The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-12-19
a SHAMEFUL REPORT.

n ShAMEE VI REPORT.
The proposition made by its committee
10 the American Federation of Labor
concerning the militia was shameful and
little short of infamous. That committee
evidently has no conception of free gov
eminent, and little wisdom that is
worthy of the cause of labor, since it APP
pears to run away with the idea that the
Government under which labor is pro-
tected in promotion of its interests is the
enemy of the working man.
The committee referred to actually had
the effrontery to demand that the only
authority to call out the militia to main
tain order and support the civil arm OF
Government shall be Congressional Dis
trict Commission, and even it shall not
act without consultation with the Gov
ernor. In case of labor troubles, the
Governor is to be prohibited from calling
out the militia to preserve the peace and
protect life and property except on pc
tition of one-fourth of the voters of the
county in which the trouble exists.
That would be happy state of affairs,
to be sure. The bare suggestion is an in
suit to good citizenship ard an ofense to
the commonest intelligence that is loyal
to the Republic. The nihilists of Russia
or the revolutionary bandits of Mexico
could ask for nothing more; the red
handed anarchist would desire nothing
better than to disarm the people and give
rein to mob law and the hot blood of pas
sion. 1t is simply incredible that in the
blaze of the intelligence of the age such
proposition could possibly be born of
any movement in this land that makes
the slightest pretense to decency and law
fulness.
Fortunately the committee does not
represent the true, honest, law-abiding,
self-respecting wage-earners Of the Re
public. 1t represents either anarchical
malevOlence or else besotted ignorance.
The Federation stomach turned at this
gross insult to the American system, and
the proposition was rejected for subst-
tute advising workmen to enter and con-
troll the militia.
Now, as every school-boy knows, the
militia is composed of the able-bodied
men of the country between certain ages,
they who are in fact the chief body of this
free government. The National Guard is
simply very small fraction of the militia
force. The militia. the citizen soldierv.
makes 1t possible to maintain good pov-
eminent and inspire respect without the
menace of large standing army; to give
the arm of civil government power to
maintain order and enforce the DEGREES of
the law; in short, to protect the very men.
who insulted the genius of freedom bv
their proposition, in every right they en-
JOY, in whatever property they possess,
and in the privilege to even make such a
disloyal report as they did.
The chief significance of the affBir re-
sides in the fact that in an organized
body claiming to represent labor, the
sentiment should be strong enough in
favor of overthrowing chief institution
of the Republic to warrant committee
in making report that, if it were to be-
come law, would simply mean an end
10 free government and the enthronement
in its stead Of rank anarchy.
The friends of labor, they who believe as
We do in full, ample, benefcent recon-
pense for industry and for all right out
put of human Drawn, skill and energy;
who hold that every human right should
. be conserved that tends to uplift men.
enlarge intelligence and better condi-
lions, cannot but view such propositions
as the committee made with alarm. as
indicating the growth of dangerous
spirit that VIII wreck not only labor in
ierests, but the Nation, if it is not checked.
They who believe IN even-handed justice,
whether related to labor or to capital.
who hold that nowhere is labor better
conditioned than here, or the inalienabie
rights of men more conserved and better
protected, must have felt thrill Of indig-
nation when the news of the proposition
referred TO was given out.
They who believe with Washington
that in the maintenance of a well dis
ciplined militia resides the safety of the
Republic have felt their love OF country
outraged by such a proposition as that re-
ferred to being debated in deliberative
body representing labor organizations.
All these, who are liberty-loving, law
abiding, order-respecting and patriotic,
constitute the body of American citizen
ship, and they will give it to be under
stood that any effort to cripple the arm OF
the Government by which it must main
tain itself, and to throw down a CHIEF
bulwark of human freedom viii meet,
whenever made, with irresistible opposi-
zion and rnerited denunciatiOn