The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1903-10-30

far better and more gentlemanly to go
to the employer and lay your plans be-
fore him in a kind and pleasant man.
ner than it is to come in a manner
which is damaging both to him and to
yourself? Your reason teaches you
if you stop him you also stop yourself,
and if you stop, your whole family Suf-
fers. Surround me with millionaires
and I am in position to have every
want gratifed, but surround me with
poor men and am in position to go
hungry and naked.
ands, yea, tens of thousands Of million
aires to-day where there's one. The
extent of the conceded domain of the
United States in l776 was not more
than 100000 square miles; now it is
5,512,5O square miles. Its population
then was about l,500,OOO; now it is
over s0,O0O,OOO. The wealth of the
United States at that time compares
with it's increase in population on a
low percentage.
George Washington was born Febru-
airy %, 1882; Abraham Lincoln was
born February IL, 1909. About II
years intervene their births. Wash
ington battled down Great Britain
when - States numbered the United
States of America. Abraham Lincoln
battled the domestic war between the
North and the South and disenthralled
millions of slaves.
Now we have travelled $40 years
| through blood-land and water, and
have not encounted strike yet. We
have grown fromInothing to immensely
in territorial rights, we have grown
from poverty to vast riches in wealth
and in power we defy the world. In
education, science and inventions we
lead the civilized nations of the earth.
In the year 1870, the United States
had $4,000, 100000 invested in manu-
features. The value of raw material
was estimated at 81, 400, 100000 The
valve of manufactured articles was
more than 81 ZOO, OOO, 900. The amount
for labor during that year was $780,
600, 900, and the number Of operatives
as employees was 2,0OO,O0O. We see
the wage earnings to each employee to
be $3.50. Strikes had not commenced
their ravages at this date, and the men
that did the labor and the capitalists
who had the labor done, were on har.
monious terms and families we're &C.
cordingly living in plentitude and hap
piness.
The beginning of that Union labor
that comes out Of the Knights of La
Dor, had it's birth in the year 1869.
Uriah S. Stephens, native of New
Jersey and resident Of Philadelphia,
was journeyman tailor. This broad
minded man put his heart and soul
and brains into a project he conceived
in the year 1861. He called it Knights
of Labor. 1t remained study with
him until 1869. This remained dor.
mant so long, because it's publicity
was dreaded. Something fought his
conscience to such degree, that
he lacked courage and bravery to push
it along. He foresaw unreasonable de.
mands and stops in labor. He feared
that confusion and alienation might
spring up, and if so trouble would
most assuredly come. He was hatel
of labor strikes, and he determined, il
possible, to prevent them. He had
seen workingmen hampered by strikes
and employees bankrupt. He there.
fore thOupht if time to StOn that cost.
ly sort of warfare. He saw by the
Chartist movement in England that it
had accomplished an object and died
He saw that the Repeal movement in
Ireland had passed away. He saw that
the Anti-Slave Leagues of America
were the outgrowth of decades of agi.
tation, favored by fortunate circum-
stances. In the case of the Knights
of Labor, eclat was out Of the ques-
tion, ceremony impossible, (for only
seven men were presently and publicity
was dreaded. Never did any other Or.
ganiZation begin under such unfavor.
able conditions. This noble and grand
Organization is one of the wonders OF
the age, and if rightly handled, would
be blessing.
If this order was handled by Cauca-
sion Americans only, l venture to
state that strikes and boycotts would
not mingle in the arena of this great
labor field; this field covers nearly the
whole of the United States.