Telegram-herald., 1891-05-31
and expression. bat by our material as
slslanee.


calls, Hon. Charles {. Comstoek arose.
"I do not know" said be, ''that /
have much to add 10 what Mr.. HOLSTER
has said | heartily agree with HIM.
The first law To be observed Is order.
No one can deny that who has a good
mind, and | have been surprised as |
never have been before that this thing
nas taken the turn IL has. Sympathy
has been manifested towards disorder
by great many of our good citizens;
think they have been deceived; but, Tor
all that, there is no excuse for disorder
under any circumstances. ANA al
though the man at the head or our
government, our executive offlcer OF
toe city, has never done anything but
what | can admire until ne has neglect
Ell TO do what think he should have
dore. From his past character ana his
prompt decisions should have expect
ed from Mr.. Uhl just about such pro-
clamatlon that General Jackson gave
AZ the multiplying of South Carolina, To
stop the fire when il was frst set, and
hang John c. Calhoun II necessary.
That is what jackson always regretted
that he had not done. But this thing IS
farther reaching than most people con-
template. Ii IS nourishing the seeds or
socialism. It ia eHectlng the good
character of our city. Ii Is ehectlng
every mans interest IN the city.
would sell my manufacturing interests
today AZ ten per cent less than l would
have four weeks ago. And why? Are
We 10 be governed, are We TO be con-
trolled. are we TO have money extorted
beyond the ability of mans labor TO
repay? That seems TO be the gist OF the
whole matter. Now, | have nothing
against unIon-let me say here, | have
nothing against union for the leglt!-
mate protection of each other. Not IN
the least. If they find ANYBODY that is
oppressed. or anv class of laborers that
are oppressed. try 10 help them to bet
ter positions, but leave them free TO act
for themselves; not force men out
against their own Will from employ
ment and earning their daily bread, as
some men have that | know of. |
have talked with two. | never saw a
better set of men Ill my life than are
our street car conductors, gripmen and
horse car drivers; I never met any
better class of men in such capacities in
my life; men that think could he en-
ployed in their Office year after year if
there had heen nothing back of them:
there must be something back of them
that has caused this trouble. was talk
ing with a young man; knew him and
his father for some wears, but he said, II
cannot co back there; | cannot work
any more in Grand Rapids: | will seek
a place somewhere else" | felt sorry
for him, and do for those men that
have been driven out by the order of
some power behind them. l would
venture to saw they would give q
months work If they could be REIN
stated, or If this thing had never hap
pened. | do not care 10 make any
further remarks. | would rather hear
from Mr.. Gilbert. But / heartily en-
dorse what was said by Mr.. Hollister
fully. and believe IL Is high time for
the citizens and every one who is in
favor of law and order to be heard
from and show their hand.
MIR. Giiberts Counsel
Mr.. Gilbert was here called for and
he expressed his sentiments as follows:
"Mr. Chairman: To all appearances
up to within the last three or four
weeks everything was harmonious in
the circles that are now
~ QlclulOtu. As IL COMES
TO Us through the press there
was a limited number of men on some
of the street car lines that felt that they
were not being fairly dealt by, and they
brought the lntld nee of their organlza-
ton TO bear to correct what they con-
sldered an eyil--a wrong towards them.
In the operation of their rules all tile
street car employees OF the city We're
called out; the service was crippled
/ and our people IN every way prevented
from the enjoyment of their usual
facilities for transportation through the
city. and terms were dictated to the
railroad company for settlement OF the
trouble. Now, at very unfortunate
moment, as | consider it, the railroad
company added to their contract pro-
viso by which all their employees who
belong to labor union or who belong
TO n railway union would be subject To
dismissal. which does not say, as
understand it, that they would be dis
missed, but that they were subject to IT,.
As Mr.. Comstock mas said, do not Oh
ject TO union organizations. | think
, they are good thing, confined within
the proper limits of any such organlza-
ton. Like any of our secret societies
tnat are gotten up for the benefit Of Its
members, all our union labor organlza-
tons are perfectly legitimate and per-
fectiy proper so long rs they do not un-
dertakc TO meddle with other people S
business.
Outrage on Individual Rights.
do not like TO trust myself to use
the language that comes to my tongue
when | consider what has transpired in
this city in the last three weeks. 1t is
such an outrage on all individual
rights, such an outrage on genuine
democracy, such an outrage upon de-
cency and humanity, that | have be-
come SO indignant thinking of 1t that I
cannot sleep. If any employer IN this
CITY should undertake TO do what these
people are doing with impunlty he
would be driven out of town in a day.
There are times when u - not safe for
peaceable citizens to travel through the
city. There are times when every man
feels as though It was necessary for him
to 20 armed to protect bis life.
I do not say that II - these union or
carnations that have done Il. I do
not say that il - the Railway Employee 5
organization that has done II. But we
know that they go about the city threat
ening TO boycott people that in sny
way encourage the railroad company,
and IN various ways seek TO iBtimidste
people and break up their business, even
10 the depth of degradation they will
boycott woman who keeps ooarders
for a lving. We ali understand the
situation IN regard to this railroad COM
pany. II came here and has "blown
IN. :" az toe saying -. . million and a