St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-16
The Burden Of Their Song Is
Men "Stiek for Your
Rights"
President Lowry Flatly Re-
fuses to Submit the Differ
enees to Arbitration.
The Company Is Playing a
Waiting Game. and All.
Is Quiet.

About 1000 people gathered in Mar
bet square yesterday evening to listen
to addresses on the strike question. 1t
was motley throng, and the whole of
the proceedings were characterized by
the best of good humor. Members of
both houses of the legislature, promi-
nent business men, strikers and laborerS
were all there, while filling up the in
terstices of the crowd was the ubiqui-
tous small boy. whose treble screech
rose above the bass tones of the mems
voices when there was any applause.
In the middle of the square rough
platform was erected, and tlaring
naphtha lamp shed lugubriOus and in
termitteut glare oner the dense thrOng.
The speeches were all good, and, as
might have been expected, all in favor
of the strikers. They were brief ana to
the point. and evoked unbounded en-
thuSiam. None of them were of the
tire-eating order, but all advised the
men to stand firm for their inalienable
rights as American citizens.
; Secretary Cronin called the meeting
to order, explained the cause of the
gathering and introduced Hon. II. F.
Stevens, who said that this was not
simply matter between the strikers
and their employers. but one of public
interest. Many of the men, he said, he
had known for years, and on the other
hand was corporation which had ac-
quired rights such as did not exist else
where on the American continent.
Some twenty years ago rights and fran
chiSeS were granted which give the
hn iK-il nf
on almost every street of the city. The
city fathers failed in granting that fran
chise to anticipate the future. 1t is the
duty of the city officials to guard the
rights of the citizens. Some remedy
must be found for the evils which exist.
No stain on the eScutcheon can be laid
to the workingmen. He protested
against any act of violence, which pro-
test he knew to be unnecessary. The
men had been subjected to hardships
such as no other class of men had to go
through. At all hours of the day and
night they had worked, and now that
the company'S revenues will not pay
sufficient interest on its stock. it has
taken the bread and butter from the
mouths of its employees.
HE EULOGIZED THOMAS LOWRY,
but said this act OF his came from his
head and not his heart. When cor
poration owns such franchises it owes a
duty to the people out of all comparison
with paying interest on its stock.
When it has such rights, it should not
behave as the street railway company
has done to its employees. Tomorrow
night the city's representatives meet,
and it was their duty to thoroughly pre-
sent the situation to this body in all its
aspects. There were thousands of
hearts palpitating in sympathy with
the strikers, which would render any
assistance possible.
Hon. John Ives said it was pleasure
to be able 10 offer any light and hope to
them. He was at Il loss to know why
he had been called upon: if because he
was friend of labor the selection was
good. He was heartily in sympathy
with labor. [Cheers.] No matter how
horny his hand, if a man was honest,
he loved to grasp it. This was the old.
old story, the difference between capi-
tai and labor-labor on the one hand
seeking rights which capital on the
other was loath to concede. If the
time should ever come when the rela-
lation of capital and labor is prop
erly understood, the discoverer
of the solution will be en-
titled to an everlasting monument
The same thing applies to every rail
road in the country. and the mistake lies
in legislation permitting the roads to
draw income on what does not exist. All
roads, including the st. Paul City Rail-
way company, draw interest on stock
which only exists in their Imagination.
When, by the assistance of labor. these
companies have been enabled to pocket
returns on their stock, they have not
divided with the laborers. Now that
the roads are not paying, they seek, by
reducing wages, to provide money
which should come from their own
pockets. He could offer no remedy. IA
voice, ''Single taxi No man has the
right to ask other to work for starvation
wages. but he has the right to discharge,
and they to quit. He did not know
what the outcome would be. They may
have well considered what they had
done, and though it had caused consid-
cradle inconvenience, he felt sure that
public sympathy was with them. and
will be SO long as that sympathy could
help them at all. Loud cheers.
James A. Johnson said he would en-
deavor to present the question from a
workingman'S standpoint. Mr.. Lowry
claimed that, after having paid interest
and only gained small profit, he was
justified in taking the bread from their
mouths and the clothes from theil
children's backs. They did not care
whether Mr.. Lowry was making much
money, but rather than take away the
wages of the men he should raise the
rates on the cars. and as workingmen
they would willingly pay the advance
when they wanted to ride. The work
of the car drivers was very laborious
1t was no picnic working from early il
the morning till late at night with IT.
regular hours, which wear man out
With all the hardship and long hours
ID cents an hour is not enough. anC
the public do not think so. In the barns
the men work twelve hours day and
seven days a week, and they are only
offered 50 week. The man who work:
thus is not man. he becomes mere
SLAVE AND A MACHINE.
1t was not wise to work people a
such slaviSh work for such long hours
Now that Mr.. LowryA who is vel
known to be the most eXtravagant maj
in Minnesota, cheers] may go on in his
extravaganza, he wishes to reduce
wages. No such man has a right tC
reduce his employees wages when his
wife goes to a reception wearing S25, ,O0t
worth of diamonds. Cheers.]Q Thi:
was inconsistent with republican insti
tutionS. The people did not want wage:
reduced any more, 1t was easy to SET
that any man who strikes was regarded
rs rough, an incendIary, and so on
The counsel of the papers and outside
speakers against disturbance was un
necessary, as there was no danger
Ixr-r 10 N AlI I.e&r