Workmen's advocate., December 05, 1886, Image 1

About Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891

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WM. UEBKNECIIT.
THE VETERAN SOCIALIST'S
FAREWELL TO AMERICA.
I'lider the Flag of All Nations-The
The Catholicity of Socialism.
"Let Your Cry He 'For
ward 1' and Victory
is Assured.
Just after the forms of last issue
of thir paper were closed on Thurs
day evening, the 24th inst., Comrade
William Liebknecht was bidding
good-byo to the Socialists of Ameri
ca through, their representatives in
Now .York. The great hall of Coo
per Union was crowded with men and
women who came to see and hear
our distinguished guest for the last
time before his departure for Europe.
The platform was draped with the
red flag of all nations. Secretary
Rosenberg called the meeting to or
der. The Socialist Singing Society
sang Heine's "Weavers" with good
effect, and the orchestra of the Pro
gressive MusicaUnion rendered sev
eral selections. Comrade Walther
of the New York Executive Board
welcomed Mr. Liebknecht back to
New York in a short speech. He
said, in substance:
"We have arranged this festivity in
order to make as pleasant as possible the
last days which our good friend Lieb
knecht will pass on American soil. Our
welcome showed Herr Liebknecht, Dr.
Aveling and his wife fiat the Social
Democratic agitation lived and flourished
here as well as in Euroim. He will now
tell you of the impressions obtained du
i ring his tour through the country."
Round after round of applause
grsoted our visiting comrade as he
stepped forward. He said:
"Do not expect a set speech from me
to-night, my friends, but I shall speak to
you from my heart the things which
dwell therein." He then proceeded to
give his impressions of the situation in
this country, lie said he had been struck
by the catholicity of Socialism. In every
town he visited he addressed a large, in
telligent audience of Socialists. This
spoke not only for the universality of the
socialistic lelief, but also for the numeri
cal strength of their party. Referring to
the newspaper men whom he had met
during his stay in America, Herr Lieb
knecht said that "at first they misrepre
sented the movement; they confounded
us with anarchists, dynamiters, and
goodness knows what. Towards the end
of my visit I have noticed a marked im
provement. They have treated my com
rades and myself with courtesy, and ap
pear to be desirous of finding out what
our movement really means."
In conclusion, he said: "They may say
that we are only a few handfuls of Ger
mans who nit-el together and call our
selves Socialists. In answer I point to
the battalion of workingmen, (58,000
strong, who worked and voted for Henry
George. There will le live, six, ten men
spring up for every one of these at the
next election. Courage! It was the
opening wedge. Your adversaries only
polled about 150,000 for their bourgeois
candidates, and these votes were drawn
from the dregs of the community. Let
your cry be, Forward! and victory is as
sured." Chairman Rosenberg then intro
duced the following resolution,
which was adopted amid great ap
plause :
We, members of the Socialistic Lalor
Party and workingmen of New York, in
Cooper Union assembled, extend here
with our heartfelt thanks to the Social
Democracy of Germany for having on
our invitation delegated to us their best,
truest representative, Camrade William
Liebknecht, not for any purpose of ex
tending financial help to the Party, but
for strengthening the Socialistic agitation
in this country, as well as the bonds of
. international brotherhood between the
yworking people of the old and new
"Vforlus.
"Together with this expression of
thanks, we extend a hearty greeting to
our comrade about to depart, and give
him the assurance that the Socialists of
the United States appreciate fully the
work of propaganda done by our brother.
William Liebknecht, and that they will
never forget to aid their brothers on the
other side of the ocean whenever they
All n?ed our help in their struggle for
" the emancipation of the toiling masses.
The audience then dispersed, sing
ing the inspiring "Marseillaise."
After leaving the hall Herr Lieb
knecht and his daughter went to
Brooklyn, where they attended a
farewell concert and ball given in
his honor in the Brooklyn Labor Ly
ceum. On Saturday morning Comrade
Liebknecht sailed for Europe to re
turn, perhaps, with August Bebel,
for a second tour through the United
States.
THE PROPAGANDA TOUR.
The A veil nth at Kansas Cily, St.
