The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-05-30

On the Rights of the Poor ana I'M
employed. From Col. BlantOn Dun
can. of Kentucky.

cmP1Oyc0s FROM COIs DAantOA DuA.
can, of Kentucky.
eve have received the following com
munication in the shape of a letter to the
Populist senator's in Washington. Let
everybody read It'd. Rep.)
LOS ANGELES, April q, 1S94-Senators
Stewart. PETER Kyle, Allen, Teller and
WOlcott-There are great and moment
Gus issues at stake today as began the
tuition and liberty shall stand or be over
thrown. On the 14th of March Senator
Teller said in the senate:
For the first time in the history Of the
American people we have denied to the
American citizen the right to assemble in
the great cities and declare their griev-
ances. The mayor of Boston a few days
since said to the citizens of that great
city: You cannot assemble and hold a
public meeting upon the common because
he feared revolution, because he feared
riot"
Whilst that was occurring on the Allan
tic. similar evidence of autocracy and I'M
| lawful exercise Of authority being
proclaimed here on the Pacific, and likewise
in Massllon, Ohio And this in defiance
of the Nth amendment that mo state shall
enforce any law which shall abridge the
privileges and immunities of citizens of the
United States, nor to deny to any person
within its jurisdiction the equal protection
of the laws" In defiance of the bill of
rights, under which all citizens are guaran-
teed life, liberty and the pursuit Of happi-
ness" And in defiance further of Article
amendment cor abridging the freedom of
speech or of the press; or the right of the
people peaceably to assemble and to petit
ton the government for a redress of griev-
ances."
Here in Los Angeles peaceable and honest
men, 10 days ago, assembled in large num-
bers, and organized themselves into COM
panieS with proper officers for purpose
to benefit themselves and the many mill
ions of unemployed workmen throughout
the United States These American citi-
zens, supposing themselves to be free, Or
ganized for the purpose of marching across
this continent to the number of 800 to
present to congress a petition requesting
that some work should be given to the
starving multitude, estimated to be one
fourth of our people. And without arms
and with only the protection which should
be given to them by the laws-if this is
republc-they took the following oath,
rendered to them by Col. Fitzgerald, of
West Virginia, the competitor for congress
of Hon. W. l.. Wilson: I'VE solemnly
pledge ourselves to support the constitution
of the United States, to defend the Ameri-
can flag, to maintain law, and to relieve
human SUFFERING.
While Senator Teller was making his
statement in the senate these men were
appealing to the council, to the influential
| and wealthy citizens of a community, who
| own 500, 100000 of property, to aid them
with rations in default of devising meth
DDS to give them employment, and to aid
them in procuring transportation over the
railroads. The manner in which that APP
plication was received by a meeting OF
those in authority and representing the
business community, is told in the enclosed
extract from the Evening Express, as
given by one of the persons in the secret
deliberations
He said it was the unanimous sense of
the meeting that the merchants did not
want to fost upon some other community,
where many of their wholesale as we'll as
retail customers reside, a body of men who
might be driven to raiding the country
after their rations run out or might drift
back here on brakebeams He further SAID
it was the sense of the meeting that the
body of men gathered at place as an
army ought to be dispersed by the police
or the militia, if necessary; and that the
leaders and organizers of it should be ar
rested and put on the chain gang Also
that the mayor and chief of police ought
too see that the crowd was dispersed
and be held responsible for the results of
allowing it to still grow more threatening.
He Said they were nearly all men VINO DO
not belong here and are advertising widely
for other aliens to come here and join
the industrial army 1t was further stat
ed that the meeting was in favor of prompt
and effective guards being established, and
every of good order be placed In
readiness for at a moments notice.
And following this up application was
made to the governor. by letter and tele
graph, that the militia might be ordered
to the armories and the sheriff made HIM
self active to prepare for what he might
deem necessary in pursuance of the will
of the municipal and police authorities and
the influential citizens.
There was not thought of humanity; only
violence. to arrest these men or their
leaders, and under an ordinance of this
city Gn violation of the spirit of amend
ment V Of the constitution and place them
as Migrants, with a ball and chain upon
their limbs, to work in the chain gang for
weeks; in case of resistance to shoot
down some and let the others die in
bitches, after they were chased out of
the city-hungry, foodlesS, pennileSS. The
adjutant general of this state issued the
following circular to the various regiments
a short time since.
What is the condition of the arms in
your regiment? How much ammunition
is on hand? State the number of rounds.
Has your regiment reloading tools? How
many men are qualified for immediate serv
ice? What is needed? Reply promptly.
The trouble will not come until after jan
uary after the fruit hay and grain crops
have beeen gathered when an army of
men will be out of employment"
What a mockery it is to say that we
have d republic a government by the
people, when such conditions exist, that
four millions of men, who ask for work
and not charity, are to be turned out like
famished beasts to seek only a place in
which to die! Statistics show, l read
by the newspapers. that 10000 persons
have committed suicide in the union in
the past year: nearly all driven thereto
by their horrible restitution and that of
their families
Senator Stewart, while this was occurring
on the Pacific truly said, on the 18th: 1T
is almost impossible for the people to gather
together in conventions to discuss their
wrongs. They cannot meet together, and
that is the process by which the moneyed
oligarchy proposes to enslave the world"
Yes, they have proclaimed that there is
too much money, by which the wheels of
commerce are clogged Soon they will pro-
claim there are too many people-and seek
proper methods to diminish the number.
Whilst the scenes here were occurring, a
Mayor Reed, of Massion Ohio, announced
by a dispatch, published in the Chicago
Tribune Of March 5, that he would suppress
the assemblages called by Gen. Coxey, three
miles distant on his farm-thousands to
march to Washington And this infnitesi-
NAL official, who would doubtless run upon
of violence, without due process of law
and said: Il have some men the force
who not afarid to swing club if nee
essary and others Of the same kind will be
held in readiness, should they be needed"
Violence begets violence. The grasping,
the avaricous, the hardhearted do not I'M
derstand the danger impending to their own
possessions. They want a strong overnment