St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-08-22


provements and Pay in Scrip
Neither City Nor State Should
Permit Citizens to Suffer-Jus-
tice, Not Charity, Is De-
manded.
Labor hall was filled with 200 or more
workingmen last night, the occasion
being mass meeting to suggest plans
for relieving tie distress occasioned by
reason of so many people being out of
employment. The gathering was repre-
sentative of the tradeSmen and unskiiled
working people. The temper of the
audience was enthusiastic but not ex-
travagant. The speakers were earnest
but not given TO excuses or extraya-
gance Of utterance, and were greeted
with cheers and applause. Excellent
suggestions were made as to the proper
course to be pursued, and the audience
was eXh0rted to act i'll earnest, but
especially to be reasonable and orderly
Ill their appeals to all classes to join
hands in spirit of friendship in seek
ing remedy for the present conditions.
| 5. b. Rasmussen presided over the
d.
of L. assembly that called for the con-
| ference.
The Cause and the Remedy.
ii. b. Martin. a prominent organized
| labor lecturer of Minneapolis, was the
first speaker. He delivered a sensible
talk, in the course of which he said:
Large numbers of the men out of
employment are made up among the
unskiiled and trades laborerS. If any.
thing is to be done for them it
must be done at once, for the
reason that only couple of
months are left in which they
can work. They can do no work in
winter. 1t is well for the public to con-
slider that this is great emergency, and
they should act at once. 1t will require
large amount of money to afford the
relief that must be provided for winter
ing people out of employ ment. 1t seems
that the men have right to an oppur-
tunity to earn living by honest work
anu not be dependent upon the doing
out of charity. as though they were
mere slaves
Mr.. Martin remarked that the people
employment to all those who are now
idle, because they do hot have the re-
sources. The time has come for public
| measures TO relieve the distress of men
| who have had but little work during
the summer. having families to
support and no prospect of
| work in the coming winter
The condition in Minneapolis, said Mr..
Martin. is probably worse than in ST.
Paul. The public money is exhausted
in Minneapolis, and the city is stopping
Improvements because of a lack of
funds. There are men there who do not
say much when they are out of work
and find no trust will be given at the
! grocery store and meat shops. 1t would
not be pleasant to hear such men IL
they gave expression to their thoughts.
A Remedy Suggested.
MIR. Martin suggested that public
library building might be erected in ST.
Paul; they might open streets, grade
others, and fix up sidewalks, etc. In
case the city fathers say they have no
money. it might be suggested that the
example of other cities be followed. Let
the work go on. Pay the men in orders
! in amounts of 81 OF IS. If these orders
can't be paid Immediately by the city
| the orders will be good and they can be
| traded off for something to live upon.
! This would put money in circulation,
| and everybody would be helped. The
| stores would do bushes, and the shoe
| factories and other factories would go
! to work, Prosperity would follow the
| putting to work of 1000 men in the CITY,
| That would put everybody in a good
humOr. Why" said Mr.. Martin. 1.-THE
banks would be helped. They would
cash the orders and circulate the
money" In case of an objection to
such proposition by the corporatian,
| Nh. Martin suggested that 1t would be
| good thing to do as President Lincoln
| did during the war-throw the charter
| overheard for the time and go ahead
and issue the so-called paper money.
| The speaker made the declaration that
| the country is confronting grave crisis
and must meet it, and if needs be
! should demand that a special session of
| the legislature be called to put into cir
| culation some of the million dollars that
it now has OH hand in unexpended cash.
| He believed that the situation even
warrants action by congress in direct
| way by doing something to give work to
| the people. Mr.. Martin concluded with
| the statement that the voice Of the
| working men cannot be resisted by city,
! state or nation If the army of men care
to call upon them to do so.
Relief Must BE Given.
Christopher Gofker. carpenter, was
called OIL for a speech. He began by
/ saying he wonld rather hot tell the
whole truth, as he feared he would
stand with one foot in the penitentiary
and be called an anarchist. Voices in
the audience cried: $50 on;" Tell
half of the truth. then" Mr.. GOfker
then proceeded and made a very good
| speech that was not eXtravagant in the
| sense he feared. He plunged into his
subject by asking: HAS not the
city government means 70 spend? Did
it not use $4,000 for the Hill celebra.
ton? Have not the working people
| done more for the country than Mr..
| Hip" These questions were answered
with cheers and applause. Continuing
| Mr.. Gafker said when there was a
famine in Russia our people sent thous-
ands OF barrels of flour to them, and
asked why the same people would
not help the poor people at hone
now. He counseled the people not
to vote for glass of beer or cigar
next spring, but to stand by the friends
of the laboring people. He did not
want the men to go too far in the pres
| ent times, but to ask only for what is
right, and do it in a lawful way. He
| electrified the audience by saying:
There is plenty of work for us yet. l
will tell you where it is-in the work
house. We want our rights. and we
have right to demand them"
Mr.. Gafker advised against parading
| streets as the workingmen did i'll East
| ern cities He said it looks too much
like slavery. Why" said he. 1--WE are
! as good as the president of the United
| States, but we cannot go fishing, be-
cause we have no bait"
other Addresses.
| Matthias Banz SAID that it is true that.