The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-15
A Great LABOR ADDRESS
Vice President McGuire, Of the Amer
ican Federation, ut the Armory.
MAYOR CONNELL CHAIRMAN
Central Labor Union and City Trade Or
ganixations Paraded the Streets BE-
fore the Lecture-Meeting Was
Under Carpenters Auspices.


Under Carpenters Auspices.
Trades union men of Scranton were
addressed at the Thirteenth regiment
armory last evening by p. ]. Mcclure,
of Philadelphia, vice president OF the
American Federation of Labor. man
who is we'll known in this city, ana
whose eloquent and scholarly presenta-
tion of the labor question Is repletc
with advanced ideas and brilliant sug-
gestiveness. The Central Labor union
and the various trades unions OF the
city had arranged for a creditable pa
rade, but the weather was unpropi-
tious and the street display was alb
breviated.
All were anxious to reach the armory
and hear Mr.. Mcclure. large as
semblage of carpenters, bricklayers,
painters. plumbers and other mechan-
les greeted him. The Lawrence band
played an overture and Mayor w. L.
Connell, chairman of the evening, step
ped forward to open the meeting. He
said he felt that it was not necessary to
say much. he being among them al
ways; but any who were anxious to lis
ten to his voice. could be accommodated
by coming before him any morning.
He felicitated the mechanics and bade
them success then he introduced the
speaker of the evening.
Mr.. Mcclure is a delightful contrast
to the blatant demagogue or clustering
walking delegate. There was food for
thought in his every sentence. He was
gratified to know that the mayor of
the city has confidence In the trades
union men, and he urged them to con-
tinue in the enjoyment Of that conf
dence, aiming also to achieve the con-
fidence of the public in full measure.
With all the bigotry and selfishness
that the unions have to contend against
the members. many of them, regarding
their individual interests above the col
lective welfare, it is marvellous that
they struggled through.
Suffer for Duty's Sake.
Men suffer because they stand up for
union rules and for shorter hours of
labor. This country was never intend
ed to be based on cheap labor Men
have fled from other countries from
the oppression and wrongs of centuries.
and when they came to America, they
hoped to enter uDon different plane.
but 1t rests with the people themselves
to secure the things that they fled from
other countries to obtain in this land of
freedom.
Thirty-five years ago not Million
aire was to be found in this land, nor
pauper nor tramp. and the wealth of
the nation was sixteen billions of dol
lars; now it has been augmented to
nearly seventy billions and 5,400 mil
lionaires have sprung up, while 10000
paupers have been manufactured; for
every palace built there have been
hundreds on miserable novels. While
wealth has increased fourfold wages
has decreased 35 per cent. since 1860.
The speaker cited statistics to show
the wages paid thirty years ago in
the boot and shoe business. and what
Is now earned, and also showing that
boot and shoe workers has wages gone
down, but the same rule applies to
miners and to the workers in textile
factories. and In no place has wages
advanced, except where organized la
Dor has stood up. Employers do not run
their business out of philanthropy.
Syndicates, combinations and rail-
road corporations organize and unite
their interests and control with their
vast power the law making bodies.
Judge Grossoup Scored.
Mr.. Mcclure roundly scored the fed
eral magistrate, Judge Grosscup, of
Chicago, for sentencing President Debs
to prison. He said good corporation
to serve the beck and call Of corporate
interests.
Going back to the question of wages,
the speaker said that In 1870 the aver
age earning for each person annually
was $430, now 1t has fallen to 5000, less
than 81 a day at the rate Of 315 work.
ing days in year. II labor maintained
the relation to wealth through the
years since 1860 the wages would not be
Al.-
000,0 900. He asked If 1t Is right that the
ones who toll should have only bread
and butter and no prospect for home
of their own.
The United States statistics show
that crime has increased 200 fold In
thirty years, and there are tramps in
abundance in n land that is filled with
plenty. Men become political slaves
as much as they do Industrial slaves.
Some will say that 1t Is intemperance
among the working classes that keeps
them so poor. These do not take into
consideration the sQualid surroundings,
the dismal expectations that drive the
poor to the glare and glitter of the
saloon. Give the worker decent wages,
give him a chance, and then the drunk
ard has no excuse.
Mr.. Mcguire paid noble tribute to
Miss Frances Willard. national presi-
dent of the Women's Christian Temper
ance union. He met her on shipboard
and was glad to know that she now ad-
vOcates that all or the greater part of
intemperance can be eradicated by Civ
ing to workingmen better conditions.
Reason for Panics.
The speaker assigned as the reason
for Danics that there are few bad
and selfish men whose lives are cramp-
ed to attain wealth. the Jay Goulds.
Vanderbilts, Stanfords. Crockers and
Huntingdons: there are about a dozen
Of this class and they say what the
price of flour shall be and regulate the
supply of other commodities in like
manner. They have unlimited, un-
checked power and public opinion is
afraid to utter a single protest: this
oligarchy is more powerful than the
slaveowners of old. and Is entrenching
itself behind the military, the judiciary
and the legislative assemblies. No. pro-
test is ever heard, except 1t be from
some single lecturer on labor plat
form or q plaintive cry from some la
Dor journal bidding the working people
Of Israel to rise up and oppose 1t.
He compared capital to slavery and
predicted that the former would as
surely be routed from its dictatorial
throne by the freeman's weapon, the
ballot. lust as the latter was wiped
out through the blood of the union
soldiery. He gave an interesting con-
trast OF the procedure in tradesuniOns
in Great Britain to that in this cOun-
try. There in good times they pay In
literally to the treasury of the unions
and in hardship they have more to
rely on.
Besides being able to resist and for
Nhn nj