Louis and Indianapolis.
From Davenport the Avclings set
out for Kansas City, and with the
result of their visit to this wild
western town both they and the
Kansas comrades have reason to bo
more than satisfied. On the Sun
day a pleasant informal little meet
ing was held at a place known as
"Joe and Charley's," (there is a de
lightful free-and-easiness about Kan
sas City) where after words of wel
come were spoken by Comrade
Trautwcin replied to by the Avelings,
and where there was some talk and
discussion afterwards. The next
(Monday) evening the public meet
ing was held at Ku nip's 1 ail and
ever since there has been much
griding and regret. No, not be
cause it was a failure, but because
our comrades had packed in the
people in such a way that they were
positively unable to move, and it
became doubtful how they could
ever be unpacked again. Still at
least 500 people had to be refused
admission. 1 fence the tears of the
Kansas comrades. From the fore
going facts it will be gathered that
tho meeting was an enormous one.
But tho best yet remains to bo told.
The appeal to form a Section of the
S. L. 1'. there and then was respond
ed to by forty men and women, of
whom thirty-five are American, and
who enrolled their names after the
meeting. ' Among those who have
joined are many who should prove
invaluable helpers to our energetic
German friends in Kansas City, and
not the least invaluable are two
quite young fellows, known generally
as "the boys." These boys are
Walter and Harry Vrooman, and
though the elder of them is only a lad
they edit a Labor paper, and will be
useful members, because they are
earnest and anxious to learn as well
as teach. Dr. Hammond and Mrs.
Hammond, and others whose
names we cannot call to mind,
also joined us. Surely, such a suc
cess is an encouragement for all Sec
tions; and we miiBt not forget that
it is due to the untiring energy of
the German Section at Kansas City,
who had worked hard to get up this
meeting, and who may well feci
proud of what they have achieved.
This "German" Section is now one
with the American Section. All the
Kansas Germans speak such excel
lent English that it was decided to
have only one strong Section com
posed of Americans and Germans.
With such workers in tho West as
we have at Chicago, Minneapolis,
St. Paul and Kansas City, the East
must look out or it will be out
stripped by tho West. "Competi
tion" to get up the best sections of
the S. L. 1'. none of us will object
to. One of the Kansas paiers, the
Times, which has been peculiarly
foul-mouthed in speaking of Social
ists, not knowing the facts, con
temptuously asked "how many con
verts he had made." To this of
course Dr. Aveling replied that "the
number of converts was 40, as far as
the enrolling of new members that
night was concerned, and doubtless
during the next week they Mould be
able to find out how many others.
Another paper, the Journal, in its
report stated that "an appeal to join
the Centra! Labor Union had not
been responded to, the audience
filing out quietly." To this jour
nal Mr. Aveling wrote, pointing out
that the only truth in the paragraph
was the fact that the audience went
out "quietly." No appeal had been
made for the Central Iabor Union,
"but all sympathizing with Social
ism had been asked to join the S. I.
P., and forty responded there and
then."
Frorc Kansas City the Avelings
made for St. Louis, thus beginning
the "return journey." Here, too,
a good meeting of some 1500 (this
is the estimate of a capitalist jour
nal) was held on the "i'lth, and this
although an entrance fee was
charged. There, too, a good Amer
ican section is being formed. On
the Wednesday ('Mth) a reception
was given the guests and largely at
tended. Here only a few informal
addresses were made, by George
Winter, Dr. Aveling, Mrs. Aveling
(who spoke German) and Max Stohr.
Our St. Louis friends are very hope
ful of the results that are almost
certain to follow from the meetings
of Liebknecht and the Avelings.
On the i.'Tth a meeting was held
at Indianapolis, but was not very
largely attended. It is true the hall
was an enormous one, and so spoilt
have we become by past success that
when a hall is not crowded there is
a sense of failure. Moreover here
too a goodly number of people have
come forward and will start an English-speaking
section. On the 19th
Mrs. Aveling spoke at Davenport,
and Dr. Aveling spoke at Moline on
the same night.
At all meetings friends are urged
to support a Labor press, and espec
ially the WOKKMAN 8 ADVOCATK.
