, 1892-02-04

tells of the hardships endured by the coal
miners of northern Illinois and the cow
ardly injustice and cruelty of the coal
company headed by the late Mr.. Scott.
Mr.. Lloyd's voice and pen are now con-
stantly engaged in behalf Of struggling
labor, and the cause has no ADLER or more
devoted champion in the land. | say
this much hat those who read the words
which follow may know something of
the man who spoke them.
Mr.. Lloyd, on taking the chair. said, in
part:
A great wrong was done certain OF our fell
low citizens OF the Painters union on the
night of Nov. u. To this a greater wrong has
since been added. This new wrong widens its
circles until II has come to include every mem
Der OF the commonwealth This wrong has
been every day repeated and Is growing mon
strous by accumulation On that night these
painters. a handful OF men, a score, were
peacefully assembled, not only in their right
as citizens, but under the special protection Of
n charter granted by the state. Upon them,
without provocation, without warning, fell q
hundred or more armed men. These attacked
them with violence, battered In their doors
broke upon their order with disorder. upon
their love Of law with lawlessness, upon their
peace with war. They destroyed their proper
~, outraged their persons, and robbed them Of
Z ElEhl VI hoothlDlhkt. ENGI1lnlnR IutI
Magma Charta assured to the freemen of 800
years ago was taken from these freemen Of
today.
That was the wrong done Nov. R upon these
men. workingmen, and, as their every action
showed then and since, gentlemen. Then you
and | and all OF US fell down. But a more
dreadful thing has been done since, and Is now
being done, a wrong which makes this mass
meeting one of the solemnest services that has
been held in Chicago any Sunday Of its exist
ence. This meeting and the meetings which
have preceded II and the knockings of the
peoples committees at the doors of the COM
mon council, the mayors office, the police do
partment, are all in the fulfllment OF the
sternest duty a citizen can follow. The free
men OF this city hereby serve notice upon the
government Of something more than our pro-
test in behalf OF the Painters union against its
violations Of the law Nov. IL.
We assemble in mass meeting to demand
why II Is that the greatest crime which can BIS
goes unpublished. This betrayal of
the law by those set apart as the special de-
tenders OF the law is the wickedest crime that
can be done among n free people. These thou
sands OF the people of Chicago here today call
upon the mayor, the chief OF police, the COM
mon council, the public prosecutor and the
grand jury to know why, In open disregard OF
every guarantee upon which government and
society reposes, no process OF the law or i'm
parchment issues to discover or punish the
guilty men. Until this Is done there are men
III INV ~ W INV anu OIhtlN AlI LuG1
are the very men sworn to defend law and
order for their fellow citizens.
Upon the members OF the labor union whose
sanctity OF assembly was violated Nov. l.,
whose doors were broken open without proper
procedure or warrant, whose banners. books,
papers and charters f""m the state we're de-
stroyed, whose persons were abused and in
suited, rests the sacred duty OF defending thei
rights. But every citizen was wounded in the
outrage, and upon every citizen rests an equal
duty to defend these rights in which all the
rights OF all are bound up. There are two ways
In which to protect these rights-one for the
citizen; the other for the government, the en-
bodied fellow citizen. The men Of the union
attacked had the legal right to resist by force
even unto death, IL need be-such unlawful
trespass upon all that makes life worth living
10 the citizen OF the republic. They also have
the right to collect damages through the civil
courts.
The painters did not bear themselves with
such gentle sufferance because they meant to
submit to this wrong. They do not mean TO
submit nor, as this meeting shows, do their
fellow citizens intend to submit. But they be-
lieve SO thoroughly and devotedly In the Justice
and honor Of their country and government
that they feel themselves safe in waving tho
terrible, though just, right OF self defense.
They say to the administration of the public
power. I'VE do not defend ourselves because
we expect you to defend u.s."
The conscience OF the mass swings truer TO
II MIA va " iAbhI Nhah lhhl VI any CltSS
Tho people have not been unsettled by the
spurious argument that the banners and the
property destroyed have been paid for, and
that consequently all has been done that need
be done, and no one has any further cause to
complain. One bill has been paid, but there is
another bill that remains unliquidated. Here
are some OF the items, but where shall we find
the arithmetic by which to compute the value9
Item; The mayor, the chief Of police, and
the people OF Chicago, DR..
ITO one Magma Charta, torn in pieces.
ITO one bill OF rights, torn In pieces.
t one constitution of the United States and
ono constitution Of Illinois, torn in pieces"
How much for that7 How much money will
mend the broken constitutions, make as good
as new the shattered rights of man?
Item: DR.. To breach OF the peace by the
officers of the peace"
With how many "ducats" shall we measure
the value OF THAR
Item; DR.. To one big anarchy drunk taken
by the anarchy prohibitionists."
How much ought these total abstainerst to
pay for their spree2 This bill has not been
settled. There is one way and only one in
which this bill can be paid. Not by money;
only by Justice. And 1t must be paid. This
meeting Is a heartwarming proof that there
are still people in Chicago who think there are
some things which cannot be bought with
money.
Mr.. Lloyd said much more in the same
strain. and there were other speakers
who echoed his sentiments. 1t was such
a meeting as Chicago never saw before,
and it was not raided by the police. A
change has been gradually coming over
the minds of the Garden City's residents
since the dark days of 1867, and the
time may yet come when, in the light
thrown upon the doings of a lawless
police force, they will see that a great
error was committed on the 18th of No
vember. 1887. Jos. r. BUCHANAN
A Big Strike Feared.
A leading western railroad man said