Year: 1870

Cooper Institute wac thronged every and aisle
with intelligent and representative audience ever
assembled within it's walls, while on the stage sat an
array of judges dvnes, and solid citizens such a. Ia
very rarely gathered in this metropolis The heartest
applause greeted Of the eminent and honored
lecturer who presented TO the audience by Mr NC
ID. Borden, who said


LApIRs AND GENTLEMEN In the Summer OF 1881, when,
you will remember we needed the sympathy Of the whole
world, English gentleman, writing to an American
citizen, made Of these words;


"You cannot know how deeply a that is s0nndest and
great struggle that the issues are appreciated
here and while the awfness OF the contest whcn
II be done you will do IT. and we wsh you from the
bottom OF our hearts Godspeed."


Such sentiment from such lips lie the strongest claim
that be made upon American gratitude and respect
and the highest possible compliment to Its author finds
expression the spontaneous reception which you here
give him tonight lApplause Ladies' and gentlemen,
have the honor to introduce to you Thomas Hughes esq
Of England. [Great and longcontnued applause.]


without further preamble, the lecturer advanced, and
when the tumult Of welcome had died away, began his
address In clear and measured tone. He was listened
TO with the profoundest attention. and interrupted by
frequent applause and occasional laughter HE farewell
words were uttered and received with evident emotion,
and amid the applause that succeeded three hearty
cheers were given for the "Worktngmans ChaInpon|


Mr.. Hughes spoke as follows;


TIE ADDRESS.


Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND MY FRIENDS am afraid that the


title of this address may have msled, more or less some
OF those who here this evening" and may nave hnd
cred others from coming The words, "WorK ana
Wealth to very different trains OF thought
in mems minds but most Of they suggest at once
that science which has been, most unfairly called the
dismal science and which has for ft aim to teach the
laws by which the production and consumption OF wealth
are governed. Let at relieve your MINDS then
by stating that not about 10 give you lecture on
political economy, in tho ordinary sense OF the term
Were competent TO the tack, 1t one which should
shrink from attempting before general audience whom


am addressing for the first time tonight, and to whom
may never speak again You will not have to endure
any discussion to the right principles OF taxation cur
rency exchange the balance OF trade OF the other
deeply interesting and important subjects which the
economist has to deal with hope even TO avoid the
great controversy between Protection and Free Trade
which every must s likely to occupy q large
share OF the ateatiOn OF your people before long, My
object il Of less ambitious kind. propose, and hope,
TO approach my subject from its human rather than
from its economic side; to give you history
rather than discussion OF course that history Will Do
English but in this matter the experience OF England
should of great value TO all other nations and above
all you who, among the rstcass powers Of the earth
the only blessed she s with those free nst-
tutions which leave people to settle economical and
social questions for themselves, without the intervention
bayones shall endeavor then to give you the broad
outlines OF the great labor movement In England during
the time reaching a;quarter Of century, that


have intimately acquainted with it, In one sense at
least have fear Of not obtaining your sympathy In
no other country the world the belief in the future
progress Of toward better state
OF things here this much abused and patient old earth
which all ind ourselyes-sO strong undoubting
rs in thess United States. You have satnrnian
decked out By tho imagination OF poets, to look back
upon and sigh for; and you have wish for any such
far have been able TO discover The key note OF
your highest inspiration has been hope and faith in man
and h destiny "Let the dead past bury its dead" and
hther and work in the living present. all you who
can find neither work elsewhere-that take TO
be your psalm OF life to the poor Of all naonsand they
are answering and hocking n Of all ereeds ard races,
and coOrs,


THE EARLIEST STRIKES.


Men, brother, men The .orers ever scs something nsJ


Well then, you whose golden lies right in front,
will, sure, rejoice in any evidence even from the
Old world that confirms your own faith In the future,
know OF nothing in history cheering in ITSELF
calculated to confirm faint hearts and strengthen
feeble knees than the advance in prosperity and wisdom
OF the working class In my country since can re-
member them. The great problem of time, how those
who live by the sweat Of their brow and who must
always form the majority Of every human society,
be put In their right place under conditions Of life
which Christian civilization need not be ashamed OF,
without Injustice TO the rest Of the great brotherhood,
has longer much terror for at home. How far
have succeeded in solving 1t hope to show you, far
be done In the Of hour; and shall be
indeed rejoced IT, the OF my departure from your
country in which have and learned much, and
have received such extraordinary Kindness, can tell
your people anything which may render their path along
the road somewhat less perous and stormy than
has been.


For la England the between labor and capital has
lasted with occasional us for upward OF 800 years Far
back in those dim old Plsnagenet times find the
traces of that the statute book and in the pages
the chroncers The statute of aborers and other acts
endeavored the rate OF and the conditions
under which handicrafsmen should be allowed To dis
pose OF their labor After the black death had deyas-
tsted the Southern and Eastern Counties the most srn-
gent laws were psss in the hope Of checking the rise
in wages which that fearful calamity had causedscarce
Iy more than smith carpenter in four left in
Of the farest and most populous OF English dis
tricts; but king and baron and bishop and merchant
could see why they should have 10 pay more
for skill Of the survivor The first great strike Of
which have any record, so far as know took place
among the and other artificers employed in
building Windsor Castle, under William OF Wickham.
They left their work. and scattered the neghbOrng
counties but the shers Of Berks Bucks, and Surrey
soon brought them back in obedience TO the peremptOy
mandate OF King Edward and savage punishments Din
one Instance at least IL rightly remember the last pen
atty of DEATH inflicted on the ring leaders And so
the vicious system went for centuries through Tudor
and stuart ana HanOVer1an times. NOW ana tntn, as
liberal counsels prevailed and wiser statesmen were at
the head OF affairs, find attempts at legislation In the
interests OF labor To break the dull record OF shorsghed
selfshness. But not until age had come did 1t
10 our statesmen and people tnat the only wise
thing for the country represented In its Legislature 10
do to stand asde and allow the rate OF wages ana
the conditions OF labor to be settled by those most In
terested. II not moment too soon. The great war
French Revolution had thrown nearly all the pro-
ducing trade OF Europe into the hands OF England and
the rapid accumulation OF wealth and the inventions In
machinery had gathered the work rkpeople together In
large factories secret societies had sprung up a over
the kingdom in defiance Of the law, and when the bad
years followed the peace OF 1875 and wages fell and
murder arising out OF trades disputes became fearfuly
common. At last. In, 1873, Parliament made q clean