LABOR'S CANDIDATE.
PETE It LYNCH.
It is natural that a quiet, unosten
tatious workman should not be gen
erally known in a large city like New
Haven; therefore wo publish the
above picture which, though rather
crude, still represents very fairly
the honest countenance of the
workmen's choice for Mayor.
ATTENTION VOTERS I
On the last page will be found the
City and Town Tickets, together
with the Ward nominations as far
as heard from up to the tune of go
ing to press. Vote early, and see
that your tickets are right.
LABOR NOTES.
Six K. of L. Assemblies, Glass
Workers, have surrendered their
charter rather than sustain the strike
ordered by 1). A., 149 in Brooklyn,
X. V.
Two hundred glass blowers cm
ployed by Wm. Brookfield, Williams
burg, N. Y., struck. They say they
will stay out all winter to get their
demands.
Wm. II. Wallace, assistant super
intendent of the Consolidated road,
and S. B. Opdyke, superintendent
of the New Haven and Northampton
road, were arrested on a charge of
blacklisting a former employe,
Thomas Meaney. They jave bonds
for future appearance. Meaney lie
longs to no labor organization, but
organized labor will view with inter
est the outcome, of the case against
the boss boycotters.
Street Car Employes' Local Assem
bly of Knights of Iabor, of Phila
delphia, are said to be formulating
plans for the purchase and control
of one of the street railway lines.
TIIE (i RANI) RALLY.
HENRY GEORGE SPEAKS FOR
THE LABOR PARTY.
( aril's Opera House Crowded - Peter
Lynch, the Labor Candidate for
Mayor, Introduced -Meet
Mini if Von Can.
lo Your Best.
Last Monday's Labor rally at
('aril's Opera House was a grand
affair. The house was crowded
with between three or four thousand
interested people from all the walks
in life. Among the occupants of
seats upon the platform were six or
seven clergymen, and Superintend
ent of Public Schools, Henry C.
Dutton.
The chairman of the town com
mittee. Charles Stodel, called the
meeting to order and introduced
Peter Lynch, candidate for Mayor,
as chairman of the meeting, who was
received with prolonged cheers.
Thanking the audience for their
kind reception, and the Labor Party
for nominating him, he continued:
"It may appear presumptuous for me,
an humble individual taken from your
ranks of labor, who have earned my
bread for 'iii years by the sweat of my
brow, to stand In'fore you as a candidate
for office. But is more as an advocate
of the principles of the new party than
as as a candidate that I speak to you to
night. 1 am firmly and honestly of opin
ion that strikes and boycotts vamiot
right the wrongs of the laboring man.
The ballot is our best means."
The Harugari Liedertafel then
sang a glee, and were rewarded with
enthusiastic applause, after which
Henry O. Baldwin made a short and
eloquent speech, and, after another
song by the Liedertafel, tho secre
tary read the Platform of tho Labor
Party, which was printed in the
Workmen's Advocate last week,
and also the following Declaration:
We hold, with Thomas Jefferson, that
the earth belongs in usufruct to the liv
ing, and that one generation cannot grant
away the equal rights of succeeding gen
erations to its use. We hold that all
men are created equal and are endowed
by their Creator with unalienable rights
to the equal use of natural elements, atid
that the system which disinherits the
masses and compels human beings to buy
with their sweat the privilege of living
and working on this earth to bo a funda
mental wrong, which is the fruitful pa
rent of social evils, bringing about an
unnatural competition which tends to
reduce wages to starvation rates and to
make the wealth-producer the industrial
slave of the idler who grows rich by histoil.
We bold that all that is produced by
labor whether of hand or head belongs
to the producer and should be secured to
him. We hold that the value which at
taches to the the the surface of the earth
by reason of the growth of population
lielongs to society at large, and we pro
pose, therefore, to abolish all taxation
upon buildings, improvements and all
other things of human production, and
by taxation on the value of land alone to
provide for purposes of common necessi
ty and benefit. In this way we propose
to make it unprofitable for monopolizers
to hold lands, mines, forests or city lots
which they ure not putting to use, and
thus throw open to citizens who wish to
make themselves homes, or employ their
lalior in producing wealth, the abundant
opportunities which our common Father
has provided for all his children.
