The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-09-09
LABOR OMNIA VINCIT
Celebration Is Carried Out Despite
All Obstacles.

Oskaloosa experienced wonderful.
! ly successful Labor Day celebration.
The rain fell and the floods came and
beat upon the people who came to see
the parade and to have good time,
but the people and the management
ignored unpleasant conditions and
the plans for the day were fulfilled to
tho letter And the crowds came.
The rain and the clouds undeniably
interfered with the attendance, but
Oskaloosa entertained many strang-
ers nevertheless. Had the day been
clear and bright the city would have
early morning trains brought hun
dreds from Ottumwa, Abba and other
points. About two hundred came from
Des Moines and intermediate points.
The special from Hooking and Abba
on the Iowa Central brought about
five hundred, and trains from north
and east were filled with passengers
Oskaloosa bound. The farmers came
to town in the afternoon when they
found that the rain was not interior
ing with the days program, and by
early evening the business streets of
the city were crowded full of human
ity. The afternoon program, togeth-
er with the special entertainment pro-
vided in abundance, occupied the
crowds until the evening hours, when
the concluding program began with
the concerts by bands. Then came
the fireworks at the base ball park
attracting large portion of the
crowd, and the social and ball given
by the Federation of Labor in the Red
Mems hall. This was largely attend
ed and furnished entertainment for
those who desired until a late hour.
At the Opera House.
1t could hardly have been expected
that with the changing of the program
from the park to the opera house, due
to the inclemency of the weather,
that all the crowd could have been
properly informed of the fact, and
consequently the attendance was
small when the opening piece was
played by the 54th Regimental Band
of Ottumwa in the Grand opera house
at lis in the afternoon. But the
crowd quickly sweIled and before the
speakers were introduced the lower
part of the house was packed and
many seats were occupied in the gal
leries.
The prize winning band from our
neighboring city did justice to its rep
utation as the best aggregation in the
west and rendered splendid music
throughout the afternoons program.
John d. Reynolds was chairman of
the day and gracefully presided dur
ing the ceremonies, interspersing his
characteristic witticisms at favorable
opportunities. After the invocation
by Rev. McFerran of the Presbyterian
church, Hon. l.. NJ. Bacon, mayor OF
the city of Oskaloosa, extended the
welcome hand to the visitors, compll-
menting the local committee and the
trades and labor assembly upon the
energy they had exerted in preparing
the details of the celebration. He
was generous in his Offering OF hospl-
tally on behalf of the city. The re-
Spouse was offered by the chairman
of the day, John Reynolds, who eX-
pressed the desire that those whom
he represented in making his remarks
should show by their conduct during
the day their hearty appreciation and
enjoyment of the welcome so gra-
ciously rendered by the mayor and OF
the entertainment provided by the
committees in charge.
The first address of the afternoon
was delivered by Hon. Dan w. Ham,
ilton of Sigourney, ex-congressman
of the Sixth district. He spoke In
his quiet, easy manner and discussed
various phases of the labor problem
frankly and from fairminded stand
point He eulogized the iaborers, who
take the raw products of the earth
and transform them by their skill and
! genius into the manufactured articles
as the real producers of the wealth oil
the nation, and justified the labor or
CARNATIONS in their purpose OF max
ing the toiIer better fitted for his
work and of seeing to it that he is
properly compensated for his services
The unions, he said, should realize
that the laboring man owes service
to the man or corporation by whom
he is employed, and that is to give
him the best efforts of his life in the
execution of his work. In the same
degree the employer should be made
to realize that he owes his employe:
Just compensation for their services
The enforcement of these two obliga
lions, the one of the laborer to hi!
employer, and the other of the EN-
ployer to the employee, should be thu
two objects of the unions. Mr.. Ham
ilton spoke strongly of the danger o
extravaganza on the part of the head
of the government, but explained tina
1t is a result of the extravaganza o
the people OF the nation. And thi
epidemic. of extravaganza he held Z
be one OF the greatest evils which !
undermining the happiness and con
ftentment of uor land. He emphasi2
|, ed the necessity of stable homes an
held that women so far as possibl