Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-10-07


comfort--merely subsisting wages We
their request and in this appeal so stron
was the element OF justice with then
that they believed that all could be al
complished through the medium of arb
tration. They were first to defend an
protect life and prosperity. Three hur
dred OF their own trusted companion
were sworn in for this very purpose, anG
as the outcome of the trouble demon
strated, they were sincere. O.
July oath the men held a meeting an
agreed by unanimous resolution to abso
lutely abstain from the use of intoxicai
ing drink during the trouble. On tn
same day Mayor Gavin swore in over 80
railroad men as special policemen, an,
at a citizens meeting held at the Cour
House used this language: 'The rail
road men themselves have no desire t.
rob or destroy property, and some hun
dreds have been sworn in to protect thu
property of the railroad companies.
With just cause, they pursued it sober
ly, sensibly. On July 9th the Cit,
Council indorsed the course OF Mayo
Gavin, and declared that there had beer
no riot. The statements of numerous
men engaged in the difficulty also beal
out the law-abiding disposition of the
strikers.
WHAT THE STRIKERS WANTED.
In response to proclamation ISSUED
by Governor Williams, they promptly
addressed to him the following commu
nication:
To the Governor of Indiana, Hon. Jas
ID. Williams, and the officers and Citi
sens Of Indianapolis:
GENTLEMEN-Your proclamation issued
this day has been read by the employees
OF the railroads centering in this city land
we wish to make known that oIlr purpose
is to preserve the peace and use such
caution as is necessary to follow the die.
tates and commands of your proclama-
tion. We desire peace and prosperity,
and ask in the name OF our State and our
citizens that the proposition for adjust
ment of our wages presented to the COM
mittee of citizens be Immediately acted
upon by the officers of the railways and
Citizens Committee, we feeling confident
that the same can be accomplished to
the satisfaction of employers and en-
ployees. We do not ask for riches, but a
sufficient sum to support our families,
and as we desire to be law-abiding citi-
zens, we appeal to you to further the
plan of settlement through the Commit
tee to whom we have left our grievances
for consideration.
[Signedl
AGGRIEvED RAILROAD COMMITTEE.
Were those the words of law breakers
and rioters? Yet the NeWs of July 25th
70 n hlo bop;,,c, ~
men as follows
''The meeting at the State House
called by the unquenchable blatherskites
gathered together less than forty COM
munistic tirebrands last night"
This very paper now advises you to
vote for Benjamin Harrison. Under
these conditions Governor Williams,
Mayor Gavin and Col. Maynard, az editor
of the Indianapolis Sentinel, opposed the
'Pinkerton policy" of settlement, and
demanded that it be done as the men
counsel and concession.
The Governor refused to the end to
call out the State militia for the purpose
of interfering between railroads and their
but upon the recon menda-
ton and urgent request of the Citizens
Committee did issue commissions to GER
tain individuals, among whom was Gen
eral Harrison. AS disclosed by the Sen
tinel editorials of that period, no more
gallant fight was ever made than Colonel
Maynard carried on for those men.
Mayor Gavin was also vigilant, earnest
and sincere, and 80 it would seem that
these three men, Maynard, Gavin and
Williams, more than all others beside,
averted calamity and desolation. "Mut-
ual forbearance and concession can
settle the trouble far better than the
Gatling guns" said Maynard, the day
the strike began. These friends OF justice
were severely censured, but they were
right, and the right prevailed. The
NeaUs of July 26 says:
"Gen. Sandy Foster, in the Council
Chamber last night, denounced Mayor
Cavin's speech to the strikers and his
conduct towards them as pusillanimous.
Several others indorsed the remark,
which will be generally approved"
Gen. Foster was formerly United States
Marshal of Indiana and asks your votes
for Gen. Harrison. The NeWS does the
same. July 9th the NeaDs say:
"This city has been given up to the
mob without an attempt to enforce the
law, X but from the first intima-
ton of lawlessness our city and State ex-
eculives sat right down and declared
they would not act"
Again the same paper on July 31st
says:
Governor Williams seems determined
to add infamy to imbecility."
Again on the same day:
HThe cry is already going up from all
parts of the country: we must have a
standing army"
The NeaDs OF Augusta says:
"We take no pleasure in calling the
attention of the city again to the pusil
luminous conduct OF its Mayor.
He has been false to his trust. He
sacrificed the interest of 10000 people to
his own personal fears or incompe
tency."
The Journal Of July 25 says:
'The city is practically under the con
troll of mob"
Again:
1.-The leaders of this lawless movement
must be arrested and punished"
So we see that the two organs which
are supporting Mr.. Harrison now sup
ported him then. They denounced tht
advocates Of peaceable methods; the,
belittled those who would de
mand justice for oppressed working
men; they stigmatized these begrimet
but honest laborers, in righteous strug
gle for living wages, as "law-breakers,
"Mobites" and "Rioters." So did Gen
eral Harrison. The truth was to th'
ooptrorv Tho avidapca provaa If a m a