We hold, moreover, that the advan
tage accruing to society by reason of the
growth of knowledge and the perfection
of invention U-long, afterthe due reward
of individual exertion, to society at large;
and we declare war on that system which
hands over public works to corporate
control, and permits such lienelicent
agencies as the railroad and the telegraph
to le made the means of robbing the
producer and of enabling railroad king
and stock gamblers to throttle business
an 1 -diet-ate laws. - ,
We hold, in short, in the language of
the Organized Workingmen of New ork,
that "the true purpose of government is
the maintenance of that sacred right of
property u hicli gives to every one op
portunity to employ his lalor and secu
rity that he shall enjoy its fruits; to pre
vent the strong from oppressing the weak
and the unscrupulous from robbing the
honest, and to do, for the equal benefit
of all, such things as can 1 lietter done
by organized society than by individuals;
anil we aim at the abolition of all laws
which give to any ciass of citizens ad
vantages either judicial, financial, indus
trial or political, that are not equally
sliared by all others.
Since the "republican" party has out
lived the davs of its usefulness and the
"democratic" party has become but a cor
rupt machine I iy the use of which, as shown
in the late election, aristocrats anil spoils,
men endeavor to defeat the will of the
people even the "democratic" President
of the United States and the "democrat -ic"
(iovernor of New York prostituting
their power in aid of the vilest mercena
ries as against an honest effort to purify
municipal politics, we hereby declare
that the time has come for an organiza
tion which shall be in the true sense re
publican and in the true sense democrat
ic of a real party of the people, a pro
gressive democracy, which shall revive
aiul carry out the principles of Thomas
Jetferson.
We call upon the ward organizations
of this city formed to support tho Labor
Ticket in the late election to continue
their their work, to throw open their
doors to new members and to devote
themselves to the work of education and
organization preparatory to future con
tests. We eall upon the Trades Council,
to which is due the credit of taking the
initiative in this great movement in this
city, to call the attention of the organ
ized trades to the importance of taking
an active part in the political labor
movement.
Platform and Declaration were
unanimously adopted by vote of the
meeting.
Then the Chairman introduced
Henry George. As he rose to his
feet he was greeted with several
rounds of applause. Our space for
bids as complete a report as we
should like to give, but there was
hardly a reader of the Workmen's
Advocate in New Haven who was
not present to listen. Among other
things he said :
"In taking political act ion you are tak
ing the only steps by which the right of
labor can be asserted, by which politic
can be purified and the reign of corrup
tion brought to an end. Whether you
can elect your candidate, 1 do not know
and I do not care. 1 believe your feeling
is what ours was In New York. We did
not elect our candidate (laughter) hut we
won a victory. Success. What is suc
cess? Is it tho filling of an office of an
office? What is that to taking the first
steps that start a movement that must
at last be victorious? You can elect
your candidates if the workingmen of
New Haven choose to do so, but whether
you do it or not you can urge on a move
ment compared to which the holding of
all the offices in the United States
amounts to nothing.
In closing his eloquent and fre
quently applauded speech, Mr.
George said:
"This movement is in its beginning.
No matter who is elected here this time,
you must win in the end. I hope this
good citizen (referring to 1'eter Lynch)
will be your next mayor. I hope no
gooil democrat, no man who believes in
men's equal rights, will leave one stone
unturned to elect him. Elect him if you
can; if you cannot, come as near to do
ing so as you can.
"You never saw such a meeting, so
lilled with rejoicing and enthusiasm, as
that we 08,0(10 held in New York; not
one vote of them that was cast in the
hope of gaining ollice; not one vote that
was bought by money or promises. Take
part with the new party that is sworn to
a crusade against poverty, to the aboli
tion of industrial slavery, to do away
with classes and to make of this nation a
nation of independent freemen. That is
why 1 come here to-night to ask you to
vote for this man. Y'our action is not a
mere municipal action. What you do
here will tell for the good cause here and
and everywhere."
