Evening star., 1897-02-19
Open Meeting Of District Assembly
No. sc, K. of L.
MESSRS. BEAUMONT and WRIGHT
They Point Out the Needs of the
Workingman.
UNITED ACTION NECESSARY

Despite the extreme 1nclemency OF the
weather Plasterers' Hall, corner of Penn
sylvania avenue and AZ street northwest,
was well filed last evening with members
and friends of the order of the Knights of
Labor. who assembled there to listen to ad-
dresses from Messrs. James A. Wright of
Philadelphia, private counsel of the General
Assembly of the knights of Labor, and
Ralph Beaumont. a leading member of the
order. whose home is in Minnesota.
the meeting was called to order by Mr..
Sam De Nedry of the headquarters of the
Knights of Labor, who explained the rea-
son for holding at that time open meet
ing of District Assembly No. 66, knights
of Labor. Referring to the fact that rain
was falling heavily, Mr.. De Nedry said he
really believed it was tears of joy from
the celestial sphere to which we all hope to
go"
On motion of Mr.. De Nedry, District Mas
ter Workman Lawson was called to the
chair. After few remarks Mr.. Lawson
introduced Mr.. Beaumont the first
speaker of the evening. The latter said, in
part:
Mr.. DeaumOnt's Address.
There used to be a statement twenty
five years ago that the interests of labor
and capital were identical That is no
longer true After some remarks along
that line Mr.. Beaumont gave an account of
the rise and progress of the labor move
ment. Then he said: This is an age of
combination. and the man who does not be-
long to the combine will get robbed.
There is no use," he continued "in a
young man who starts out in life to eX-
pect 10 gain fortune by pursuing honest
methods. and he might well commence
with peanut stand as a dry goods store.
He will rise as high with the one as the
other.
Mr.. Beaumont next related an incident
which happened. he said in his own fami-
ly, and which illustrated how by the use
of machinery wages have in many in
stances been brought down to a third of
what they were before the particular ma
chine was invented"
When" he continued, Il went into busi-
ness for myself as shoemaker. number
of years ago, only had to buy 81 worth of
tools: now. 10 start the same sort of fsi-
ness l must invest s20.DOO in machinery and
have a capital of $2J00GD, or / will be
frozen out of business inside of two years
The question for laboring people to con-
slider is how long can We stand these
things"
Speaking of the greed and oppression of
many corporations, Mr.. Beaumont said:
When the first corporation was chartered
by Congress, piece was slashed out of the
Constitution. and this has gone on until
the corporations have not only got the
law-making body, but they have the ju
dietary, and. as every sober man who sud
military"
Mr.. Beaumont referred at much length to
the manner in which Mr.. j. Pierpont Nor
gan had. he said. secured the control of the
tfanspor tation business of the country, and
continuing. said: THE true condition of
the labor question has got to be understood
by labor people, and the sooner they ger
down 10 the study of the problem the bet
ter. The times are getting tighter and
tighter, and if the laboring people of this
ration do not educate themselves So as to
equip themselves to be able to meet the
issue something is going to happen
Mr.. Beaumont closed by urging his lear
ers TO form clubs for the purpose of study
ing and discussing the leading questions OF
the day
Mr.. Wrisht's Remarks.
Mr.. Wright said in part: 1T is or duty
to remove all the errors that we find con-
fronting if it be in our power to do 81.
The land question is one that demands cur
most serious and prompt attention. l be-
lieve no man ought to have more land
than he can properly cultivate. / care
nothing for what the courts have declared
OF this subject.
Il can study the Constitution, and l am
convinced that we are Lot Only clothed un-
der that instrument with power to change
the present system in regard to the owner
ship OF land but we can change the form
of government under which we live.
L believe the hours of labor should be re-
Guced tO such an extent that every man
should have offered to him the opportunity
TO earn a living. There should be no rea-
son for 3.WU.0Oo of our citizens being out
Of work. as is now the case. If the people
Of the United States who are at work knew
the extent TO which their wages are con-
trolled by reason of the opportunities of the
unemployed there would soon be COM
petition between laboring people on the
question Of what number of hours should
constitute a working day. A reasona5 Bile
amount Of labor is the source of Joy, and
the most deplorable thing in this world is
the fact that though there are n.en beggir e
for employment they cannot secure it,
We are not civilized. If we were there
would he none, or at least but little, of the
want and destitution now SO prevalent, ex-
cept where they exist as the outcome OF
crime"
Mr. Wright talked at much length on the
condition of the miners in Pennsylvania
who. he said. were paid but - cents a ton
for mining coal, which. when ii gets here
costs the consumer SOD per ton, and said
the voters of the country We're fools 10
permit such things to be carried on.
The Industrial Ga animission BILL Urged.
Referring to the industrial non-partisan
commission bill, which has passed the
House OF Representatives, and is pending in
the Senate, Mr.. Wright urged that all the
members of organized labor societies in the
District of Columbia. whether they are
affiliated with the Knights of Labor or Cen
trail Labor Union. should unite for the pur-
pose OF asking the Senate to pass the bill,
as if il becomes a law il will, he said do
more good for the cause of labor than any
thing that has been done by Congress for
the working people for the past thirty
years.
Mr.. Wright referred to the discharge of
men connected with the knights of Labor
from the service of the Metropolitan Rail-
road Company last fall, and said the rail-
road company would get no charter from
Congress for further extensions Of its lines
if the Knights of Labor could prevent
il.
Mr.. Wright also took up the subject of
the meeting fthe mothers congress now
in session in Washington and said it would
do far more good if. instead of discussing
how to heat milk for babies or how chill
dren ought TO be dressed for breakfast" the
ladies' would try to have the child labor
bill. which Is aimed to protect children
against having to work in factories at a
tender age. properly enforced and If they
do not, he said, take some interest in that
direction II is, he asserted, because they
care nothing for poor people.
Mr.. Wright closed his speech with an
earnest appeal for harmony among the
members of the organized labor of the Dis
trict. and declared that IL they would cease
all pickering and work for the good of all
the effect would be incalculable