The record-union., 1894-07-14
A MIsAPPREHENsloN.

Statement by Citizens' Protective AS
sociation Committee.
EDS. RECORD UNION: The following
appears in the editorial columns of the
RECORD UNION of this morning, and is
followed by criticisms to the effect that
this is not time for cowardly temporiz-
ing but for upholding the law:
a SIMPLE PROPOSITION.
A citizens committee waited upon the Gov
ernor yesterday and expressed the thought
that the time had come when the present diff
ficulty should be settled and desired his
opinion as TO what should be done.
The answer is simple; it does not need Cub
ernatorial reply-enforce the law; hold up the
hands of those who are the representatives of
the Government, stand by your country and
declare that the laws OF the land shall be
maintained, and the whole difficulty will be
settled.
There is but one safe, sure, swift path to
peace, and that is through the avenues OF the
Constitution and the laws upon which depend
all the liberties of the people Be loyal to
your country, fearless in proclamation of it,
and even the laWless Will respect you.
An dother attitude is a atemporzing one: any
other position cowardly- First the law first
the majesty of the nation, then talk arbitra-
ton, adjustment, whatever is best to conserve
human rights, labors advantage and capitals
lawful demands. But SO long as disloyalty
lawlessness and armed resistance are up ther<
can be but one position for the good citizen to
occupy, and that is one of obedience to and
respect for the law and maintenance of its
DEGREES.
The article and criticism being open to
construction as having reference to the
Citizens Protective Association, it desires
to say through its Executive Committee
that the statement Is absolutely without
authority from the committee, for the
reason that the Executive Committee re-
ferred to and which had the interview
referred TO, has given out nothing what
ever thereof, following its established
policy OF seeking no publicity as to de-
tails of its movements and satisfied with
the accomplishment of results whether it
received credit therefor or not.
The statement is not only without au-
thority from the committee; it is untrue.
In its interview with Governor Mark
ham the subject OF the settlement of the
question of the strike between the South
ern Pacific Company and its employees
was in no way considered.
The Executive Committee called, first
to inform his excellency of the local
situation and the reason for sending the
pressing telegram of last Sunday morn
ing asking for his presence here, and
next to assure him OF the citizens CO.
operation in preserving law and order
and Furnishing the perpetrators of last
Wednesdays outrage and to make cer-
Our Executive Committee very early
decided that any effort at mediation be-
tween the parties for the present would
be unavailing, and devoted all it's efforts
to preventing, if possible. a conflict be-
tween militia and strikers. which, in the
excitement of the first few days, would
have inevitably resulted in bloodshed
and destruction of property. When it
seemed certain that United States troops
would be sent here it endeavored to show
the American Railway Union committee
that they would only injure their cause
by opposing the Government.
After President Cleyeland's proclama-
ton and the arrival OF the United States
troops it asked the Southern Pacific au-
thorities to send freight and local trains
out first and the Pullmans later, in order
that the American Railway Union would
have few hours in which to fully realize
their position and not be induced to COM
NIT, under the intense excitement of the
moment, overt acts which they would
subsequently regret.
Our efforts now are being directed to the
general maintainance of law and order.
to the expelling from the city of the law
less element that has dr1fted here and to
the bringing to justice of the perpetrators
of the outrage OF last Wednesday.
AT no time has there been any question
as to the position of our organization
from the day OF its inception. when it de-
clared ior law and order in advance of
every business community on the Pacific
Coast up TO the present moment.
Any one making proper inquiry could