The record-union., 1893-10-23
WORKINGMEN'S MASS MEETING.
Large Gathering in the Interest of B.
u. Steinman.
Addresses by George Murray, {. NJ.
Harrison. a. L. Hart, L, p.
Bell and Others.

Bell and Others.
The workingmen's meeting on Fourth
street on Saturday night, held in the
interest of Steinman for Mayor, was one
of the largest political gatherings seen in
this city for several years. The street
and sidewalks between street and the
alley on the south were densely packed
with men, while the balconies in the Vi
cinity were largely occupied by ladies.
There were probably three thousand or
more persons present. and the majority
appeared to be laboring men and me-
chanics, although all classes were repre-
sented, as well as all shades of politics.
The meeting was presided over by
George Murray, the contractor and house
builder. He expressed his pleasure at
seeing so great a crowd drawn together
on such short notice. The friends of
Steinman, he said, had got together in the
interest Of good government and formed
a club for the campaign, and the meeting
showed what could be done IN the short
space of two days. If the movement
should grow in the same proportion until
election day, Steinman would have Il
great victory.
A REORGANIZED DEMOCRAT.
Mr.. Murray then introduced School
Director c. NJ. Harrison, an old-time but
ReorganiZed Democrat Mr.. Harrison
regretted that his voice could not Dene-
trate the atmosphere to the utmost verge
of the vast thrOng before him. He had
come there as workingman, to speak to
workingmen. He made his living by the
ingenuity of his fingers, not by working
his jaw. Therefore he would deal in
plain language. The present campaign
was not one involving national politics-it
was merely a local family affair. Some
weeks ago the Citizens Association had
met in secret cOnclaVe and nominated
w. t. Knox Tor Mayor. Then So
called Democratic Convention met; the
machine was well CREASED and worked
without friction until a resolution was
offered indorsing the action of the Adj
ministratlOn on the Chinese question. He
was glad TO see that one Democrat then
had the manliness TO refuse to vote for it
and to leave the convention.
Then the Reorganized Democracy met,
and instead Of gliding down a creased
toboggan slide they had a sort Of monkey
and-parrot time of it. 1t was lively, but
it showed that the convention wasn't
packed. After dispOsing Of its little fam
lily fight the convention got down to busi-
ness and placed at the head OF its ticket
man for Mayor who will sweep the city
from end to end on election day. That
man is the present Mayor, B. L. Stein
man. [Cheers. There were many
reasons why he should be elected.
Behind Mr.. Knox was arrayed
every political ringster, every God
torsaken ward striker who had
ruled the deStinies Of the city Tor the
past twenty years. He is now being
forced upon the people by the graduates
from Rhoades' political kindergarten.
[Laughter.] The city is full of monu-
ments to his lnefficiency, and it was
through his manipulation that working
mems wages had been cut down in this
city.
During the six months Steinman has
been in Office he has done more for the
labOring men than any of his predeces-
sors had done in four years. [Applause.l
lie liked him for the enemies he had
made. Mayor Steinman had enforced the
laws. He is blunt in manner and so
plain-spoken that no one can mistake
what he says or means; the result is that
obedience follows his orders. 1t had
been urged against Steinman that he is a
Jew. He (the speaker blushed to think
that anyone in free America should OBJ
ject to h man on that score. One of Great
Br1ta1n's greatest Ministers was Jew
Disraeli. LApplause.
For twenty years the people of this city
had submitted to being dragged through
the slums by the most corrupt combina-
ton of politicians that ever disgraced
Gods footsrool. [Cheers. Mr.. Knox is
good man, but he is in bad crowd, and
no man who keeps such company as he IS
now keeping is tit to rule this city.
[Cheers. Their contamination means
political death. Can those who toll afford
10 allow their manhood to be dragged
through the mire in upholding such q
damnable crowd? LCries of mol Nop'l
Those who work cannot allow any man
to dictate to them how they shall vote.
Every labOring man is entitled TO vote as
he sees fit, and whenever a greasy poIiti-
clan approaches him with inducements
to vote in certain way, he will be safe
in voting just the other way. Applause.
ION election day." concluded the speaker,
least your votes for our triend-the labor
ing mans friend, he who crlnges to no
man-Ben. u. Steinman." Cheers.
SPEECH OF a. L. HART.
The next speaker introduced was ex-
Attorney-General a. l.. Hart, who was
warmly received. \ 70 man, he said, had
been a more consistent Republican than
he, but at this time all good citizens were
called upon TO choose man, irrespective
of party, to be at the head of our munich
pal affairs for the next two years, He was
not a supporter OF Mr.. Stelnman when
the latter first ran for Mayor, but was
against him, though he was the nominee
of the Republican Convention. He the
speaker) could have named six months
in advance two-thirds of the members of
that convention, and could even now sit
down quietly in his office and write the
names of two-thirds of both the Republi-
cans and Democrats who will constitute
the first conventions held after the
coming election. The same old chestnuts
are at the heads of all their conventions.
Laughter Their names have been be-
fore the citizens for twenty years past,
because they are the tools of the political
bosses.
For himself. he had never been one of
the slaves subject to that kind of political
thraldom. He had seen the same old
faces, heard the same old voices, and read
the same old speeches by the same men,
for 10 these many years. This is be-
cause the people had permitted the bosses
TO control caucuses and conventions in
their own private interests. Once before
he addressed a mass meeting in con-
demnation of the bosses, and was then
threatened with political ostracism. He