St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-10-21
erwin FOR LIBERTY,
He Makes a Speech in the In
terestS or Debs and
Howard.
FUNDS FOR THE DEFENSE.
This Was the Object Of the
Meeting Called by the
A. R. U.
FUNDS FOR THE DEFENSE
LIST OF THE BLACKLISTED.
Erwin Says Railroads Shane
American Politics in
Their interests.

AT Market hall last night meeting
was held under the auspices of the
Trades and Labor assembly. Its object
was the devsing of means to raise
FUNDS to assist in the defense of the
indicted officers of the American Rail.
way union. Mr.. Ware presided.
w. A. Shoemaker made the opening
address, III which he went into the his
tory OF the American Railway union.
giving the causes that led up to its or.
ganlZation. 1t showed great research
and thought. and found favorable re-
ceptlon. He referred to the proceed
ihgs now pending III the courts at Chi
cago, in which Debs. Howard and others
are under indictment for their connec-
ton with the Pullman strike. Mr..
Shoemaker, with w. w. Erwin, is one
or the attorneys employed in the de-
tense of the official heads Of the A. X.
U. He said that Eugene V. Debs last
night spoke in Cooper's institute, New
York, and characterized him as a brave
and true man,
MIR. Schott, of the Typographical
union, followed. and explained the OBJ
Ject OF the meeting. He said that to
raise the necessary funds for the de-
tense of the indicted A. r. U. leaders
every Iaboring man ought to contribute,
and that this, he knew, would reunire
much self-denial. He referred to the
generous donations the st. Paul unions
maue to the cause of the Homestead
strikers til Pennsylvania. He prophe-
sled that the A. Il. u. and the knights
OF Labor vii. forge to the front.
The chairman then introduced Hon. W.
". Erwin, who was greeted with cheers
He said in substance:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen: | am
down to meet tue trades and labor assembly
anu lts olncers and to talk with twenty or
thirty others, as / supposed. but the rain
Kept the other speakers and part of the
audience away. There are enough here to
start the fire that will never be quenched
unllI LABOR has its rights. I've been in this
nall where every second man
Said He Was BiacAlissea,
and was thunderstruck. don't know hut
one-thlrd OF those here are blackisted; and
this is the land of Washington. but he is
dead: of Henry Clay. but he is no more: of
Abraham Lincoln, who sleeps in a grave
opened tor him by an assassin. The only
reason mat they are not here is that they are
dead. have seen letter of Washington
when he was commander-in-chief, mis-
speiief for IN pu Mh1eh he Unused used small
log splitter. All of these men
had less privileges than you" Then the
speaker spoke of the A. Il. Us Pullman
STRIKE. ana or the men WHO were afraid TO act
for right. lest they lose their job, lest their
wives and little ones should suffer hunger
this winter: do you call this republic?"
said ne. ''Whats the use of reading over the
Declaration of Independence and Wanting
OF liberty II you can sit here silent? If it be
true that the railroad labor of this city stands
biackllsted because it dared to express lis
pe!iet m favor OF the starving men at Pull
slb.e for the public thought
Mr.. Erwin then called for some one to
state whether two-thirds of the railroad la
borers in this city had been blacklisted. G.
w Stackpoe responded. He said:
All the railroad men who were not taken
oack are blackiisted. am one of them. We
cannot get job at our KIND of work in any
city IN the l nited States Here he cited ali
instance OF switchman in illustration. He
SAID that the spirit of 1t that of Washing
ton and Jefferson. and of the soldiers of
1913, was still alive. lie wondered whether
tnose VINO had helped to abolish slavery tor
the negro were going TO put their own necks
within the yoke. His speech was one of fer
vld rugged eloquence, that took with his
audience immensely.
Mr. Erwin again came forward and said
tnat Mr.. StacKpole was a blacklisted man
pleading Tor RIGHT and said that all had an
exaggerated idea as 10 the pefpetuity OF their
privileges All are the victims of selfish
ness w no IS It, he Numbered out, that
has dared to blacklist these men. TO place the
mark of Cain on their brows. if Bill Erwin
had done So he couldn't live in your city.
BY ourlndulgence corporations have grown |
up with
Powers No Individual Has.
They own your legislatures overstadow
your courts. nominate and elect your public !
men and defeat your laws Jtailroad, cor /
poratlons have in this way walered their |
stock to five times the actual value of their |
properly. Ihcy have borrowed capital peli- |
tax on five times the debt of the United |
states. The rapa;ity of the railroads did |
EoJ cease here
Col Fearce followed with a few remarks
of real eloquence
IL WAS announced that next Wednesday
night meeting will be held at Market hall. |
A committee will be appointed 10 raise |
that will 1e made public through the press