San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-10-27
ADDRESS
To the Workingmen of Bexar
County,

state, and Of other states also, despair
ing of securing through the regular party
channels that redress OF grievances I'M
der which they have so long suffered,
have determined to cut loose from their
servitude to the old political parties and
name their own candidates for office in
which, as wOrkingmen, they are more
Immediately and particularly interested.
The time for taking this step in BeXar
county Is most OppOrtune. There never
has been in the political history OF the
county more favorable opportunity
for asserting our rights. The two great
political parties are torn by internal dis
sentiOns. The democracy OF the county
and of the state are alike di-
vided. The republican party of the state
is in the field with ticket, up
on a platform so very generally In
harmony with our views, as working
men. that we have concluded to give it
oar hearty support. The republican
candidate for governor, Hon. A. NJ.
Cochran, in his recent speech In this
City, took substantially the ground for
which we have been cOntending for
years. This gives us every reason to
hope that in the present mixed cOndl-
tion of county politics our ticket will
receive a very general support from the
republican voters of the county, who are
themselves without any ticket in the
field.
The Ubiquitous class legislation OF
the democratic party OF this state calls
for the sternest denunciatiOn on our
part. Grown powerful through over
whelmIng majOrities, the democracy Of
the state, while claiming to be the
wOrkingman's friend, have turned their
backs upon his claims and denied him
his rights. There is to-day upon the
statute books Of this great state one
law for the poor man and another law
for the rich man. The burdens Of city
and county and state fall more heavily
upon the poor, in proportion
to their means, than upon the
rich. Even in the punishments
meted out TO offenders the poor are dis
eliminated against, and that which is
only misdemeanor In the rich Is felony
in the poor. The whole state Is stirred
to its center, and the cry Of the outraged
poor is heard from one end of 1t to the
other, demanding reform.
The hour is ripe for revolution. Not
the revolution of FORCE, but the revolu-
ton of the BALLOT BOX. We call upon all
wOrkingmen in Bexar county, without
regard to race or condition, without re-
gard to former political affiliations, to
come to our rescue and their own. With
no thought but that of rescuing our
state legislature from being the mere in
strument of the rich for the oppression
of the poor, we call upon you, working
men, to vote only for the candidates of
the labor party. Put only wOrkingmen's
candidates into the legislature this win
ter. With them your interests are safe,
and those interests are safe with the
candidates ofnO other party. The battle
is being fought In every section of the
state as well as in BeXar county. Do
not imagine, wOrkingmen of San AntO-
Mo and BeXar county, that you are alone
in this fight. The issues have been made
and the battle RACES from the Rio
Grande to the north line of the
state. In every county and in
every precinct of every county, on next
Tuesday, your fellow wOrkmen wi be
working and voting as We here in San
Antonio will be working and voting:
working to elect legislature that will
enact equal laws for ALL and give EEK
elusive privileges to nOne;" working to
elect assessors that will lay the burdens
of government as heavily upon the dol
lars of the rich as upon the dollars of the
poor, dollar for dollar; working to put
good men in office who will devise wisely
for the good OF all; who will feel the
wrongs which the industrial classes suf-
fer. and be ready to redress them.
This Industrial league is not for this
campaign only. 1t is for all time. 1t is
a permanent departure that we have
taken. We mean to stick.
The power is in your own hands. or
this there is no doubt. The workingmen
of this county Outnumber all other
classes. Our power at the ballet-box is
greater than the power of all our enc
mics combined. Take the wOrkingmen's
vote away from the pOll-sheets OF this
county and you take away much the
larger half. III we only eXerted our
power. working men, the enemies of
labor could not stand against us a single
day. 1t is not disunion, DISCRIMINATION,
anarchy that we want. We want, and
must have, equal rights for all men;
equal protection before the law; equal
punishment for crimes; equal taxes too.
We have as great a stake in good gov
eminent as the rich. and greater.
Their wealth is their defence; our de-
fence is the righteousness of equal laws,
impartially administered. To get these
laws We must elect our own candidates
TO the state Legislature. To do this we
must poll united workingman's vote
for these candidates.
The ticket you have put in the field is
the strongest ticket now before the peo-
pie of this county. Not man on 1t
whose record can be impesched. No
power on earth can prevent that ticket
from being elected next Tuesday but
divisions among ourselves. If we keep
our ranks closed up and unite as one man
nnllG 10 vi ia
ours. Evil men with all the corrupting
power of money are striving to SOW dis
sensions among us, hoping TO divide our
strength. WOrkingmen of San Antonio
We call on you to spot these wolves In
sheep clothing. Drive them from your
presence when they utter their base
ISLANDERS against our candidates. Give
DO heed to their lying defamation. Re-
member that only in union is strength.
If these men did not fear our strength
there would be no attempt to divide IL.
Our work was undertaken In the full
belief that the workingmen, irrespec.
tive of party or personal friendship,
would stand by us to the death. In the
name of our common humanity! in the
name OF Labor itself! in the name OF
Liberty and Justice let not our enemies
triumph through our folly. The hour is
ripe. The day OF our deliverance from
the yoke of unequal laws draws nigh.
Come up to our help; to cur help against
the mighty. Stand shoulder to shoulder.
Draw your ranks close together. Let
no sign of weakness be seen. Remem-
Der that victory is ours il we unite, and
that this battle is for the life of free la
Dor. Work! Work! Work! Be united
Pay no heed to the enemy. Counsel
your friends, your acquaintance, your