The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-05-16

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glorified, then in justice to our children
and our childrens children, shall we
not rise UP and valiantly Withstand the
progress of this wrong?
Wherever an invading force first
strikes a state, there will the citizens,
+ if they are loyal and true, seek to stay
its march. They will not feed the force,
help it to transportation, recruit its
ranks and hand it on, to grow as it
goes. When the railroads of the state
took a stand on their just rights Of
property, and refused to transport this
army except as individual passengers,
they stood forth the defenders Of their
country and set an example that every
brave man and loyal officer ought to
rejoice to emulate. It is vain to talk
of this being a strife between capital
and labor; it is a strife between law
and revolution. The law says that a
semi-military force Of private men
shall not take possession of other
mems property to advance a political
measure; revolution says that they
shall
And think not that this is question
as to whether your synpathies are
with the rich or with the poor. You
may admit, and we may all admit that
the laboring people ought to come into
larger share of the surplus product
of the world; that the men who man
age the money and accounts should
get less in proportion and the men who
handle the tools and shovel the coal,
should get more. l for my part verify
believe that they should, and 1 believe
that they are getting more and more
with the growth of ability on their
part and of wisdom on the part of the
managers. But is this process of en-
HANGING wages to be suddenly accel-
Grated by the passage of irresponsible
armies to and fro over the country
levying an enforced tribute on rail-
roads, public treasures and private
benehcence? That is the real question
at issue, and he is foolish man who
Ilets himself be blinded to this essential
point by portability for the workman
or sympathy with few men who
have gotten themselves in a box. And
1t is not question either as to wheth-
er you and your city are willing to help
these men on pure grounds of charity.
According to the genius OF our insti-
tutlons, the considera ton Of every i'm
Iportant legislation must be brought
first before the people. After due time
they elect men who represent the opin-
ION which the majority. has reached.
These representatives then convene to
formulate and enforce this will of the
majority.
But now what does Coxey's scheme
propose to do? Nothing more and
nothing less than this: to assemble
100000 men at Washington who shall
lntimidate or overawe the legislators
into passing laws which the majority
OF electors do not want them to pass.
icy
the will of the majority by the threats
and demonstrations of a semi-disci-
pinned and partly armed minority, and
II that is not revolution I do not know
what revolution is. That they have
not the slightest chance of succeeding
IN their purpose this time, may readily
be seen. But the impotence of their
present attempt does not in the least
diminish the fateful power which lies
colied up in their revolutionary ven
ture.
I see nothing in the condition of the
country that calls for the abandon
ment of our fundamental and long
tried principles of law-making. The
ballot in the United States is still free
and untrammeled; the press is free;
public discussion is free; and every
man who has a. reform to carry, is
tree to get himself sent to the IegisIa-
ture. ii he has the wit to make the
public approve his proposed reform
So long as these fundamental pro-
cesses of legislation upon which our
country was founded, by which it has
prospered, and upon which it's future
depends, remain in full power and op-
Grafton, l say that you and I are TAX
ing serious and momentous step if
we give the least countenance and en-
enlargement to a scheme to overawe
our legislators by the assembly of
semi-military mobs around the halls of
legislation. That's the way a revolu-
ton legislates; that's the way that
France was plunged. step by step, into
the horrors of the guillotine. But that
is not the way that a republic legis-
lates; that is not the way that Amer
lea has gone forward from glory 10
glory. That is force. not persuasion:
that is menace, not argument; that is
death to free discussion and orderly
legislation.
When they have quit the army. helm
them; but do not help them before.
II they will break ranks and scatter
each to make his way home or each to
ind work for himself. then help them
TO the full extent of your ability.