Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-04-12
proe,omnfiom on The Corernor.

Proclamation by the C0rcrnor.
WHEREAS, The recent suspension Of
work by the miners IN the anthracite
coal regions Of this State, and tho sub
scqucnt imposition by the coal trans.
pormtion companies Of prohibitory
rates, have entailed great and mani.
told evils upon miners, operators, con
sumers, manufacturers and Others;
And whcrcds, All efforts Of the Ex-
oculiye and the friends of law and
social order have failed to harmonize
conflicting interests and bring about
an amicablc adjustment of existing
difficulties;
And vhereds, The recent investiga.
ton before q committee OF tho Senate
has failed to provide any remedy for
existing evils, or to accomplish any
thing towards the desired adjustment,
or to give promise of relief to a suffer
ing people;
And uhereds, AS usual in such cases,
this unnatural, aggravated and unlaw
full conflict between labor and capital
has resulted, as | am advised, in
breaches of the peace and the des-
truction of life and property at the
city OF Scranton and other places in
mining regions of that vicinity, and
assuming the shape Of riot aud vic.
lenee on the part of the miners and
Others, further threatens the lives and
property of law abiding citizens and
tho temporary subvcrsion Of the laws,
and calls for prompt and efficient
remedies;
Now, therefore, |. John W. Geary,
Governor of the said Commonwealth,
by virtue of the power and authority
vested in me by the Constitution and
laws, do hereby proclaim and declare
FIRST. That il is unlawful for any
person, or association Of persons, by
violence, threats. or other coercive
means, to prevent any laborers or
miners from working when they please,
for whom they please, and at such
wages as they please and alike un-
lawful, by such violence or threats, 10
deter or prevent the owners or opera
tors of mines from employing whom
soever they may choose to employ,
and at such wages as may be agreed
upon between the employer and the
persons employed.
SECOND. That it is unlawful for any
railroad or other transportation com
pany, in subversion Of the objects oI
its creation, TO impose rates of freight
or transportation intended to be and
which are Substantially prohibitory
or to combine with others 10 effect the
same ends, and thus create, prolong
or aggravate existing evils.
THIRD. That it is unlawful, at al
time, and under all circumstances fol
persons to assemble in u riotous OF
tumultuous manner, and under griev
ances, either actual or pretended, tc
commit breaches Of the peace, destroy
property, or endanger or take the
lives Of others, and thus subvert anC
nulify the laws, and subject the gooc
name Of the State to humiliation and
repr6ach.
FoURTH. That reliable information
having been received that these riotoni
assemblages are too large and power
ful TO be dispersed or suppressed by
the local authorities OF Scranton, whicl
have called on me for aid, / have in
voked the military power Of the Stat,
TO suppress the riots and mobs a
Scranton, and wherever else in th,
Commonwealth such unlawful assem-
blages may be formed and under th,
conviction that the time has come fol
n complete settlement, for the present
and future, of the unlawful complica
lions and difficulties under which th,
people now suffer, | have also invoked
the civil power OF the State agains
the railroud and other transportation
companies for the misuse aud abus,
Of their corporate rights and privi
legcs, and will enforce all the rene
dies authorized by the laws Of th,
land and | call upon all military or
ganizdlions TO hold themselves il
readiness TO support the civil authori
ties whenever thereunto required, ant
upon all citi magistrates, officers anC
citizens, in their general spheres o
action or influence to sustain and en-
force the laws against all offenders il
anywise responsible for the evils ant
wrongs under which we now suffer.
Given under my land aud tho grea
seal of the State, at Harrisburg lhii
seventh day Of April, in the year o
our Lord one thousand eight bun
dred and seventy ono, and of lh,
Commonwealth the ninety ffth
JOHN W. GEARY.
Attest
f. JORDAN, Sec'y Com'th.