Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-03-27
Trades and Labor Assembly
Holds Successful Meeting at
the sieg Theater
HOLDER COULD NOT COME
Superintendent w. l. Crane Made the
Principal Address of the Evening
Mayor |. 3. Jones and c. H. E.
Boardn,an Also Spoke BrieHy-Tcxt
of the Addresses.

While 1t seemed as tho both Arthur
b. Holder and the weather man had
conspred against the efforts of the
Trades and Labor Assembly of the city
to hold an open meeting in the Sieg
Theatre Thursday night, nevertheless
the gathering was a success, and the
speakers were able to hold the close
attention of their audience for almost
two hours. Owing to important
business which took him out of Des
Moines, Arthur E. Holder president of
the Iowa State Federation of Labor.
was unable to be present. Superinten-
dent w. j.. Crane substituted in his alb
of the evening. While the storm kept
many away, in the neighborhood of $50
laboring men and their friends were
present.
e. 7. Austin acted as chairman of the
meeting, and following music by the
orchestra and male quartet, introduced
Mayor l.. B. Jones. who spoke very
briefly. Superintendent Crane was then
introduced and spoke for almost an
hour. While he was to have spoken
on the public schools system. he touch
ed upon 1t indirectly, speaking as
friend of labor to the laboring man.
He stated that he believed that with
the exception of those whose age or in
fir1nities prevents, no man or woman
had right to exist without doing la
Dor of some kind, and he heartily en-
dorsed the theory laid down by Captain
John Smith, of the Virginia colony,
who advocated that those who would
not work should not eat. In tracing
the history of the world, he said that
since time began there had ever been
a sharp line drawn between those who
iabored to support the already rich
and those who labored not at all.
Since the earliest history, he contin-
ued, there has ever been labor troubles,
and referred to the pyramids of Egypt,
as a monument erected by the labor
of that day. He pointed out, that as
labor had been ground down by OPP
preston then. SO it had continued thru
centuries until the French peasants.
no longer willing to Withstand the tyr
amy of the noblemen and the church.
had risen up with the result that the
French revolution followed. when they
beheaded their king and slaughtered
their noblemen. Thru ignorance and
intemperance, after these same people
had gained control, affairs We're even
worse than before. He thought there
were two things of essential impor-
lance to labor. The first was. What
ought labor to do?" and the second.
What ought labor not to do?" He
believed labor ought to organize, but
the organization should be on fair.
equal and intelligent basis He pointed
cut the trouble by saying. that While
they organized with the best interests
in mind. they failed to be loyal to
themselves or their cause, when cast
ing their ballot. For this reason. he
thought, capital was able many times
to control the elections. In reference
to the public school system of the city
he pointed out that the actual cost
per year for each student in the schools
was $3l. Taxes. he said, might seem
high, but in reality they were not so
high as they appeared when there We're
taken into consideration the free text
books and supplies furnished the pu-
pills, which. If the system was done
away with, would come out of the
pocket of the laboring man. He plead
for the laboring man to be true to his
best interests and those of bis children
and to vote Loyalty. He asked the aid
of the laboring classes in maintaining
the present high standard of the city's
schools, that their children might re-
ceive the benefits. During his address
he was frequently interrupted by ap-
plause.
After a recitation by John Reynolds
Mr.. C. H. E. Boardman spoke for
few minutes along general lines of in
terest to the laboring classes. The
meeting closed with number by the
quartet.