The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-05-30
SPEECH OF JOHN SINEY
at Union Hall, Johnstown, Pa, on the
9th of May, 1874

H'- 'H"fMdH uhu Jtub"- -WDFhIgHtfH
| want you to understand that am here
in my own personal form for the purpose
Of talking with you. | am aware that Ger
tain parties in this town say have no
right to set my foot here, but ! claim to be
as much Of a gentlemen as the person who
made the remark. pay as much personal
tax as he or his employers, and have as
many rights and privileges as a citizen Of
the United States as himself, notwithstand-
ing he has taken the liberty of denouncing
me in my absence as a demagogue and a
political trickster
did not come here for the purpose Of
Overhauling any of those charges. but wish
70 say that If the editor of the Johnstown
Tribune wants To promote the interests of
our cause, and will continue to give such
articles as he has published, he will be-
friend the cause Of Trades Unions, and
they will have nothing to fear. | desire
him and you to understand that | am too
well accustomed to the abuse u hireling
quill drivers to be affected by such attacks
This attack was not made for the purpose
Of promoting the good Of the working
man, but to engender discurd and strife
among them.
Since | was here before, this pape- (the
Tribune has held me indirectly responsible
for the assault that has been made on some
e. 1 - l.
derstood in saying that there is no man in
this city or State who regrets such an Oc-
currence more than do. Criminals uf this
description are enemies to the interests az
the Norkngman.
1t has been said that it was done in the
interest Of Trades Unions, and that Union
men are responsible for this. but | have
my own opinion about it. ! am too I'D.
and know too much about men, who, IN
official position, endeavor 10 bring con
tempt upon workingmen, and the greatest
men who have ever lived have made use ut
intrigue and stratagem to gain their ends
and to bring contempt on the heads of their
enemies.
don't wis h It to be said that Mr.. Nor
rel hurled the rock that was thrown al
this man head, and / have grave doubts
as to whether he knew anything of 1t or
not. Ii would be one Of the easiest things
in the world, If he were 50 disposed, III vt
some base wretch to let himself be used for
the purpose of bringing odium ON Trades
Unions. As an instance of this. what
transpIred IN the Hooking Valley, ONO.
during the recent strike there, where a
body Of men, composed Of superintendents.
agents, clerks, burglars, thieves, and every
mean rascal and sucker they could get hold
Of, formed themselves into an organization
calling themselves kuklux, and committed
Outrages with view Of bringing odium
upon the cause Of Unions. Some of our
best men managed to Get IN and found they
could, by casting five black balls, prevent
certain rotten parties from coming IN. and
used their power to such am extent. that
finally they were elected. Sometime be-
fore J got there, some of the kuklnx had
assalled house, but being seen by two II
the Union men, opened hre or them. one
of them received into his clothes forty-four
shots, eighteen Of which lodged in his body.
and the papers IN Illinois, Indiana, OHIO
and Pennsylvania said not a word about
this attempt at wholesale murder.
Among other things which came ont in
the judicial investigation, pne Of the ku-
klux confessed that one night they had
waylald and beaten Union man, and that
Comstock Of the operators had ritled
his pockets Of Sl3. | spent two DAYS at
the trial, and would gladly have remained
longer, but my numerous engagements
would not permit me. When such things
as these are done by companies elsewhere.
is 1t not reasonable to suppose that some
improper means have been used by tins
company to give this man a little knock for
the purpose Of giving the editor Of tins
paper, or some other paper a chance to VII
lily ind abuse the entire membership of
this organization. | deprecate such acts
as these, and also strikes. as I know that
the chances are often against us.
The editor of the Tribune who nennad
the statement concerning this outrage. |
suppose reaPed gooc harvest. and Il i
evident that he must be In some wav ,v,n-
nected with the associated press of the land
for If there Is one thing more than another
1t Is that the Associated Press Of America
ID opposed to the Workingman. a. none "a
those papers who are friendly to the WorL-
ingman, OF that are devoted to his inter
ests are admitted into the Associated
Press.
This editor further charges me with be-
ing indirectly responsible for the strike
now existing, but every gentleman in this
room knows this to be false, and the editor
knew that he he'd when he said %. This
strike had been in progress ten days before
L came to JOhustOwn. | came not to
widen the breach, but to do all within INV
power to close 1t, and to cause the men of
Johnstown to 20 to work il possible. I