urged that such a Capitalization Of power
was dangerous, but was it more dangerous to
centralize such power in the government than
| in the hands of two men-Jay Gould and VAN
derbilH By the right of eminent domain the
| people could take the railroad property Just as
| the railroads took the lot of the poor man that
lay in its route, paying full value for the road
/ at a Just appraisement of its actual worth and
4
| The government had right to issue money,
put Its stamp upon it and pay for the railroads.
1t can be arranged SO that no injustice will be
/ done. They could have, back Of the currency
| issued to pay for these railroads government
bonds bearing low rate Of interest, per cent
| say. The notes issued could be converted into
| bonds if the holders chose, but he doubted
whether many Of them would ever be pre-
sented for conversion or redemption. The
| currency would go out into the country and
! be used in enterprises that would pay better
interest than per cent and give employment
to the unemployed.
THE EIGHT-HoUR BILL.
| Referring to the eight-hour bill he said:
Unfortunately there were few words stricken
out of the bill as it was reported to the House.
He believed the Senate owed il to the working
| men Of the country to restore these words and
to consider this bill. In order to bring about
/ the action desired each member OF the COM
mittee appointed by this meeting should en-
| deavor to see every Senator and member and
| impress upon him the necessity and import
| ance of taking action on the pending labor
measures ut this session. He said in closing
| that he stood ready to do all in his power to
bring about the passage Of the measure.
Mr.. Z. v. OYSTER.
| Mr.. E. W. Oyster, the next speaker, referred
to an effort pending in the city to secure eight
hours from private employers He said the
painters strike for eight hours was not finally
settled when the season closed. The strike
| will. he said, continue when the season opens.
One thing they will do if the employers do not
! come to terms soon and that would be to make
! this city OF employing painters. In other
| words the journeymen painters would all be-
come employing painters and bid for work.
! Mr. Oyster reviewed the course affairs had taken
| since the passage in 1868 Of the eight-hour law
now on the statute books. The original eight
hour law. he said, was passed because a condi-