Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-09-13
FIRST GUN OF THE CAM pAIG
Imposing Demonstration at Cooper Union
Under the Auspices of the G. l.. ".
and :. l.. l..

The mass-meeting that was held last
Saturday evening at Cooper Union under
the joint auspices of the Central Labor
Federation and the Socialist Labor party
was grand success. The heat was
nearly intolerable, yet the great hall
was full, and the vast audience remained
compact and attentive to the end.
August Delabar, secretary of the Bakers
International Union, presided, and
Ernest Bohm, Cor. Sec'y of the c. l.. F.,
acted as secretary. L. Sanial, Harry
Robinson and Daniel DeLeon spoke in
English, Alexander Jonas in German,
and A. Cahan in Jewish. A powerful
band of music had been gratuitously
supplied by Progressive Musical Union
No. /.
Space is wanting in this number to re-
port the speeches made. l.. Sanial pre-
sented facts and figures, with most of
which our readers are familiar, showing
the extent of the railway power and
the necessity of independent political
action. The impassloned utterances of
Harry Robinson, Daniel De Leon and
Alexander Jonas were warmly applaud
eG, and Cahan's speech produced among
those who could understand it wave of
enthusiasm that beggars description.
The meeting endorsed the resolution
adopted by the G. l.. h., demanding the
prosecution, as murderers, of the rail
road officials whose criminal avarlce in
failing to provide appliances for the
safety of life and limb causes the death
of thousands of people every year. The
following resolution, concerning the
Plnkertons, was also adopted:
WHEREAS, A private and irresponsible
body of armed men, known as the Pin
kerton Preventive Patrol, has for several
years assumed TO exercise throughout
the United States functions which essen
TALLY belong to the police of cities, the
militia of states, and the regular army;
and
WHEREAS, The practice of swearing
in, as special officers, for the so called
preservation Of peace and property, men
of unknown residence and bad charac-
ter, in the pay and under the command
OF private individuals and corporations,
is glaring violation of American liberty
and fundamental law; and
WHEREAS, The so-called Pinkertons
are going from state to state, commit
ting murders for which none of them
are ever brought to trial; Therefore
be it
ReSOlued, That we, citizens of New
m m t.I nk,,
form ourselves into Mutual Defence |
Association, for the purpose of stamping
out the blood stained gang of murder |
Gus tramps who have dared to establish |
their headquarters in the metropolis of |
American civilization.
ReSOtced, That this Defence Associa- |
ton shall be conducted by a committee
of Organized Labor, composed of dele
gates of the trades unions represented in
the Central Labor Federation and auv
other bona tide labor organization that
may tender its aid and cooperation.
ReSOlred, That this committee shall
Immediately proceed to raise Defence
Fund for the purpose of prosecuting
with the utmost vigor all Pinkerton de-
tectives and police officers who may be
guilty of outrages upon the persons and
rights of the people.
ReSolred, That we demand the enact
ment of law forbidding the employ
ment. as special officers, Of men who
are not citizens of this state and have
not resided three years at least in the
county where they are to be SO en-
ployed; all such special officers to be in
the exclusive service and pay of the pro-
per authorities, and subject to fine and
imprisonment for receiving any salary
or reward from individuals or corpora
tions.