Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1890-08-30

Law and II Military Dictator Enc oil rsed
by the Archibaldists.
The presiding officer at last SUNDAYS
meeting of the c. l.. U. was carpenter
James McKim, Thomas Doyle was
Vice-Chairman.
The principal business Transaction was
cussion of the great railroad strike.
Delegates Archibald, Kelly, Lloyd,
Conkhn, Warner, Hamilton, Enrich
and Others took part in the discussion,
and then the following resolutions were
unanimously adopted:
WHEREAS, The employees on the Van
derbilt system of railroads have been
goaded into strike as a means of assert.
ing their right to organize for their com.
mon good; and
WHEREAS, The Nanderbilts have said
that they will spend $2,O000OO in this
fight to overthrow the natural and con.
stitutional rights of the toilers on the
said SYSTEM and
WHEREAS, A little history is danger.
Gus thing when properly utilized; and
WHEREAS, 1t has been said the late
Governor Seymour of the State of New
York settled strike upon the same
railroad in the year 1852 by informing
the President and Board of Directors of
the Vanderbilt railroad that they, each
and all, must meet him and his cabinet
at certain time to hear what he, as
the chief executive of the Common
wealth of the State of New York, had to
say about the said strike under penalty
of arrest, If it took all the militia of the
State to do it; and
WHEREAS, The said railroad magn ates
met the servants Of the people of the
State of New York IA they had been
ordered to do by the Governor; and
WHEREAS, The said Governor of the
State of New York then and there in
formed the said railroad magnates that
he had nothing to say whatever about
the disputes of the railroad with its
laborers, except this, namely: "a rail
road company Is a body Of public serv-
ants created by the State of New York
for the purpose of operating highway
in said State; and in case you cannot
agree with your employees within "a
hours from this time, | shall seize the
railroad and operate it for the public at
the cost of the service rendered; and in
order that you may realize the fact that
| will do so ! now place you each and
all under arrest with the understanding
that | will not enforce this order for
one day unless find that you are at
tempting to escape from the limits of
the State; and
WHEREAS, That famous strike was
settled within one hour from that time,
as the record will show, unless de-
stroyed: and
WHEREAS, 1t was not known, until
recently, that Congress had the power
to own and operate an interstate high
way of Transportation and communica-
ton, therefore be it
Resolved, That we do hereby demand
that the Congress Of the United States
shall at once authorize and instruct the
Secretary of War to seize the said Van
derbilt system of railroads and operate
the same at cost of said service for the
benefit and pleasure of the public; and
be it further
ResOiued, That the said railroad shall
be turned over to the Department of
Transportation just as soon as Senate
Bill No. 4lOG or some similar measure
can be enacted by Congress, for the
reason that 1t is a monstrOus absurdity |
that any private person or corporation |
should presume to throttle the trans |
portation of persons, thoughts, or things |
within the limits of this Republic
Resolved, That we do hereby ask all |
bodies of organized labor in the United |
States to substitute their names for ours |
in their declaration, and that said dec |
aration be nnblished in their local pa
pers as rward marked copies |
of said papers to tneir senators and re-
presentatives in Congress with letter of |
Instruction to obey their wants and /
wishes, or resign forthwith
This resolution is mischievous bum
combe of the lowest political claptrap |
order and shows the utter incapacity of
the c. l.. U. to deal seriously and intel
lgently with great questions of public |
policy. The railroads must and shall
belong to the people; they IN must and shall |
teoperated by the National Government.
But, fortunatly, in order to bring this
about, it is not necessary 10 transform
I civil governor into a military dictator,
5 or to place a great industry for one short |
moment into the hands Of Secretary of |
War. The same man who would have /
D the martial power of seiZing railroad |
0 would be more likely, under present
1 conditions, to exercise that power in CO.
ercing the strikers than in compelling |
. milonaires to do them justice. Ed.
e The following organizations reported /!
e that they will parade on labor day:
Garment Cutters, Horseshoers No. 8,