Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-06-04
THE HALL WAS.FILLED
Redmond's Opera HOUSE Far Too
small For the oacwd-
WIDESPREAD INTEREST OF PEOPLE
In the sabjses OF Last Sight's n ssttnG-
foiitses and w,sassl Easssiy Asxsa
--sPeeehss Made and 9ssoiu-
tiSss Aaoe1sd

tiSss Adopted.
AZ imne asa throng OF people packed
hednonds Opera HOUSE last night. at
the open meeting for the diseusslon of
the existing street car difficulty. The
starways. stage, gaIlerys, alsles and
sests were loaded. Ia the absence
OF Maurice Shananan, who Was ex-
pected to preside, but who was pre-
vented by the illness Of his wife, III. q.
wlllihan called the meeting to order.
A COMMITTEES on resolutions, consisting
OF IessTs: 3 NJ. Lemon, II. X. Waters.
Andrew Fyfe, - Dean and h. Il.
Fisher Was appointed. In few words
Chairman Wiiiihan introduced james
l. Mcbride AS the first speaker. while
storms OF applause shook the busldIng.
Hs address was lengthy and the fot-
lowing are the more pertinent portions:
Mr. CHAIRMAN AND GESrLEMES-l am
delighted 10 see such a large audience
here tonight TO listen 10 the speakers
who shall address you upon the topic
OF the hour. come before you almost
unprepared to say what ought TO be
said on this ruspiclous OCCASION, but
10 the status OF the difficulty, now
pending between the employees and the
Street Railway Company.
IL may look To many OF you as though
TO concessions have been attempted on
as though little strong-headedness was
being exercised IN their tenaif, by those
who might. perhaps, have settled the
"A bot ~ a
trouble that has continued. We have
seen prominent citizens OF this city,
gentlemen of worth and character, who
have assembled in u meeting for the
purpose of seeing that law and order
was enforced, and who have used
language which characterizes the men
who are out on this strike as being to
bIame In q great measure for the
trouble that exists. There is no ques-
ton, and shaltAOt deny it here, that
the strike itself Is the cause of the dis
turbance which has been created, but
that the strikers have had any hand in
il think can emphatically deny.
have been among them as much AS
any of you, and, gentlemen, members
of the union, / know them pretty
famlliarly, and know that they are
men whose characters are beyond re-
proach. Md TO prove this, want to
say to you that if MIR. Bovine
Is IN the room he will bear
me out that his appreciation Of these
men Is far higher than any expression
OF appreciation which | could give;
[applause1 for, only today, rs l am IN
formed by gentleman OF high reputa-
ton, Mr.. Frye, of the Methodist church
IN the Fifth ward, had a long confer
ence with Mr.. Bovine, in which Mr..
BOVINE expressed the highest regard for
what he called his men. my men,"
he says; II want TO see back in their
places"
But Mr.. Bowne-I say that myself
il not able to control the situation.
Mr.. Bovine represents only share, or \
lew shares of considerable value in this
ecrporation, and the men VINO control
him, who control the whole arrange
nent on the side of the company, are
men VINO have no other interest IN the
city OF Grand Rapids or IN her citizens,
but reside IN the city of Chicago, and
carry the money there to spend IN
stead of spending IL among our own
people.
Ard | say to you emphatically that
il - not the men of the city OF Grand
Rapids VINO are connected with the
Valley City Street and Cable Railway
company that are standing out against
you, but 1t Is these foreigners that are
doing IT.
Vow. hope there will be no undue
excitement. | know there will be none,
because this is representation OF
workingmen OF the city OF Grand Rap
ids who are educated IN their business,
hat n nrot -.
TINT could befall the men who are out
tonight seeking for their tignts would
be rot, something they all deplore
And let 1t be said Ivy every man here to-
night that when you leave this hall ycu
leave IL to see that good order will be
kept. that the law will be observed
1his mass of faces before me tonight
are the faces OF men who are not unli-
censed dogs, and II we can properly be
called unlicensed dogs, would rather
be al unlicensed dog and do my duty
than 10 be licensed dog and not do 1t.
You nsd \ meeting, Iaborng men of
Grand Rapids. meeting that was
credit to you only a short time ago on
Camrau Square. | had the honor Of
tnen addressing you. | told you then,
as tell YOU tonight, that | insisted on
law and order being preserved. You
cheered those sentiments expressed bv
ali the speakers. and 1 believe you
cheered them heartily and with right
good will And yet we have class of
representative citizens, men who call
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS citizens, meet
ing m the little Board of Trade build
ing. where they gamble for wheat,
where they gamble Tor -- Applause.
A gamblers hail. and where they ex-
press their Indignation at the common
working men as unlicensed dogs with
out .ag or collar.
Now. we have nothing against those
gentlemen; We only pity them. II Is A
pity that in the city of Grand Rapids.
with men who have such power and IN
fiuence "a they have. with men who
have such wealth TO do good, that they
should bear such feelings and issue
such expressions as they issued at that
meeting. | ara surprised to hear a
brother lawyer, q man who ought TO be
above All other men, cool and quiet IN
his expressions under such circum-
stances az these. say that instead OF the
mayor Of the city of Grand Rapids and
the Common Council Of the city of
Grand Rapids riding IN a procession of
WORKING men under such circumstances
a. these. they ought 20 be preparing
them for the coroner. Applause But
ell tell YOU, as long "a they live, the
men who induIged IN those expressions,
an. men who attended this meeting and
s,oss on this ocrssio viii regret their
speeches all their lives.
IfIwere 20 take this stand today and
shotld utter such expressions ss they
Z - a frsr sss- sfs afet.. 40,