St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-07
W. W. Erwin Stirs the Audi
enee With Rare Rhetor-
ical Eloquenee.
Defender Of Those Who Struck
for Liberty Presented With
a Gold Headed Cane.
Other Speeches Made by Rev.
Sample, John j. Ryder
and E. C. Ives.

WHICH VIII go uOWn IN history as one or
the incidents that led to the revolution
of the social system of the Union, a
circumstance that is confidently pre-
dlcted by the industrial classes, was the
occasion of the mass meeting that was
held in Turner hall last evening. The
speeches of the evening teemed with
theories of reform and the ethics of the
social system. But it naturally partook
largely of one grand eulogy upon the
heroic services rendered by w. W.
Erwin. the brilliant advocate of st.
Paul. and who defended the men of
Homestead that were arrested because
of the resistance given to the invasion
OF the $50 armed Pinkertons. Each
speaker had eloquent words of praise
for the rhetorical lawyer. and all was
said in that spirit of earnestuess that
characteriZes sincerity.
Erwin Is Gained
And the most pleasant function of the
meeting was the presentation of a
beautiful gold-headed cane to MI Erwin.
1t came from the trades and labor or
secured his services for the poor men
who were arraigGed in Homestead. The
meeting was i'll commemoration of the
exciting and Sanguinary HON aStead
troubles just year ago, and Mr.. En- win
had been expected TO deliver an address,
but because OF the fact that all the
Homestead cases have not yet been
finished. he considered the occasion
somewhat inoppOrtune for 4 speech
from him. therefore, he requested TO
he excused. but the presentation OF the
cane, and the ovation that was then ten
dered him by the audience, induced him
to respond. In accepting the token of
esteem, MIR. Erwin electrified his hear
erS With one of the prettieSt speeches,
although lmpromptu and entirely uneX-
pected by him. that has ever been list
ened To by ST. Paul audience The
incidents and the gift aroused him to a
grand effort. He spoke almost as if in
spired.
Murray Opens the Meeting
NJ. L. Murray, the president of the
Trades and Labor Assembly OF St.PauI,
presided at the meeting, and IN calling
II to order succlnctly stated the purpose
of the gathering. lie explained that it
was under the auspices of organized
labor, and that it was in commemora-
ton OF the anniversary OF the Home
stead Incidents. Mr.. Murray took oeca-
Sion To enunciate his conclusions upon
the effects of the Homestead struggles
AT no TINS, said he, since the civil war
have there been SO many Deople Study
ing the social conditions Of the nation
as since thai event, and the conflict
that took place between capitaF and
labor Is something that will long be re-
membered, and he added Inat the
strike had set NEIL to think
ing. He said that Minnesota has
more right than any other state
TO feel lively interest IN the conflict of
July of last year, and then followed Il
description Of the legal services Of w.
w. Erwin I'D the celebrated Homes tead
eases, and this was followed ny all eio-
quent euIogy upon the Work performed
by Mi. Erwin III securing the acQulttal
OF the rioters upon the ground OF JuStl-
ticatlon.
a poem was read, and it was ex-
planned That IL nad ueen written Tor the
occasion by Minneapolis Trades and
Labor assembly member. Ine poem
was written by Z. A.>SDeflield, and was
read by II. b. Martin, of Minneapolis.
John J. Ryder
was the next speaker introduced,
and he delivered feeling address. He
criticised the common tendency OF peo-
pie 10 pay too little attention TO meet
ingS like that OF last night, and
then the lessons the strike haa
taught were graphically brought
out, and the lesson of self
reliance was especially emphasized. In
contra distinction were placed the events
and conditions that lead to retrugres-
sion. MIR. Ryder said that backward
steps are always taken in paths of
! luxury and Incidence. The fact that
there is no spirit for sanguinarY Strug-
giles Ill the industrial organizations was
made strong point in the argument of
the speaker, and he coupled with
this principle the statement that big
DRY is an absent element also i'll
the organizations of laboring men. Mr..
Ryder insisted that the West, especially
tie Twin Cities, has just right 10 cele-
brate the event with pride, ana he re-
viewed the services of w. w. Erwin in
defending the Homestead rioters.
Words of commentator embellished
this feature of the address.
Rev. sample Talks on HON estead.
Rev. s. W. Sample, of Minneapolis,
was the next speaker. He began by as
sorting the belief that he stood before a
thinking audience. He said that GER
tain tOntingentS believe that too much
thinking by the people is dangerous, but
MIR. Sample pronounced it the salvation
of humanity. The address was Illus
trated by aptlncldents and occurrences.
He said he believed that appearances
are always Elusive, and he en-
ployed several SMILES to prove the
point. He said that the appear
anceS were against the Homesteaders
and he did not doubt that many just
and thinking men at first condemned
the strikers, but Mr.. Sample prophesied
that the time is near at hand when the
strikers will be declared in the right.
1.-The speaker asserted that today is a
more critical time than was the War of
the Revolution. The future of the la
boring classes depends upon the out
come, and in the position of a prophet,
he declared that this country will have
within twenty-five years a reOrganiza-
ton of the industrial conditions, and the
social fabrics else the country will be
precipitated in civil war that will
make the French revolution pale into
inslgnificance in comparison.
Going Into the Theory
of rights Of property, he followed with
the assertion that the rights of men,
women, children, and the homes were
involved in the Homestead troubles,
and not the rights of property. If Frick
had the right to employ the Pinkertons
to shoot down the men, the latter had
the right to employ dynamite bombs.
He deplored force and violence, but he
| said it must be remembered that the
violence used by the workingmen at
Homestead was the violence of self
defense.
The Jay Goulds, the Andrew Carne-
gies and the monopolists were poised
before the audience on toasting fork,
and few can be more caustic than Mr..
Sample. He said that monopoly is the
evil of the day and the enemy of the
the workingmen. He held that
strikes can never remedy the
trouble. Strikes are failures. What is
needed is a revolution of the social sys-
tenn, SO that there can be no repetition
of the Homestead scenes. and no more
need of children of eight to ten wears