The morning call., 1894-04-07
Indignant Citizens Meet and
Pass Resolutions
AGAINST RAILROAD AND CITY.
The Precautions Taken Against the
Unemployed Deemed Alto
getEer Unnecessary.

by Mayor Pardee. Chief of Police Schaffer.
Fire Chief Law ton, twenty-six policemen
and about thirty fremen. 1t was a wild
scene that partook Of the weird and I'M
canny. The soldiers Of the army were to
all intents and purposes prisoners. and
one could easily imagine them to be
mighty band Of Russian exiles bound for
Siberia.
At the railway station were seven box
cars, a fiatcar and locomotive that was
hot and ready. The men were hustled
into the boxcars ike so many sheep.
Those who were assigned to the 1atcar
seemed TO be highly elated over their good
luck in securing an abundance of pure air
with prospect of sunshine.
They were of at last and the Mayor and
all his subordinates breathed easier. But
the trouble was by no means over so far
as Oakland was concerned In the first
place Mayor Pardee was taken i'll from
lie effects of the terrible strain on his
nerves ard was confined to his room all
day. The other officials retired to rest
long after cockcrow and most of them
slumbered far into the afternoon.
All day there was low, deep. Omln0us
mutteTing Of disapprOval throughout the
city. The general opinion was that the
Mayor. the Council and the Chief of Police
had acted hastily ana without warrant by
the facts. Groups Of citizens gathered on
the street corners and discussed The
. events of the night, and their conclusions
invariably came t. this:
Mayor PaTdee had called the City Coun-
ell together in an emergency session, as II
10 Quell a riot: he had telegraphed TO
Governor Markham for State troops to put
down an Instruction; the Chief of Police
had ordered all his men on special duly; q
large portion of the Fire Department had
been called upon 10 serve al moments
notice; a Calling gun had been placed in
front OF tie City Hall and put in readiness
70 now down men.
AND not one OF these men had commit
ted breach Of the peace nor had they
made a sign or threat that they intended
10 violate the good order OF the city. They
bad simply sung snatches OF John
[ Browns BODY lies moldering in the
grave" as they marched back 10 the Taber-
nacle after refusing TO ride 600 IN six box
cars. That Is the way the indignant Cit
liens summed up tie situation.
As the day advanced It was announced
that an Indignation meeting would be held
on the vacant lot adjoining the now his
torc Tabernacle, corner of Twelfth and
Webster streets. II was called for 3
n'ci0el- and it took place on tine. BE-
tween 500 and GOO persons assembled un-
der the glare Of the afternoon sun. Al
mission into The Tabernacle had been
asked. and was refused. Ia the crowd
were many prominent business men of
Oakland ana several ladies.
And then the fun began.
Il. d. Hougham and a. J. Gregg. two
wel-known local labor agitators, mounted
the platform, which was improvised from
a large wagon-bed turned upside down.
Mr.. Hougham was elected chairman, and
hlr. Gregg was the first called upon to
speak
He began by bitterly arraigning the
Southern Pacific Company for what he
termed its inhumanity to man." and then
proceeded to touch up the Chief of Police
Tand the city administration generally for
having taken up arms against an assoeia-
ton Of peaeeable citizens who were on
their way to Washington. He had not
gone lar IN this strain before Chief
Schatfer, supported by Captain Wilson
and half dozen police officers. mounted |
the platform and demanded of Gregg and !
Hougham their unconditional surrender, |
or something similar. In common par- |
lance he wanted them 10 get of the perch |
and shnt up. This they declined to do.
Chief Scbatter then forcibly pushed Mr.. |
Hougham from The platform. When Mr.. |
Gregg declined a second time to get down |
willingly tine Chief forced him down. a |
few minutes later, however, they were
permitted to resume operations on the |
BagOn-boX, after having been admonished |
by Chief Schaffer to not make incendiary !
speeches
Immediately after the two speakers had |
been forced from the Tostrum, Frank Car |
tier. who runs livery stable al 613 Broad |
way, announced in a loud voice that he |
had barn which would hold The whole |
crowd, and the meeting could be held |
there, If the police wanted To drive them |
Atrom the present camping ground. Mr.. I
y lruer was promptly arrested and as
promptly turned loose. The crowd was |
becoming excited at this juucture and |
sHayed to and fro with resentful passion
Hundreds Of throats yelled for the speak
ers and Kissed the police. For a few
minutes it looked as il it would be meet
Ing expressing lis Indignation in some
thIng more than words, but quiet was
finally restored.
Dir. Houghafn t6ok his place on the
WagOn-boX and made fiery speech in |
which he bitterly denounced Mayor Par
dee and-as he asserted-his connection
a stakeholder with the Central Pacific
Hallway. "Oakland's chances for seeur-
Ing her water front are uretty good, with
such man for Mayor" he said sarcastic
cally.
Mrs. Nevins. who is really strong and
eloquent speaker, next addressed the
meeting She bitterly denounced the rail
road officials for treating the men of the
industrial Army worse than cattle, but
she also pointed out the fact that the des-
titute unemployed are largely to blame
for their deplorable condition. "Still it
must be remembered she said, that
mel are not born criminals in law, but
Gre made criminals under and by the law
ADd by the wicked doings of society"
q committee Of three was appointed to
write resolutions suitable TO the occasion
and the exigeBcies thereof, and the follow
ing was presented to the meeting:
WHEREAS. On the Sd day of Aprjl. 1894.
about GOO nrn. all or nearly all citizens of tile
United States, unable 10 obtain employment
and suffering for the common necessaries of
life, believing that their condition womb he
belfered by going in body 10 the capital ef The
nation and There seeking some relief BY law for
their miserable condition, IN pursuing the
course they had lad OUT came into the civ of |
Oakland ana were Hospitality assisted by char
liable citizens and while in the city OF Oak
land they did not in any manner disturb the
peace. OF in any manner violate or threaten to
violate the laws: andiwheIeas, on the night OF
the 9th OF April, tile Southern Pacific Railway
Company, though offered a reasonable amount
for conveying these men in freightcars 10 the
city of Sacramento In reasonable humane
manner, The said company ATTEMPTED 10 force
The men into SIX cars, hardly sufficient TO ac
eommodate hall their number; anc whereas.
these men properly refused 10 be thus crowded
INTO boXeaTs ia a manner IN which cattle or
swine would not be treated; andiwhereas. after
afft ual h1stra nf INF