The record-union., 1896-07-26
ADDRESSES TO LABORERS.
Last Nights Mass Meeting al the City
Plaza.
Unorganized Workingmen Advised to
Join the Federated
Trades.


ing.
Shortly after 8 o'clock T. M. Ely, Pres
ident of the Federated Trades, called
the assemblage to order The purpose
of the meeting, he said, was to call at
tention to the fact that unorganized Ia
Dor could better it's condition by organ
ization. The Federated Trades had
been laboring for some months in a
quiet manner and had succeeded in or
ganizing many branches of trade in this
city, but he enumerated several others
that had not yet been brought into the
fold. Mr.. Ely then introduced John A
Sheehan, editor Of the Sunday News"
who, he said, would address them on the
benefits of organized labor.
MR.. SHEEHAN'S REMARKS.
Mr. Sheehan was warmly applauded
when he came forward. He said he was
there on a pleasant mission under an in
vitation ito say something in the inter
est of organized labor. He would en-
deavor to convince workingmen why
they should form organizations of their
own or affiliate with those already or
ganized Labor has no real friends ex-
cept it's own organizations All other
interests are working to keep labor
down. Competition has caused a grad
ual lowering of the rates of wages under
the pretense that the cost of food, cloth
ing and other necessities are cheaper
now than formerly.
In some respects this is so, said the
speaker, and he was sorry that such was
the fact. When the products of the
farm are so low it entails a condition
haf haonn1 q Unless
the farmer prospers, no one can pros
per. But he was there to speak Of the
advantages of trades unions He was
sorry to say that trades unionism had
not in all respects filled the bill. 1t is
beneficial only when in the hands of en-
ergetic men who appreciate the advan-
tages of organized labor In the past 1t
had been a hard matter ito get men to
take the necessary interest in 1t.
Mr.. Sheehan then spoke at some
length on the advantages Of organized
labor He spoke of some of the difficult
ties experienced in the past in bringing
men to a realization Of the benefits of
organized labor. He did not personally
blame men in these times Of competition
if they accept the crumbs offered them
in order to support their families, but
contended that thorough organization
was the only way by which men can
hope to better their condition.
In the East the tendency Of wages is
downward. The success of Pullman in
the great strike was a serious blow to
labor, but some believe that good will
come out Of it. The men now in Pull
mans employ are not union men, and
are not freemen.
If labor We're fully organized there
would be no monopolists to force labor
into the dust. Labor's wants would
then be heard in Washington, and there
would be no more infamous laws passed
to grind them.
The speaker did not favor contention
between employers and the employed
but contended that unionism would be
as advantageous to one as the other
If trades unions were not carried ON be-
hind closed doors it would be great ed
ucator, and would do much to bring
about harmony between employer and
employed
Mr.. Sheehan closed his remarks with
an appeal to workingmen to organize
and work together to uphold their in
terests and better the condition of their
city, he said, when labor was better or
ganized. If men will not attend the
meetings Of their Federated Trades
Councils and then complain that a few
persons are running the organization,
they are injuring the cause they es-
pouse.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Sheehan's
remaks Chairman Ely announced that
members of all trades who wished to or
ganize should call upon the Secretary of
the Federated Trades, where every fa-
cility would be extended them.
M'ARTHUR'S ADDRESS.
The next speaker introduced was Mr..
Macarthur, editor of the Coast Sea-
mems Journal Of San Francisco. He
said he would go back farther than the
last speaker and endeavor to show the
duties of citizenship working through
trades unionism.
Mr. Macarthur began with the landing
Of the Pilgrim Fathers, to whom the
land returned the full measure of it's
products. But for the last hundred
years the condition of the people has
been growing worse. Less than one
fifth Of the people now own the whole
country. One-fifth own the land, and
therefore own the other four-fi Of
the people. Without land man must die
he cannot exist on air and water.
Every other man you meet has
remedy for the ills of the people. One
believes protection will do it. Another
believes in free silver, and that If every
man can be given $50 in silver the prob
lem will be solved Another believes in
the Government ownership of land, and
another thinks that the destruction Of
the liquor traffic would be the talisman
to bring about the desired result.
Any man who imagines that by vot-
ing for any of these fallacies he can cure
all the ills he bears is sadly mistaken.
The only remedy lies in the people them
selves. They have placed their faith in
politicians only to be deceived. Men
must organize into trades unions, for
labor is the foundation of society
Mr.. Macarthur then spoke of the bene-
fits of trades unionism, and went into
recital of the Sailors Union difficult
ties In San Francisco. The sailor has
been, he said, nothing better than a
chattel slave. His condition has been
growing from bad to worse, until the
seamen met and organized a union, and
now it is one of the leading unions in
the world and has made the sailor
mana free man, en- American citizen.
Abuses of seamen can no longer be COM
mitted with impunity. They sent their
delegates to Congress, and that body
abolished the laws that made slaves of
seamen. These are the benefits accru-
g>xvN ov,f fioyr nd