Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-07-27

nary Address by j. w. Rea.
M. F. Tighe Presided.
Last evenings mass meeting at
Chapline and Seventeenth streets, ad-
dressed by j. W. Rea, of the Painters
and Decorators Union, and Eugene v.
Debs, was a monster. Not less than
three thousand people were present,
and of these more than one-half-per-
haps two thousand-remained until the
meeting adjourned at half-past ten
o'clock. IL was a thoroughly repre-
sentative audience, although the wage
earning element predominated largely,
as a matter of course. The addresses
particularly that of Mr.. Debs-were
literally punctuated with applause,
and after the meeting adjourned there
was a very general concurrence by all
, classes in the sentiments voiced. Once
or twice, in the estimation of some Of
his hearers, Mr.. Debs was little too
severe in his structures; but on the
whole the spirit and text of his speech
was commended, and in many in
stances this cOmmendation was enthu-
siastic, and all that any speaker could
desire.
The meeting was late in starting.
Many people began to gather about
the stand as early as quarter past
seven, and by half-past several hun
dred were present. At a quarter TO
eight they had increased to nearly a
| thousand, and after that they came
thick and fast. Mr.. Debs, under Il rtic {
escort Of the local committee, and ac-
companied by Mr. ]. w. Rea, did not
appear until about twelve minutes
past eight. He was cordially welcom-
ed by the multitude awaiting him.
NJ. f. Tighe, Esq, presided at the
meeting, and introduced as the first
speaker Mr.. Rae. That gentleman
spoke for about half an hour, making
very able address. On the stand
with the speakers were Mayor J. R.
Butts. and the local committee, con-
sisting of Messrs. President Simms and
! Vice President Bauer, of the Trades
Assembly; eX-President Tighe, w. h.
II. Riley Councilman Hahne, and a
number of others. In his preliminary
address Mr.. Tighe presented Mr.. Rea,
as the first speaker, on behalf OF the
| Trades Assembly of the Ohio Valley,
and expressed, in their behalf, the sat
| isfaction he and his co-workers in the
| field of labor felt at the presence OF
! such a large audience.
! Mr. Rea began by saying:-
: "Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
men-Fellow Workmen of Wheeling
1t is very great pleasure for me to be
! here tonight, because | assure you
that my friend Debs and myself want
to meet the people of Wheeling, that
they may see that we have no horns
upon our heads, as the press has some
times represented. (Applause.) But
We have beer out among people who
Ought to have horns and know how TO
use them upon the coal operators Of
! West Virginia. (Applause.) l have
been a resident of the city of Chicago
for twenty years past, and have been
! working in the cause of labor, and yet
have never yet injured a fly, TO my
knowledge. (Applause.) | have never
advocated any other method of set
Ting labor troubles, except upon bus
mess basis, as between man and man.
| (Applause) When people say that we
| believe in strikes, want to say that
we are misQuoted, and | want 10 say
this to the people of Wheeling who
At in 10 ranlyC nf labor ~
The speaker described the Chicago
Building Trades Council, TO which he
belonged, and its methods Of work, and
! then said:
When you are on the floor OF your
labor union, and the time comes to
elect officers, cast your vote for con-
servative, hard-headed, thinking man,
even if you do not like a hair Of his
head, and never would vote for him
on personal grounds for any Office.
Elect such a man to office in your un-
ion. and he will carry you through.
In the Building Trades Council Of Chi
cago. which has a membership Of 75,-
600. we have not had a strike in twen-
ty years" Il want to say
tonight, if you are looking for that
which has lately gotten lost some
where - great prosperity Qaughter),
you must demand that labor obtain
enough wages TO live on, and when Ia
Dor is earning living wages, prosper
ity will come to this State. (Applause.)
The laboring man is the man who
spends his money II he Is earning
one dollar or five dollars day. he
spends it in the town in which he earns
il: but the operators, who belong to
trust, made possible by our laws, plugs
holes in that law and crawls through,
and then goes to Europe to spend the
money which belongs TO this country.
And then he tries TO marry
his daughter TO somebody with title.
(.Thats the stuff They remind me of
the man who had several marriagebie
daughters, and who was talking to an
eligible young man about them. He
said: There is Mary, she is 25 years
old. and when she is married l will
give her $1,000 And there is Jennie,
she is 80 years old, and when she is
married | will give her $4,000. And
there is Sallie, she is 35, and when
she is married will give her $4,000
And the young man stroked his chin
a while and looked thoughtful, and
then he said: Say, you haven't any