The Worcester spy., 1899-03-27
Twentieth Week of
Big Strike Opens.
MANY CRITICISMS.
Mayor Plunkett and Local
Press Are Scored.

Marlboro, March 26.-For nineteen
weeks the striking shoe workers have
maintained that they would win the
great struggle which they are waging
against the shoe manufacturers, but at
no time have their chosen representa-
tives spoken more confidently of the
outcome than they did this afternoon,
when they spoke at one of the largest
mass meetings held since the inception
of the strike
The meeting will go down in history
as unique in character. Mayor Plum
kett was the object of no little crit
icism on the part of the speakers, and
different newspapers also were the OBJ
Ject of much adverse attention.
The speakers Were D. ]. DriscolI and
Fred KneeIand of the Boston Central
Labor Union, w. H. Leonard of the
Hatters' Union, Boston; Councilman J.
a. Watson Boston; j Fl. Murray ana
:. j. Byrne, the local labor leaders. j.
II. Murray called the meeting to or
der. Mr.. Murray thanked those pres
ent for their attendance, speaking in
part as follows:
tieth week of the strike ! thank you
for the manner in which you have con-
Quoted yourself during the strike. If
we cannot win the strike peacefully, we
don't want to win it at all. The blame
for this uncalIed for fight IS not upon
U.S."
The speaker then criticized the local
papers. Il don't ask them 10 come on
our SIDE" continued the speaker 81
0nlV them tn pi dc
The manufacturers should be able to
fight this battle without the aid of the
press"
MIR, Murray then referred to the visit
of the legislative committee to this
city, and to the fact that the hard
working wage earners had taken the
stand, and the manufacturers through
their counsel, had endeavored to close
the hearing. The speaker said he was
pleased to say that the committee
We're fair and impartial enough to have
the manufacturers give evidence.
THE public press tells us what nice
lot of people are moving into town;
that they are people to be proud or.
One of these men could not pay his
board. He was arrested at the in
stance of a woman who boards this
kind of people. His case was placed
on file. We have a young man who
was sent to Jail for five months and
two others for three months each"
Mr. Murray said that the cases ir
lower court are approved by the higher
court, especially when strikers are
fighting for their rights. Another thing
they tell us, said Mr.. Murray, is why
do our help go to Brockton and Barre
working in the free shops there and
will not do the same thing here? l was
up in Barre this week and I find 10
Marlboro persons working there.
Do you think they want to leave their
homes? The majority of these were
born at Marlboro. What do they leave
their homes and families for? Because
they are fighting for principle. In
a majority of cases. they are working
for more money than they received in
Marlboro. l find a slliVer who received
81 to $1.50 per day in the Cotting ave-
nue. factory, Marlboro, getting 81 per
day at Barre, and is not obliged to do
one-half the amount of labor. How 10
it that the manufacturers there can pay
such wages? The reason is, they don't
want to get rich as quick as they do
here.
They tell about evicting tenants in
Ireland. They turned their tenants
out in the fiercest storm this winter.
These men always paid their
rent when it became due; it
was kept out of their pay. There
is Just as tyrannical people here as the
country some of your people came FROM
We have friends who believe our fight
is their fight. There are business men
WHO are going down in their pockets to
help us.
Talk about coaching men! There are
men behind him mayor PlunketD who
will ruin him. 1t looks brighter for us
today than it did 10 weeks ago. Take
the stitchers of the Mid lesex factory.
There is one case of & stitcher who was
ordered to stitch facing on the lining
and placed the facing on the quarters
Talk about good prices. The super
intendent of the Middlesex factory Of
fered man 81 per day for furnishing
shanks. and the regular price is 81 and
$3.50 per day Come with me every
evening to the corner of South and
Pleasant streets and see the little fell
lows from Northboro that they are try
ing to make shOemakers.
In Barre they hire our men that are
willing to fight for their rights. The
same is true in BrOckton and other
places. The manufacturers of Marl-
boro will appreciate Marlboro shoe
makers before they get through with
this fight.
Other speakers were D. ]. Driscoll
and Frank j. Kneeland of Boston
Jerry" A. Watson and P j. Burke
All these speakers criticized Mayor
Plunkett roundly for his veto of the
order passed by the city council to al
low the strikers the free use of City
Hall for occasional meetings.