The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-27
MURPHY'S MIDDLE.
Workingmen's Club
Are Out After
Him Now.
WONDER WHY He WITHDREW.
After They Endorsed Him
For the Common
Council.
WONDER WHY He WITHDREW.

The meeting of the Workingmen'
club in labor headquarters yesterday
afternoon. developed the fact that the
candidates on the independent labor
ticket intend to do some active hust-
ling. A little dissatisfaction arose 10
the surface when President j. ID.
Pierce announced that j. Louis Muir
phy. who had been Endorsed by the
club as a candidate for the common
council in ward 4, had withdrawn with
out giving any reasons for the action.
TT is my opinion" said Mr.. Pierce,
that he has been frightened by the
threats of other parties.
Secretary w. S. Chase had barely
finished reading reports of the previous
meeting, when A. A, Reed, the trade
unionist, arose and made a motion to
the effect that the advocacy of good
roads" should be brought out strongly
as a part of the clubs platform. Will
liam A. Rossley said things about the
street commissioner, and believed that
election by popular vote would result
in better conditions. He thought Mr.
Reeds motion unnecessary, as good
roads" had been adopted as part of the
platform. ], P. F. Frey, in reply to Mr..
Reeds allegations that the movement
was weak, and that by adopting the
policy of favoring good roads" the
votes of bicyclists could be secured,
said: Il am opposed to any such ac-
ton because it is an admission to the
political parties of the existence, of
conditions which do not in reality eX-
list. 1t is like so much sop and l do
not think we should place ourselves
in position where we can be referred
e vNn1fr gNf
getting a man from our ranks into Of
fee. Our movement is stronger than
ever, and we are in the right"
W. A. Rossley, D. c. Sullivan, and
others made speeches in line with Mr..
Frey's remarks, and then President
Pierce gave vent to his feelings in the
following manner: Personally / do not
believe it good policy for the club to
fish for votes. If we confine ourselves
strictly to the task of having wage
earners support this movement, on
election day, we will have fair idea
of the foundation we have, upon which
to build the base of future movements
I do believe that a practical man
should be elected street commissioner"
Mr.. Reeds motion was lost in a hot
ly contested vote, and John H. Jeffer-
son, who was one of the supporters
gave expressions of regret, but the
vote was not changed. w. S. Chase
advocated advertising the candidacy of
j. D. Pierce for the board of aldermen
by means of posters, and it was voted
to have large circulars printed upon
which will be the platform of the par
ty, as already published in The Spy,
and the words beneath, IF you believe
in this platform, vote for Jefferson D.
Pierce for alderman"
]. P. F. Frey was given the floor. and
his speech was confined to a reply to
Mr.. Reed. He said: There never has
been class of people, who have had
as few rights granted, as the wage
earners. Neither government nor pri-
Vate corporations have exerted them
selves in behalf of the workingmen.
Year after year the trade union move
ment has grown, and from SCOTS and
sneers the leaders of the great polit-
ical parties have turned to giving the
movement deep study. If the move
ment remained weak, it would still be
ignored. The fact that we are watched
by the republican and democratic par
ties is proof positive Of the statement
that we do amount to something. I
do not believe that Mr. Reed meant
precisely what his remarks would in
dicate when he said that the move
ment is not strong. We are in the right.
and all we need is concentration of eff
forts.
Mr.. Reed was recognized by Presi-
dent Pierce in the scramble in speakers
to the floor, and he said: II do not
doubt the righteousness of the cause
There is no doubt that the wage
earners are in the right when thew seek
representation in the city government.
put that does not alter my belief that
the movement is weak. BY co-opera tion
with the bicyclists we could get nnanv
more votes, and possibilities might he
come strong probabilities We must not
belleVe that because we are in the
rlghI everything is going to come our
way. II mas never been so and proh
ably never will, until the workippmen
realize that such movements as this
are for their best interests"
Mr. Frey was persistent in his opnos
ltion to the sop" policy and said that
ne believed it would be best for the
club to stand strictly to the principIes
that actpate the organization of work
1ngmen. Addison W. Barr said. "Tbe
wage earners must not enter noIitics
and be content on retiring after the
frst onslaught. Our strength is at orr
disposal. The question is, can we roIIs.
ter 1t and command it? The deyeIon-
ment of the trade union movement has
peen more rapid in the last 2 months
than in the SO months preceding"
Inc sop policy came in for discus.
teetotally opposed to throwing son
TO any man representing a politica,
party Ii this movement should prove
powerful enough to elect me to the
board of aldermen, do not want tc
Ieel that am under obligations to the
representatives Of any political party
IL may take three or four years fol
the labor movement to be successful in
municipal politics in this city. ,have
1a1th in the wage earners that they
will be aroused from their Rip Var
Wrinkle sleep, and recognize the need
of having men with their interests al
heart representing them in the city
government"
William Dunn: II believe that the
clubs candidate for the board of alder.
men will pull big vote in wards 8. 4
and g. In ward l have made nearly
complete house to house canvass. and
l have found men of all parties in fa
Vor or the movement to land a wage
Garner in the aldermanic chamber
believe that in the advent Of our candi-
dates election, we should select a mar
for the office of street commissioner
Two prominent republican leaders semi
for me. They wanted to know whether
we favored Prior or not 1t was mar
TALLY promised me that if the WORKING
men opposed the present street COM
missioner, new man would be mi
up for the place. Look at the bosses of
city departments Young men with M
practical experience are given positions
after they have attended some techni-