The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-16
Strong Words of Adj
vice to the Strikers.
MELLEN AND PIERCE
Are Speakers at Big MARI
boro Mass Meeting.


Marlboro, Jan. 15.-Seldom if ever has
the city hall held larger audience than
it did this afternoon, when the shoe
workers held their fourth mass meet
ing since the commencement of the
present labor difficulty Long before 8
o'clock, the hour set for the meeting,
every seat was taken and standing
room was at a premium.
The speakers were j. D. Pierce, Wor-
cester president of the State Federation
of Labor, and Representatives j. F.
Carey OF Haverhill and James H. Mel
len, OF Worcester. ]. ]. Dalton presided.
Mr.. Mellen did not appear on the plat
form until the meeting was nearly half
over. His appearance was signalled by
loud applause, which continued until he
had taken a seat on the stage. He was
suffering with a severe cold and at
times 1t was difficult for him to speak
The meeting was called to order by
John J. Dalton, who made an address
THAT aroused much enthusiasm. He con-
demned the slanderous statements
made about the labor leaders when their
backs We're turned, and eulogized the
help that had been out of the
Mtddlesex factory on strike. He said
that out of the rs union girls that had
gone out of that factory % weeks ago,
only one had returned
The conditions here, he continued,
were the same as they We're two weeks
ago, when the state police came. The
manufacturers, Mr.. Dalton said, had
claimed that If they were accorded pro-
lection, IS per cent of their help would
go back to work. He desired to know
where are they?'
The manufacturers had tried every
conceivable way to run their factories,
rhey had brought in fathers mothers,
sisters, brothers, cousins and aunts OF
uheir retdnue, and people who had
reached three score and ten were in the
factories. Even If they make the shoes
they cannot sell them, said the speaker.
10 show the methods used by the man
ufaeturers, Mr.. Dalton referred to dis
possess notices which had been served
by Mr.. Howe's agents upon tenants who
had not gone to work in his factory.
The power of the boycott was shown
in the case of the Apsley Rubber Conn
pany factory of Hudson, which he was
informed by two men who worked there
was doing nothing.
j. ID. Pierce was received with much
applause upon being introduced. He
spoke about attending the recent labor
convention at Albany and telling the
story of the Marlboro strike, and he
was given every assurance that the
organized labor of the state of New
York would be behind the shoemak-
ers or Marlboro in the present struggle
He referred to a meeting of the brew
ers' council which he attended in AL
Dany and after he had presented the
case OF the Marlboro strikers, although
1t was delegate body, member made
a motion that it contribute 800, and it
was carried
The delegates further assured Mr..
Fierce that the treasures of their re-
Spective unions would be at the SER
vice Of the Marlboro strikers when the
facts concerning them were explained.
In relation to the dispossess notices
which were served on the tenants by
the manufacturers, he said that
strike was never won yet by kicking
people out of doors. When they resort
to those weapons, they can find no
fault II we use every legitimate wea-
pom
The speaker thought that they should
not complain If the labor organizations
used the boycott. Labor organizations
take no delight in this kind The labor
people are willing TO meet the manu-
facturers half way Mr.. Pierce men
toned one large dealer in New York
who had cancelled en- order given to
Rice Hutchins. Mr.. Pierce said he
took no pleasure in telling this.
In relation to the Worcester factory
OF Rice q Hutchins Mr.. Pierce said as
state president Of the Federation of
Labor, he would say that any person
that goes into the Rice & Hutchins
factory in Worcester or ans place else,
is a scab. Speaking further, Mr. Pierce
SAID that the workmen of Worcester
VIII OBJECT to bringing work to Wor-
ceSter to be done cheaper there than
elsewhere, | am told, said the speak
er, that 100 hands are working in that
factory. We will chase every case Of
shoes that goes from that factory even
across the water and we will brand
scab on every box.
OF this you can. rest assured; that
the fight will go on and the strug-
gle will be continued. Have confidence
In your leaders. Don't believe scurriI-
Gus stories about them. Stand as Won
have stood for nine weeks.
Representative Carey spoke on the
rights of the workingman, saying that
1t would bode i'll for the republic If the
Workngman would accept what their
economic masters would give them.
When that day comes the republic dies
He believed that the sooner that the
workingman entered into his own the
better. Mr. Carey spoke against
the competitive system. He be-
lieved that labor laws would be
regulated from the houses of congress
instead of the labor halls. He asked
the laboring people of Marlboro to be
true to their cause.
Representative Mellen was the con-
Guiding speaker
He thought there must be something
wrong in our economic system when
tramps and Migrants were SYNONYMOUS
terms. Free shops, he said, was
misnomer, II should be slave shops, He
advised those who needed the neces-
saries of life to go to the city almoner
He said the shoemakers of Marl-
boro were fighting a battle for
humanity The speaker referred
to some manufacturers In Wor-
cester county who had fought or
ganized labor and the trouble that had
overtaken them, saying that the proud
man may be humbled and the rich
man made poor.
He implored the strikers to stand to-
gether and expressed a hope that they
would win. The speaker was loudly
applauded in closing.
During the meeting Mr.. Dalton read
from official figures, showing that the
s. II. Howe Shoe Company had made
profits on capital invested the past five
years as follows: In 1894, 35h per cent,
1895. 40 9-10 per cent; 1896, 45h per cent