The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-08-17

1uc traces Assembly 0el0 an Oi0
time meeting last Friday evening, and
besides listening to an address from
Leo ]. Richardson, it admitted large
number OF new delegates, and trans
acted considerable business.
After the reading of the minutes, and
when the routine matters were we'll
disposed OF, the chair introduced Mr..
Richardson, who addressed the AS
sembly at length on the conditions of
the working class. For one who is
familiar with the labor movement it is
easy to tell where the speaker received
his training In the laobr movement.
No one can talk like him but q railroad
man. 4 He has in him the combined
qualities of Kelliher, Goodwin and
Rogers, and the magnetism of Debs.
/, Mr.. Richardson has made the condi-
tions of the workers his life study, as
can be seen by his expressions of their
condition. He is an actor, when it
comes to demonstration of characters,
he knows the sentiments Of the working
men and how best to reach them His
speech was decided hit. and made for
him many friends in the labor move-
ment in this city. At the meeting were
not only workingmen, but professional
and business men as we'll.
Mr.. richardson said in part:
MY friends, what I shall say tonight
Is repitition Of what has been said
many times within your hearing. In
1894 I was engaged in a. strike that
made tramps Of $4,000 men. That bat
tie caused many a railroad man to
travel from place to place under an as
sumed name in search of work. The
fight between labor and capital has
been carried on through the centuries,
and after 300 years Of agitation the bal
lot was given to all men. This little
weapon can be used to settle all dis
putes."
Speaking of strikes he said:
STRIKES will be futile while the own
ers of wealth own the means of pro-
duction and distribution. One of the
most desperate struggles of modern
times is about to be fought between
the owners and producers Of wealth.
The lines are drawn on both sides.
There will be bitter struggle for
EsuprAuaaH 81. III the .Maaltt and noWar,
OF the modern business will BE arrayed
in solid front against the brain and
Drawn Of the best manhood of our soil
Behind Morgan is the police, the mill
tary, the standing army, the gatling
gun. All of these are at the beck and
call Of the mercantile bandits Of the
Goth century, to defend that part of the
Constitution which declares for the
rights of property.
1T must be understood by working
men everywhere that we cannot hope
| to succeed against these odds. The
monopolists now own the bread wagon.
Every article Of necessity to man is
! owned by the men who declare that
labor has no right to organize.
! 'The average man has only money
enough to last him sixty days at most
Then the landlords commence to serve
eviction notices; the butchers and
| grocers want their money. They can
not, If they would, carry the men for
long because they too are at the mercy
of those who own the trust. After
thirty days when the landlord and the
butcher have gone as far as they car
with, the strikers: the head of the
family hears his good wife implore him
to go back to work, hears the call from
his babes for shoes, for warm clothing
to keep out the icy blasts Of winter
The brave father who is surrounded by
those who are all there is in life to him
by those he loves and those who love
him, thinks that self preservation il
the first law of nature, and his man.
hood tells him that his first duty is tt
protect those dependent upon him. Sc
the moral courage Of the brave fathe,
Is broken and he goes out to seek work
anywhere at any price, and the out.
come is that wealth and greed will bt
enthroned and labor disinherited ant
abused.
I'VE must own the bread WAGON. Nc
philosopher. ancient or modern, hat
shown the way to get emancipation ex.
cept by owning the necessities of life
by having a comn1unistic brotherhood
and that cannot be brought about II
but one way and that is by the stud,
of economic questions. II the Constitu.
tion Is wrong we have the ballot tc
change 1t. We have the power in ou,
hands to send men to congress from
the ranks Of labor. Now let us in the
name of the toiling millions, in the
name of the childhood of the nation
arouse the spirit Of the founders of this
republic and abolish 18th century lsgis.
lation for Goth century progress. Our
duty to God and man is to make this
world fit place for the sons Of men
to live in: to leave it better than We