The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-11-28
PLEA FOR THE LABOR PARTY.
Mr.. Harry Lloyd Denounced RepuDi-
cans and Democrats.

Interesting Speech at City Hall-What
Trades Unionism Is and the New
Socia1ism-''I Am Friend of Debs-
What the Great Denver Convention
Will Do.
The meeting of the Central Labor Union
at City hall last evening. was not SO large
ly attended as the eloquenoe and ability or
the speaker. Mr.. Harry Lloyd of Boston
warranted. He is certainly one of The most
forcible speakers in this country, in the in
terests of the labor movement. He was in
troduced by VIM. H. Looney. Esq, who
presided. Also on the platform was Nh. e.
$. Jewett, president of: the Portland Cen
trail Labor Union.
He spoke especially of the great miners
strike In England which gave rise to Trade
Unionism. The miners of Great Britain
are powerful body. They are between
100000 and 1000 men. organized in trades
unions. They strike to combat the idea that
capital must first have its interest paid ana
that the wages of the employ es is a second
airy matter. They demand a living wage,
a wage that gives them and their families
all they can eat and drink and wear and
that many allow them eventually perhaps
to pI esume 10 send their children to school.
They demand that abor must be given a
living wage first and that the interest on
the capital must be secondary matter.
When the news came to Boston that the
English Trades-U nionists had adopted the
programme of the Socialists the speaker was
then in the city and he resolved to go TO
England and investigate that matter.
The Trades Unionlsts were not sure that
il would as yet be time for government
shoes and hats. but they were sure that it
was time for laboring men to take hand
i'll the government.
The New Socialism, so-called meant that
the workingman should stop voting for the
Liberal and Tory parties, ard form party
of their own, and work out their own
salvation.
He declared that John Burns, today
stands at the head of the new Socialist
movement. He is man aobut IS years OF
age. He once told Mr.. Lloyd that when II
years of age he was arrested for speaking
publicly about emancipation for working
man. Later he was again arrested for de-
flying law in Trafalgar square. was i'm
prisoned several months and passed four
days in dungeon. Today he is a member
of Parliament. and one of the ablest of its
members. Mr.. Lloyd spoke of other great
labor agitators in England. He was very
sorry that Portland people could not have
the privilege of hearing John Burns, now
on his way across the ocean to go to Den
yer, Col. with him, to the great labor con.
yention there.
He declared that this was the first oppor.
~ o% l,b od had in Mama n M
the Pullman strike and do justice to Eugene
v. Debs. II am friend of Debs, and
am going to fight for Debs as long as GOD
gives me BREATH
He wanted the truculent American press
to come out and apologize to the American
public for branding Debs as a drunkard and
lunatic.
After his graduation from college The
New York World offered Debs four times hi
| salary as labor leader to abandon tht
| cause and write for that paper.
1.-The facts are that Mr.. Debs did not or
| der that STRIKE He did all he could to stol
| that strike." Mr.. Lloyd read the report o
the National Investigating committee tina
| inveighs so heavily against the Pullman
| company and the General Managers Asso
citation. He characterized Attorney Genera
| Olney as that truculent lickspittle o
| Massachusetts,, the tool of corporations.
| He also denounced Cleveland and asked tn
| Democratic workmen if now they wantet
| four more years of Grover.
| He said that Trade Unionism declare
| that wage-workers have a right to the pur
| suit of happiness, right to receive TO
their labor living wage, right to demans
shortening of the hours Of labor, till ever
tramp is taken off the street and put t.
| work. and till every married woman ant
every child now working shall be sent, tn
one to her home and the other to school.
II would say to the church that if tn
| labor movement is not as respectable as yol
| would have 1t, come and use your lnfuenc
! to help make it more respectable. Remem
Der that labor agitators are working ans
| speaking for those who cannot speak TO
| themselves.
I'm the great convention at Denver mex
month it is expected that there will be
| labor movement revolution. 1t is expected
| that the convention will vote to throw al
| labor unions into politics and marshal then
to fight both great political parties witt
| votes. The Democratic and Republican
parties are not interested in the wag
/ earners after the election is over. They ar
| more in sympathy with the rich man ant
| the rich corporation. II the laboring mai
waits till either of these parties strikes tn
/ letters from his limbs he will wait till tn
| day of death is cold upon his brow
The above are samples of Mr.. Lloyd
speech delivered in loud clear voice ant
| with much force and fuency. Whateve
| may be said as to the value of his ideas an,
his ability at expressing them, it certainl
| cannot be said that he is dull and uninter
esting.