Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-09-16
BUTLER BRAYS.
He Addresses a Monster
Meeting in New York.
HE ls SOLID FOR BUTLER.
The Erie Canal Company Has
Evidently Employed Hiim to
Represent Its Interests
His Lamest Effort.
Especial 20 The Herald BY A ssociated Pressl

New YORK, Sept. l5.--Between 15,-
600 and 10000 people assembled at
Union Square tonight to hear Gen. B.
f. Butler speak. 1t required the services
of half dozen policemen to make
passage way for the General to reach
the stand. He was loudly cheered. The
crowd was composed largely Of laboring
men. DIR. Ferdinand Seeger called the
meeting to order and introduced Louis
f. Post as Chairman of the meeting.
Post, in brief address, introduced that
great American Governor, Gen. b. +.
Butler. The cheers that greeted the Cen
eral as he came to the front continued
for several minutes. When quiet was
regained Butler said in part: "Friends
and fellow citizens, thanking you for your
kind greetings, assume yourdeep inter-
est in the affairs, Of the country and politi-
col measures, which should be taken to re-
lieve them has brought so vast an audi
ence together. This is indeed, q ratifica-
tion by the great city OF New York Of
the inauguration Of the Peoples party.
Unlike the labored, tedious aud in
volved platforms Of the otherp political par
ties that Of the Peoples party is shert, in.
cisive and comprehensive of every prin-
pie for the conduct of the government
Of the republic and can be easily car
risd in the memory of each person. 1t is
this: Equality Of rights, equality Of
burdens, equality of powers, and equali-
ty of privileges to all men under the
law" None can deny that these were
the fundamental doctrines of the fathers
of the republic, adopted by JEFF
ferson, elaborated by Madison,
and executed by jackson. They were
the doctrines of the people. uncontrolled
by corruptionists and monopolists.
would not argue to you that in these lat
ter days unequal rights, powers, burdens
and privileges have been imposed by
Corporations upon which public func-
tions are imposed and to whom public
franchises are granted should be the SER
wants of the people only. But how
contrary is the practice. Railroads,
elevated and surface, as soon as incor-
porated by ingenious and most often
fraudulent contrivances, erect themselves
in terrific and outrageous monopolies. by
means of which the people are robbed Of
their earnings, their business hindered
and crushed, and many impoverished for
the sole benefit of few. The people
have endeavored 10 protect themselves
by granting charters to competing rail-
roads which promised TO procure them
lower prices OF fare and freight,
but 1t is an automatic fact
that railroad competition always ends
in railroad combination, and that it is
most frequently directed to the destruc.
tion OF other modes of transportation
which they cannot control. The ca
pacity of the Erie canal should have
been enla.g ged years ago. l hope there
is not man who hears me that does not
know it would have been done, had it
not been for the persistent united oppo-
sition Of the railroads. Let 1t not be
said that this is State question. It rises
to much broader aud higher proportions.
1t is a national one. The burden OF
goods brought upon the Erie canal to
The city of New York exceeds the ocean
traffic from the city of New York, and
here is done more than two-thirds of the
commercial business Of the country.
This now is the great national free water
way, and ii any internal improvements
of rivers and harbors and waterways by
the general government can be JUS
titled why is not the enlarge
ment OF the canal by appropriations
Of Congress more worthy object than
all, excepting, perhaps, the improve
ment of the great Father of Waters, the
Mississippi. With an alternative Of
Democratic and Republican Congress.
men from the State OF New York which
has power enough to control the nomi-
nations and elections of Presidents of
the United States, why has not some
Representative Of New York moved this
in Congress! The answer goes back
again, the railroads would be opposed
to 1t. They do not oppose the
improvement OF the Mississippi river
which is therefore made. Cheap trans
portation means cheap food for men Of
the east, and cheap food means higher
wages and more comfort. Cheap trans-
portation means an opening for the
manufacturers, workmen and arts. ~
east to supply. The men and women Of
the west who, il they can obtain a fair
price for their provisions, can buy those
productions. Oaght there not be law
passed by Congress, under their great
constitutional power, to regulate inter.
State commerce. by which food from
the West aud the comforts of the East
should be interchanged at the cheapest
possible rate. and that all special privi-
ieges and special burdens, for the benefit
Of the few, should be taken from the lives
and comforts Of the many.
General Butler's speech evoked great
applause and the crowd wanted him to
continue, As he retired the Chairman
introduced ex-senator Thomas y. Grady,
the Little Napoleon Of the Sixth Dis
trict, the silver-tongued orator of Tam
many Hall, who had come to go in for
Butler. When Mr.. Butler retired the
meeting gradually dispersed.