The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-02-10
MAHON DELIVERS ADDRESS
Mass Meeting at Turner Hall Was
Largely Attended.
TOUCHES UPON The WORK OF UNIONS
Leader Of the Street Railway Employees
Says There Is Enough Labor; Some
OF the Better Things Are Soareites.

I'VE do not intend 70 bind the limbs Of
our Infants with shackleR Instead, we are
going TO go ON aud on as inbog unions,
striving always to take them OF where
hther generations have put them ON and
move ever onward to higher and lofler
civilization
So spoke William D. Nlahon president 81
the Amalgamation 81 Street railway Elm.
ployes OF America, in brilliant peroration
OF a brilliant address before large gath
erlng Ia the Turnverein halt last night
The speaker could net resist the tempta'
ton TO come back 30 Houston before re-
turning to his many duties In the Eastern
States lie has been away ave weeks en-
his Western trip and while hn stated last
night thnt he would like to stay Ia this
territory mitch lepger, yet thore wrro many
matters In the East which were demand
Ing his immediate attention.
For instance, there is big street car
mems controversy on at Waterbury, Conn,
and another at Montreal, aud both Of these
need his immediate prescuve. Mr. Mahon
leaves this morning for New orleans and
from there will so on direct TO his Eastern
office.
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS,
The ardor Of the meeting last night in
Turner hall was dnmpened somewhat by
the rain, but notwithstanding this draw
back, Mr. Mshon had a very large and
very spprecatlve audience before him. on
the platform sat ex-President E " Aten-
who introduced Mayor Holt, and the mayor
In turn introduced Mr., MAhon.
In his address Mr.. Mahon touched nearly,
|
affect the laborlng interests today. He
| spoke OF the recent anthracite coal strike
In oil Of It's details, and he talked on child
labor on the school system. and many
other problems which are receiving tn,
present day agitation OF trades unionists
We've got enough labor" said Mr.. Ma
hon, significantly. We want TO do ava!
with too much labor. we want some en-
joyment We want better conditions fo
the masses Of our people. Some OF ou
best institutions have been given to vi
by the trades unions. Our present fret
school system Is the pride Of the natiol
and the admiration Of the civilized world
And yet 1t is not generally known that th
movement for free schools was started l
$40 by the trades unions OF MassaehqsetI..s
People may cay that we have our faults
I'll admit that we have lots of them. Blu
the faults of trades unlonists today hay
been due TO the faults Of those who nav
not co.operated with US IN the past. Ii
Dor unions have been the direct cause Q
restricting child labor until now in man
States children under IA and 10 years G
age are not allowed to enter the factors
as laborers and IN many cases not even q
that age unless they have passed satsfa'
tory examination as to reading and writin
and others OF the common branches.
other words, we are going to give the CHI
| dnen q chance before the factories era
them up and take them away from an q
| ucaCon.
Where few years ago, the street CT
men of America worked fourteen, stxtec
and eighteen hours day at IA cents Q
hour, they arc now working nine and p
hours almost universally with q mexmu
wage OF 25 cents an hour. Labor unloi
are leglslating all the time for honr
, unfortunately we happen TO have SON
IN our ranks who are LEGISLATORS for ther
selves only. Tho hope Of the people res
not with capital, but with the civilize
; masses Of organized labor"