The Portland daily press., 1897-03-18
LABOR UNION BANQUET.
Hon. William ii. Looney Delivered
Principle Address.

Ward Rooms Resemble Public Auc-
tions-His Remarks Warmly Received
Other Speakers.
At the Windsor hotel last evening the
Central Labor Union held banquet
commemorative of it's 8th anniversary.
dining hall of the house and the menu
was an excellent one and was served in
Landlord Lilly's best style.
The feature of the evening was the
speech of Hon. William II. Looney whose
remarks were very warmly received.
Hatch, William h. Looney, Arthur H.
Berry, Walter u. Lyseth, c. o. SWEET,
Eugene A. Hatch, T. W. Hopkins, G.
II. Skillin. W. Brucs, L. D. Ward, c.
ri. Nelson, Major Daniel S. Murphy. G.
j. Carey, W. H. Bushey, Q. j. Callahan,
@. W. Maoreader, Charles H. Sawyer,
Barnes P. Mccormick, James Kelly,
John G. Clarke, E. L. Marston. J. Z.
Appleby, d. J. Desmond, p. o. Flanna-
CHAN, j. Leishman, Z. G. Appleby, A.
G. Alch orn. W. H. Fitzpatrick, M. j.
Comfy, Caspar Nogarin.
After cigars were lighted T. III. Hatch
who presided in his usual graceful man.
ner, called upon Hon. William H.
Looney.
Mr.. Looney was greeted by applause
when he took the floor. He began by say
ing that man is always happy When
ho e III fyio de nd tlor
present he saw many with VIII ON he had
stood shoulder to shoulder In his efforts
to promote the interests of the wage earn
ers. 'Some people call men like myself
who attempt to benefit the wage earners
demagogues, said Mr.. Loonsy. "This
is an ilIiberal view to take, for 1t seems
to me that if railroads, manufacturers
and oil kinds of business industries
combine to promote their own interests
surely the wage Garner oan do the same
without condemnation, and man who
andeavors to promote labor organization
is only doing his duty. +"
Mr.. Looney quoted from Abraham
Linooln's well known remarks about
labor and capital. ''If what this man
has said is true" said Mr.. Looney,
"and If rightly understand the purpose
of the Central Labor Union, surely every
lover of his country must be In favor of
labor organizations whose object is to
study economic conditions and look out
for the interests of the wage earners. If
bad laws are enacted or laws which are
favorable to the laboring man are not in
forced the laboring man has but himself
to blame (Applause.J
1.-THE reason we have no better laws for
the protection of the laboring man is be-
| cause the laboring man does not organize
| or look after his own interest," Mr.
Looney said that he had Lad the honor
Of introducing into the Maine legislature
two measures which had done as much
to aid tho working man as anything else.
These measures were the Australian
ballot law and the ten hour law. He re-
ferred to the fact that the enforcement of
some of the provisions of the ten hour
law had been farce and this was due to
the men who had been appointed to en-
force this law but who had culpably
neglected their duties. Over three hun
dred children under the age of twelve
years had been found, by a legislative
committee of investigation, to be work.
| ing in Maine factories contrary to law.
"TEis means said the speaker, "chil-
| dren of an immature age stuntsd moral
ly and physically and every day they
work in mills and factories they strike a
do d11 III %1% h1v nol
| ty of this state"
In referring to the Australian ballot
law, Mr.. Looney said that the original
bill which he bad introduced into the
| Maine legislature had been modelled
| after the Massachusetts system. but the
mercenery politicians of the state fearing
its action, had corrupted the original bill
into the law of today. And this law is
nothing but farce and aids bribery
| intimidation Of voters and corruption.
"The elections in the city Of Portland
this spring were dominated by corruption
and bribery" said Mr.. Looney. Gin
! many Of the wards of the city votes were
openly bid for and it ressmblsd nothing
as much as it did regular auction. We
can never have an honest ballot until we
have law modelled after the Massachu-
setts system where no one can tell how a
man votes. (Applause.) If the laboring
men would unite and fight for their
rights Mr.. Loonsy thought the laws
which were passed to benefit them would
be enforced and the whole community
! would BIO the gamer thereby.
Mr.. Looney's remarks were loudly ap-
plauded and cheered. President Small
of the bIickmakers' union, ex-President
Fitzpatrick of the G. l.. u, Maj. Daniel
s. Murphy, President Walter II. Lyseth
of the Federal Labor Union, James
Kelley, A. II. Berry and N. J. Conley
and others spoke briefly along the same
line as taken by Mr.. Looney. The ban
cute was very pleasant affair and one
Of the most successful ever held by the
central Labor Union.
|