Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-20
a Substantial Delegation of the
Wage Workers Arrive Here.
WANT a HEARING ON THE TARIFF BILL
The Status of Visitors to the Cap.
itol Defined.
WILL MEET IN CONVENTION

Them. and they came as the advance body
or larger crowd that expects to reach here
tomorrow. They are members of the Ma
uonal Workingmen's Protective Tariff
League and they are here for the purpose Of
protesting against any further legislation
with view to lowering the tariff or manu-
factured products. They do not dub them
selves an Industrial army, in the sense that
that term is now used, and individually and
collectively they express themselves as op-
posed to Coxey and his methods. and to all
the other men who are working along
similar lines
In exact figures there were $50 men and
thirty women in the party that came today.
They make up a representative body from
the league. most of them coming from Phil
auepnia, Germantown, Camden and the
smaller towns in that vicinity. One Of the
leaders of the party told a Star reporter this
afternoon that more than a thousand round
"Trip tickets had been sold from Philadelphia,
and IL is thought that tomorrow there will
be in the neighborhood of a couple of thous-
and working people to transact the business
Ior which they are here. They will all leave
special trains
The party arrived in this city just at noon
today, coming over in a special train of
eight cars from Philadelphia, having left
there at $40 O'Clock this morning. Along
the side of the cars were long strips of
canvas bearing in painted letters the words,
WOrklnSmenS protective Iarln
League Convention at Washington" They
came on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
and will go back the same way. A larger
number Of cars have already been engaged
tor the party tomorrow.
a Representative Body.
1t would be hard to find a better or more
respectable body Of people anywhere. They
are admittedly working people. though
many of them are not at work just now. 1t
Is not their fault, however and from the ap-
pearance of the crowd. their dress and gen.
eral bearing, ii is evident that most, IL not
all, OF them had slowed away tidy sums
when they had steady work. Many in the
party are from factories that have closed
their doors or are working only part of the
time They represent many and varied
forms of industries, though perhaps the
majority are from factories that turn out
textile fabrics. They are skilled workmen
as a rule, iron manufacturers, stove max
ers, cigar makers and men In scores Of
other lines of work. 1t is a representative
body in the sense that the men and women
have come from different factories. Ever
since the movement toward Washington
was first spoken Of efforts have been made
most OF the factories little boxes were tack
ed up on the wall and the workingmen
were expected to contribute trifing sums
from their weeks wages.
The contributions. a rule were In 5 and
1O-cent pieces. but as the league has a mem
bership running way up into the thousands.
trfcts of Pennsylvania. New York and New
England. il did not take them long to raise
sum sufficient for the purpose. During
their stay in this city the members are
stopping at the National Hotel, st. James,
Howard House and the Hotel Johnson. The
committee makes its headquarters at the
last named hotel Their plan of operations
while In Washington is very simple. They
intend to draw up a memorial to Congress
and a series of resolutions denouncing the
Wilson bill and protesting against the re-
IUSal OF Congress give a hearing work.
ingmen-
The Various Committees.
I AT a meeting held in Philadelphia last
evening suit2 BILE committees were appointed
for the convention. 1t was also decided
hat no one except workingmen should be
allowed to address the assembly. George
Earnshaw was appointed to preside at
Washington, and William Gibson. James
Donnelly and James Reed were appointed
p con- mittee on order. The committee to
prepare resolutions to be adopted consists
pf NJ. ]. Kelly of Kensington, Il. Riggs of
Germantown, j. Halliwell of Camden, A.
Scotland and ). l.. Prince Of Manayunk.
Should the 1900 delegates who expected
10 assemble be permitted to parade the
marshals will be Robert Turner. Thos. Null
len. Samuel Gibson and Alexander Scot
land
Each delegate wears a tasteful and SYM
tOlic badge 1t consists Of a stamped
sIlvered bar, bearing silk red, white and
blue ribbon, from which is suspended a
medal, bearing on the diverse an arm and
the words. Labor Protest Against the
Wilson Tariff BILL" and on the reverse,
National Workingmens Protective Tariff
League. Washington. April 20-21, 1884,"
The officers of the association as
(follows: Nr. John Stewart, president; Mr..
NJ. ]. Kelly, secretary, and Mr.. Smith
Fitzgerald, treasurer. Mr.. Il. Rigg is
PRESIDENT Of the Germantown association.
The committee of arrangements having
his gathering in Washington in charge con-
sists of the following members: Mr.. Glib
Mr. George Welsh, Mr.. Sam. Prince. Mr..
Davis. Mr.. Christeen, Mr.. Scotland. Mr..
Marshall. Mr.. j. Dunkerly, Mr.. Robson
Mr. James Beattie. Mr.. c. H Law, Mr.. s.
FitzgeraId, Mr.. John G. Rowland, Mr.. Rob-
inson, Mr. Paul Wallace, Mr. j. Stitley, Mr.
J. Shuttleworth. Mr.. Albeit. Mr.. John
Geauly. Mr.. John Bentley, Mr.. NJ. Collins
and Mr.. Jos. Underwood.
Representative Harmer's Address.
Upon their arrival in this city they were
hnet at the Baltimore and Ohio station by
Representative Harmer of Pennsylvania,
from whose district many of the delegates
come They were marshaled In a body and
marched. in double line, directly to Metze-
rott Hall. where the meetings of the con-
kention are being held. They were called
10 order there by Mr.. George Welsh. who Is
IN emplOye in one of the big fancy cotton
goods factories He looks the laboring man
= OF the best class, and. in fact. the onven-
ton. as it met this afternoon. would have
any one who had a chance to see IT. They
were q blIsinesslike collection; they knew
what they had come for, and they lost little
time in going about il. Representative Har-
mer was called upon 10 deliver an address
of welcome. and this he did In few we'll
chosen words. In the course of his remarks
he said:
ut is with real pleasure that 1 bid you
welcome to the nations capital, for know
you here as L know you at home to be a
set of respectable. Industrious and law
abiding citizens. You respect the laws at
home and / know you will do the same
while YOU are within the confines of the
District It is not pleasure which has
brought YOU here. though every American
citizen has a right to come to Washington.
Yours is essentially a business trip Your
homes are threatened by legislation. which
is a menace and a real danger. bill has
already passed the House Of Representa-
tiyes and is now pending in the Senate,
which has paralyzed the Industries OF the
country and thrown more than million
wOrkingmen out of employment You are
here in pursuance of the right to assemble
and petition. There has been question
raised. you probably know, from reading
the newspapers. whether organized bodies
should be heard before Congress, though
this is right guaranteed to all American
citizens by the Con Institution. You represent
ths iaboring classes Of the country. which