Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-21
STRIKES AND STRIKERS.
VIEWS OF MAYOR HEWITT, o
NEW YORK, ABOUT THEM.
Trade Banquet at the Ma.
tion's Metropolis.

At Board of Trade banquet at New
York, given on the 29th of last month,
Mayor Hewitt expressed himself yigor-
ousiy and courageously upon the subject Of
strikes and strikers. Following is a sy-
uopsis of his address
Common carriers have duties to perform.
These duties are well defined. They are
the growth of large experience. They
are your defense against oppression. The
duty of the common carrier is one of the
rights of the citizen. 1t is the property OF
the public. Any attack, therefore, upon
the common carrier is an attack upon
property; it is an attack upon the very
essence Of property.
Bearing this in mind, let me ask Your
attention to the dreadful consequences that
must ensue when body of men not known
to the law, not endowed with the great
emblems of power, not Judges sitting on
the bench and not juries to construe the
rights of one against another, when body
of men sitting in secret arrogates to Itself
the power of the common carrier, and SAYS
Thus far shalt thou go and no further
That, say, is an attack upon the very
| foundations of social order. They are
worse than burglars or highwaymen, for
instead of taking the property of one citi-
zen they rob the whole community. Ii
takes away from the fireside the fuel which
is necessary for cooking the dinners Of the
workingmen. 1t takes away from the
manufacturer the power which gives bread
| TO the workingmen. 1t stops the ex.
changes. 1t paralyzes human industry. II
destroys the very foundations of social
order. [Applause.]
HITTING AT THE KNIGHTS.
And yet to-day an organization exists in
this land which has dared to assume thi.
power which has ebstructed one of the
great highways of the country, which ha.
tried to wipe out S200,000000 worth Of
property.
Who are they? You don't know theil
names. They hold no commission from
the people. They hold no commission
from Divine Providence. But, sitting il
secret conclave, they venture to launch
forth orders and make an attack meaning
ruin to this city and to every city in the
land; for if they could succeed in this one
particular case they,would end in restricting
power of common carriers in every State
and every city of the United States.
This question must be settled. Ap
plause. At the Convention of the Demo
cratic party that met last year at Saratog;
| advised it to discourage all secret organ
izations that undertook to defy or MULTI,
the laws. Applause.l But they Lacked
the courage at the time. There were mel
still high in power, and who are still mem
bers of Congress, but who are not here
and other members who were bidding fo
the labor elements, and telling them they
were deprived of their rights and that they
were justified in standing up for theil
rights, who despised that advice. The
men who did that were not statesmen
They were demagogues. Applause
| THE NEW PARTY LINES.
| And now, unless the occurrences of the
present week shall end in the utter COLLAPSE
and destruction-and | trust they will-o
this organization, powerful for mischief
and most mischievous to its own members
as it always has been and must ever be
then the next division of parties will not
be on the lines of the tariff, but on the line
Of law and order as against secret and ire.
sponsible cabals. Applause.
| know some people say 1t Is dangerous
to utter these sentiments, and that | have
been interfering with my political pros
poets. Let them go. hope that other
people are not more disturbed than l am
over that. | can leave the question where
it stands. Occupying the position l do
| deyoting every hour to the welfare of the
working classes, | say that for their sake;
this question must be fought out, and un
less we put at rest forever those principle,
which are at war with the very life and
liberties of the country, say we shall see
the country reduced 10 a condition of mis-
cry, of suffering, of force and violence such
as was not known even in the worsts pc
riods of the Middle Ages. Applause.
We shall take no steps backward. We die
not found the Constitution, but | agree
with our venerable and genial friend here
that it is the foundation of our prosperity
We are prepared to make any sacrifice.
for our rights, and we shall in the future
as in the past, render cheerful obedience tc
law; and whether in the city, State or ma
ton, we will enthrone the law as the SUI
preme goddess of cur alteration. Zap
plause