The Labor enquirer., 1883-03-17

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were pronounced unconstitutional. But
they had served their purpose and killed
| the agitation.
II last June and JulYlt league of
deliverance began wok to suppress
Chinese competition. TEeir ways were
lawful, sensible and business like. Their
meetings were crowded, their boycotting
was successful, public sediment began
to be aroused and monOpoIy became
alarmed
In face of the decision d the supreme
court, under vile and illegtI gag laws, the
police began a studied serbs of outrage
GUS arrests and prosecutions. Meetings
were broken up and boycoter after boy
! cOtter was arrested and jaiIed. This was
continued until the agitation was sup
pressed. The trials of the arrested men
were delayed until this wasdone. Then
they were of course acquitted. But the
monopolists Immediately saw the me
cessity" of having upon hestatute book
such laws as would enable them at any
time to suppress and kill any labor agi-
tation They went to:the Supervisor and
asked the passage of such laws, but the
board dared not do their bidding in the
face of public sentiment,
A committee of attorneys hired and
paid by the wealthy robbers of this city
then went before two party conventions
Republican and democraic-then in
session. One of these conventions was
controlled by Bill Higgins, R, H. Lloyd
and w. H. L. Barnes, three notorious
monopoly servants and the other by
Chris Buckley an equally notorious boss.
This committee submitted the names of
fifteen "freeholders" to the two -conven-
tiOns as a board to be elected by the
people for the purpose of framing new
charter" for this city. These fifteen men
were notorious either as corporation
lawyers or 'expIoiters of labor
W. W. Stow, the c. P. R. R., attorney
and political manager was the whipper-
in of both conventions.
1t was esteemed Of the utmost impor-
tance that the monopoIiStic classes
should secure such men to propose a
new charter for this city as would enable
them to firmly secure themselves forever
in the possession of their gigantic steals
from the people and also to suppress all
movements Of labor looking to justice,
Consequently it was agreed that each
convention should nominaIly select one
half of the number Of freehoIderS neceS-
8ary and that the whole list thus selected
should be placed upon both tickets.
Thus were the people robbed Of their
right of selection and the election of
tried friends of property and aristocracy
placed beyond even the possibility Of a
defeat.
The men thus nominated by the cor
porations and endorsed by their Iackeys
in convention assembled were as fol-
| lows:
John F. Swift the traitorous commits
sioner who secured the last infamous
Chinese treaty, a lawyer; W. c. Burnett
lawyer; n. B. Stone, an ex-otice
holder; w. F. McNutt, an ex-ofice
holder; Ira P. Rankin, large manufac-
turer and expIolter of labor; James B.
Stetson, an ex-superyisor and expIoiter
| of labor; E. n. TOrrey, an eX-8uperviSOr
Fisher Ames, an attorney; A. J. Bryant,
an ex-Ofice holder known to us all
Charles Kohler, politician, merchant OF
liquors John R. Jarboe, corporation
lawyer; Richard Tobin, bankers at
torney; George T. Marye Jr., chairman
of the democratic committee; and one
P. Harrington.
1t gave the board Of supervisors power
to regulate and suppress all public as
8emblages and meetings whatever, and
allowed the chief Of police to at any
time enlist and arm mot exceeding
10000 men" to ''execute' the laws thus
passed.
The whole press of San Francisco ar
rayed themselves in favor of the charter,
and by lies and suppression Of truth en-
deavored to secure it's adoption by the
people. But the Evening Post, known
and brazen corporate drab, was instruct
ed to talk against the instrument and to
assume such a tone and manner as
would convince the people that the
bosses desired the instrument beaten.