After Mr. George finished, thr00
rousing cheers wcio given for him
and three more for Mr. Lynch, and
the meeting adjourned.
DESPAIR.
On Thanksgiving day a girl poi
soned herself for fear of being
starved to death in New York city.
In a five-storied house in Last Hous
ton street, in a small room just un
der the roof, Jennie Ilein feared that
she would not be able to support her
mother, invalid sister and boy broth
ers. She was a lace make-, but her
hautU became swelled and clumsy
from overwork, so that the boss put
her on cheaper and coarser work.
This reduced her income to such an
extent that she jjwiired.
NEW YORK LABOR LYCEUM.
Friends visiting the metropolis
may find pleasure and instruction at
the Ijibor Lyceum, conducted by
the American Section, S. L. P., ev
ery Sunday evening, at 8 o'clock, at
29a Bowery, where interesting lec
tures and debate are the order.
LONDON LABORERS;
SOCIAL DEMOCRATS FRIGHT
ENING ARISTOCRATS.
The Laborers Only Reliable Friends.
The Lord Mayor's Show Social
ist Demonstration In Tra
falgar Square Despite
The Police.
London. Nov. 18. Since my last
letter the Social-Democratic Federa
tion has been occupying tho whole
of public attention. You will re
member that 1 then gavo an extract
from the manifesto which had been
issued by tho organization calling
upon the unemployed workers of
London to follow the pantomimic
pageantry of tho Ijord Mayor's show.
Correspondence was commenced a
day or so after between tho Federa
tion and Col. Sir James Frazor, tho
Commissioner of tho City of London
Police, in which the latter pointed
out what he considered would be
dangeous in holding the procession,
to which tho Social-Democrats re
plied that there would bo no danger
in a peaceful manifestation if the
police did their duty in keeping or
der. After the manifesto had been
issued some ten days Col. Fraser de
cided to prohibit tho unemployed pro
cession. They moreover stated that
tho unemployed would follow the
Lord Mayor's procession undor any
circumstances, as during the time be
tween tho issuing of tho manifesto
and the prohibition of their demon
stration somo 200 meetings had boon
hold in the the metropolis for the
purpose of urging the unemployed
to follow tho pageant and the pass
ing of resolutions calling upon tho
government to reduce the hours of
labor in their departments to eight
a day, to organize tho labor of tho
unemployed upon useful work at
roasonablo rates of wages, and to
give no contracts to firms who worked
their men more than eight hours a
day or who paid less than Trade
Union rates of wages. Then tho
scare began. Tho police called on
the shop-keepers ana urged them to
barricade their shops because of tho
rioting which they stated must inev
itably occur.
Arrangements wero made for the
demonstration and speakers appoint
ed . On the evening of the 8th inst.,
however, Sir Chas. Warren, tho
Chief Commissioner of the metropol
itan police issued a mandate prohib
iting tho demonstration. This
caused considerable excitement, as
Trafalgar Square had always been
regarded as a place for the holding
of public meetings.
Intense excitement prevailed on
the 9th. All the city, and that part
of tho metropolis along which tho
Lord Mayor's show would pass, waa
barricaded as if in a state of siege.
Nearly all along tho route the Lord
Mayor's procession was received with
very littlo enthusiasm, and towards
the West End and Trafalgar Sfpuare
it met with a perfect Btorm of hiss
ing and groaning.
Shortly after the procession had
passed the end of Trafalgar Square
the Social-Democrats began their op
erations. Hateman and Ward, who
were the two appointed to test the pro
hibition attempted to speak. Ward
was arrested by the police, but Bate
man managed to break through tho
cordon of police which surrounded
the balustrade and made for the
Nelson column, where he was soon
joined by other speakers. The po
lice had not expected this move on
tfce part of the Socialists, and had
left tho column unguarded. Tho
consequence was it was taken advan
tage of during the morning by a
large number of Social-Democrats
whom the police thought were ordi
nary sight-seers. The Social-Democrats,
therefore, held a meeting of
several thousand persons in spite of
an arbitrary police prohibition, and
the right of the public meeting waa
fully vindicated. II. W. Lee.
I
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