Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-02-17

time when a handful of us met and or
ganized the Trades & Labor aSsembly-a
time when many of us were in doubt about
Its ultimate success-and then look at our
work today cannot help but feel highly
gratitied ut the splendid result.
The years have been 1illed with work,
with many encouragement and failures,
and with many victories. But with all
our diScouragementS and set backs our
progress has always been forward and af-
ter each failure we have learned how to
work in the future.
In spite Of all our faults ana all our
misfortunes our work shall go steadily for
ward until we are all organized as one
solid compact body of workers and then
we shall have our rights. Not by violence
and bloodshed will we gain our ends That
never was. and j trust never will he the
doctrine of organized labor although our
enemies try to make 1t so. But by peace
ful and educational means we will conquer.
In the meantime let us work together as
brothers and sisters working for n com
mon cause. Let us bury little petty ieal-
ousies and disputes, and only labor for
the advancement of and bringing about of
the universal brotherhood of man. | hope
and trust that the time may he near at
hand when all these hopes will be real
lied
Mr.. I1agberg then announced the first of
~ NiSi'ihS 'If'Ahtis, w ullt' VI
Abba, secretarytreasurer of the United
Mine Workers of District IL, who spoke up
OH the subject, why Laboring Men Or.
ganize.' Nh. White was GREETED with
loud applause as he arose and began to
talk, and his address was listened to with
much attention as he proceeded:
at is Il source of great pleasure for me
to come to this city, where | have been sc
well treated at the hands of the laborine
people in times gone by / am pleased
with the gathering and such an assem-
blage of union men and women cannot
help but be an encouragement to the pco
pie who are working for the advancement
of the union labor organizations Of tho
city and state.
I'VE have not reached the high stage OF
which we are now so proud through tht
efforts of the men alone. but the ladies
have done much to aid us. believe that
the lady unionists of the country are cs
| sential to the success of the movement as
Il whole and l am glad to have them with
us in the work.
During my experience in the labor field
| it has been my fortune to travel all over
| this state and visit the homes and habita.
tions of the people who are working for q
living, ] have noticed, during the time
have been connected with the movement,
| that the conditions of the people improved
as the cause of unionism advanced Gov.
efnmentS are formed Win the IDEA OF pro
tecting those who are unable to protect
themselves, and the trades union has the
same object What more noble aim could
| be ascrbed to any movement?
| Il look forward to the time, and it will
surely come, when every man and woman
who works will be member of the unioi
| representing his or her craft. We have
many reasons to congratulate ourselves. A
few years ago it would have been impos
| SIblp for such II Gathering this tp bf
congregated for the sole purpose of dis
cussing labor matters. But now it is Ell
deared to us and we will even make sacri
fees for the preservation Of the movement
and its principles,
1.-The history of the world and of all the