The Labor enquirer., 1886-05-01

Il
wherever he is led.
aMany of you do not have time or op-
portunities to read laws peril aps" i
Strange that lawmakers should fipd
it necessary to become acquainted with
their own laws Strange, when. their
time and opportunities are so limited
they are net even credited with knowing
what the law is, that they should be
to be m aking that same law
+"You know that the man who puts his
hand in your pockets and steals your
purse, violates law and can and shoul
be punished" i
But the man who does n )t allow your
money to get into your pockets IN the
frs place, who steals five eighths OF all
you produce, does not violate law and
cannot be held accountable. Break
legal enactment and you are criminal,
but do what you please outside of this,
and you are all right, though your "iaw
full" transactions make countless thou
sands mourn.
81 dislike trouble of any kind and YOU
probably think as l do. One trouble
begets another, ETC."
OF course he dslikes trouble. Moth
ing is trouble, however, unless it dis
turbs the quiet of his luxurious life, or
;nterferes with the methods by which
wealth is accumulated from the products
of labor
Long hours Of toll, miserable tene-
ment houses, unhealthy homes, wretched
food, wearisome lives, care and grinding
poverty are not TROUBLES" to men like
him. Only open revolt against these
these things, is recognized as trouble"
He spoke wiser than he knew when
lie said, Trouble begets trouble" as he
may find before he is much older.
We thank Governor Oglesby for tell
ing the people that the claw will come
fully armed and equipped" Perhapsit it
will teach them that this same law is
none of their creation-that it is their
enemy when it comes to deal with their
most vital n "cessities, and that they,
the people, must prepare to meet it !
This law recognizes no human neces
sity-no natural rlght-nothing but the
companv's ownership in H. tracks, cars
and engines, which labor has produced.
1t leaves the laborer free to starve or
not, but gives him no protection what
ever in anv other right.
81 would like to see the laboring man
get SIS or $40 per dav. He cts low pay,
but the law does not bring that about" ."
And We were told moment ago that
these same laboring men made the laws
Is it possible that making laws" after
all cannot effect the most important
consideration of their lives?
What in the name of common sense
does a man want with power that can
not help him where he most needs help
Poverty, W etched surroundings, IN
requited drndgery-all the wearsome
catalogue of evils which g. to make up
his whole life. none of these can be
changed or effected by law after all
Governor Ogle5bv saws So and he is
willing to let YOU amuse yourselves by
voting for men like him as long as you
please while this Is so.
The whole speech was that of a peda-
gogue lecturing his unruly pupils. 1t
had that paternal, half conciliatorY,
half threatening tone, which members
Of the better classes" nearly always use
toward workingmen when they are con-
fronted with that element which shows
the strength and fierceness of the half
reused lion of labor.
While the governor was speaking an
attempt was made as previou 'lv
plauned-to run an engine; but some Of
the strikers Immediately boarded it, and
a few words to the engineer was suffi-
cient to take it back TO the round house,
amid tremendous cheering. No doubt
his excellencv was very much surprised
at this exhibition of unruliness on the
part Of the switchmen.
A few moments after the close of the
speech several of the strikers entered
the car for The purpose of getting
nearer view of real live governor, and
rs each man entered the car and stood
before "the presence" he dOffed his hat
out of re pect to the governor-not the
man-which caused one burly fellow to
yell, Keep on your hats, bows, he aint
no king" We may be sure that the
organ of reverence in that man was
wanting, though will probably be
brought out by policeman's club unless
he cultivates discretion,
The governor and his party did not
tarrv long in the yards. The luxurious
parlors and the choice delcacies of the
Grand Pacific hotel were more to their
tastes. and they returned to the citv.
Since the visit of the governor the
movements of Sheriff Hanchett aud tie
railway company have been shrouded In
mystery. The former has, however,
been in close consultation with several
officers of the state militia and it is
thought the military will be called out,
as the sheriff seems unable to cope with
the difficulty.
Workingmen of America, do you need
many more suchssscenes to show you |