Los Angeles herald., 1891-08-11
TRADES UNIONS.
THEIR ADHERENT EXPLAIN THEIR
POSITION.
Last Evening-The Speakers and Their
Views on the Labor Question.

Labor hall, at the corner of Los An
geles and First streets, was well filed
last evening, the occasion being the first
of a series of public meetings intended
to make the principles of trades union
ism familiar to the people. There were
four speakers, and thoroughly repre-
sentative audience listened and ap-
plauded.
J. d. Vail, the president of the car
penters' union, was the first speaker,
and he devoted his time to showing the
need for labor organizations and to an
swering objections. Selections were
drawn from the newspaper accounts OF
the mining troubles in Pennsylvania
and the more recent difficulty with the
Tennessee convict .laborers. In an aside
the speaker took occasion to score
the Times severely, and to ques-
tion the statements of an increased
circulation and great prosperity when
contrasted with the 10-per-cent. reduc-
tion which he said had been made in
the wages of the compositors. He said
that he could not advise boycott, as
that would be conspiracy, but as for
him, he did not propose to favor any
body or any institution which did not
favor the laboring man.
Mr.. McGlynn, the editor of the Work
man, was the principal speaker of the
evening. He commenced by expressing
his qualification at the number present,
as people would turn out to see the an
tics of and listen to street fakir,
would follow the drums and tambour-
ines of the Salvation army, or gather in
the saloons, but were very slow to re-
spond to any call for a meeting where
trades unionism is to be the subject un-
der discussion; SO little alive are
people to their own good. The
apathy OF the workmen themselves is the
great obstacle the unions have to con-
tend with. The capitalist fears the
combination of workmen; the unjust
employer trembles before them, but the
workmen neglect to associate themselves
with the organization which would
benefit them.
Unions have proved their right to
exist by existing in spite of obstacles.
They are not claimed as the solution of
the labor problem, but as step in the
TlSuG ulrectlOH. IHcy are content WIN
minimum of right and justice, and,
like the Nationalists, Socialists and other
organizations, they aim at higher,
purer manhood and right and justice for
the weak as we'll as the strong.
Personal effort is necessary to
advance the union principles. Per-
sonal effort of an enthusiastic kind
would work wonders. Missionaries with
as many earnest helpers as this room
now contains could christianize the
entire African continent, and if you
were in earnest you could revolutionize
things in this city.
After some fifteen minutes spent in
pointing out methods by which those
present could work for the benefit of the
laboring men, which suggestions were
enthusiastically received, Mr.. McGlynn
closed with an appeal to those present
to go to work and do something more
than they had done for the good Of their
brother men in this city.
Two short addresses followed, by p.
R. Bellman OF the Socialist organization
and G. L. Ensign of the Farmers Alli-
ance, and the meeting closed.
A regular series of meetings for the
public is planned to be held in the same
hall.