The Potteries Examiner : — 1876-02-19 (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England)

VIII. they found that in the cities or towns there wane hardy race of men forming themselves into guilds, and these, though they had their defects, were useful in their day. Then by the time of the Georees they luet become a commercial people, as well as an agricultural populace. They were some of the most ingenious.; mechanics, and yet the hoof if tyranny was on the neck of the working man. To be. working man was to lee under man's primeval curse, and to beg nobleman was to have plenty of acres rod nothing to do. (Laughter.) But there were misty here and thine superior to the common heel who tried to raise the attention of men to a knowledge of their rights and privileges. It was, however, a dark period in the reign of George IV. There were great struggles among the working men to claim their due rights and freedom as British citizens, and they were assisted by a glorious and noble man, William Cobbett. (Applause.) He was a great Saxon, and some called hint the last of the &lOUS, but be was not. There were Saxons stW is  then necompeuied the 'suppliant to her hOuL. -Ho went up the ricketty staincaso and saw the poor mother aeing. Ile knew what she neeled was food and not medicine, and having relieved them he saw the little girl look up into his face as if he had been an angel sent from heaven. He thu resolved not to drown himself that day, and he continued to visit the squeli.l home of the little girl time after time. That gentleman was now living in Italy, and was carrying on a glorious work, awl has never ben tempted to conun't suicide since now he had plenty to do. (Loud applause.) So woula the richest anti noblest in England be lumpy if they would go end de likewise. He had sometimes heard workmen say they were never more happy than when at werk. Though it WM necessary to have a play, day to go on a trip now and then, and the workman s holid my woul I never be very longs but when he returned to his wore he always felt happiest. That was the reason Enelisit. tuen could make the best engines, tee finest potteryvrare and most useful merchenaise, nod it would be a long Lime before England wenn be surpassed. (Applause.) TheY must allow him to say that there went, hoverer, many hindrances to work. The alehouse and the grog. shop, and such places of unlicensed license were obstacles. There were many workmen who went awl spent undue time at such places. He could wish they were less frequented, for the worktuan woo England's glory, and many after toiling all their lives suk tarough drink into a pauper's grave. He sioull now notice that down from 1832 there had been the creation of combination among workmen. But it hat token a long time to achieve it. They ha.l had to thitik, to reason, and argue, and remonstrate. They had had to face opposition, ant work hard to bring things to thsir present position, for they b aieved that it War in the workmen's union that the growl secret was to be fined for the thorough regeneratiou of ell burn-an society. (Applause.) It was tucessary for each of them whether their newters were geed tuestors or bail ones. Ile h-ad . sometimes thought that a good maatsr did a gre .t deal I of harm, for the workman would trust to bins, and he I cansidereil that they shauld n wsr lean on any man, for it was never intended for one man to make is crutch of another. (Laughter.) Of course it was better for an employer that he should be a good master, MO it was better for men too, but men was frolic to change, and if the umater was a good one to-day he might us a had one to-morrow. Whether the master is grand or boa he would shoat to the ends of the earth, front pole to rile. Workmen, join the union, for your living, your well. beiug, your all lies in union. (Aeplause ) The spiritand power of their regeneration was in onion; let them I mind their union, and their union would mind them. ; But they must never expect the associetion was going to do what it was never intended to accomplish. It would not give them hieh wages in bad times, Ind it i would give them a fair Lyra, wage for a fair toys work I —yet when masters stiffer they must expect to suffer t too. If union was good in times of depretsion, it was trawl at any time. In bad times it weal keep wages i from going too low, and when tines were good it would raise tie wages, so by et they would come down step by step, awl they woule go up step by step. (Applauae.) A great deal hail been said about agricultined labourers, and though at one tire- it was despaired of th it a ant an wouid ever be found amongst them, yet now they had their combination, sad all thy had to de was to keep plodding on. There was a time when their mast rs I showed them no feeling, though they hal to toil from four o'clock in the morratig to eight in the evening. He ; rememh nod a Mrs. Jones, who kept a term in