The herald., 1894-08-02
GOV. MARKHAM TALKS
At Random to the People
of the State.
Expresses Surprise on Two I'm
portant Points,
The Great Bank Run ard the Late
Strike.
ExpIsnAtio of His Declaration OF Mar.
tial Law-Msntions tho Odium
Cast tho National
Guard-Details.

ham Couay Rhfo oub tuo ioiWWiuG iettoLt
To the People Of the States
Now that the strike is virtually over,
80 far as the railroads OF this state are
concerned, and the troops out OF the
field, do not hesitate to cay to the
await the result of events than to at
tempt to ioretsll consequences which it
is impossible to foresee.
/ have been obliged to suffer some
what from those who have honestly felt
that l ought to disclose my motives,
acts and purposes hourly to the general
public. The results have convinced me
that my course was the best. My only
apology is that my desire and aim have
ever been to do that which would re-
doupd to the best interests of our whole
people, regardless Of its effect upon me
personally.
Now that our population breathe
easier and reason is restored to those
who are respua sible for this great
calamity. there will be many who can
say what should or should not have
been done by the governor. The fact
that we are out Of it, with the! loss OF 90
few precious lives and the destruction
of so little property, causes me to accept
personal censure without a murmur.
Let me say. without egetism, that but
two important events have occurred
since my occupation OF this Office that
have not anticipated and been prepared
to meet. The first WAS the great bank
run in 1898. / left the state for the
worlds fair, sincerely believing that our
banks were a. safe a. any in the coun.
try. Imagine my surprise when the
people made the mad rush at those
institutions and my great qualification
at the outcome. Only very few de-
and had these been weeded out, as they
should have been. this calamity would
have been averted.
The second surprise was when I left
the city of Sacramento, on June 20, to
witness the graduation of my daughters
from the public high school Of Pasadena.
l had promised to deliver = Fourth OF
July oratien at Nevada City, and was
therefore making this long trip to en-
CO rage the one and prepare to REP ct
the wishes of the other. Again, m.
agine my surprise when. without the
slightest warning, the wheels Of our
great internal commerce were stopped
a. by . single stroke, and every induu-
try paralyzed to great extent.
had left the capitol sincerely heliev-
ing that no city on the coast had 20
many honest. intelligent, well-psid
laborers, proportionste to it's popula-
ton, as Sacramento. had never heard
, o complaint from the employees OF
either Of the great railway systems OF
the state. They appeared to be we'll
paid and we'll treated. Many COM
plants had been made again IT our rail.
roads by their patrons, but none BY
their employees.
Had this strike been confined to Cali
fornia it would not have been alarming,
but when the same sad facts were made
manifest in one Of the greatest railroad
centers OF the world, l was at once satis-
fed that If the great city of Chicago was
to be paralyzed, and that. too. with its
proximity to the seat of the national
government, and at a time when every
function Of it's executive, legislative and
judicial branches were being performed,
discretion at least should dictate that I
ehould pause and listen to their words.
As soon as they we're received wired as
follows:
PASADENA, CAL, July 10, 1894.
Hon. W. Q. Gresham, Secretary of State, WASH
iugton:
/ have just received the president'a
proclamation. as reported in the papers.
Please convey to him by hearty approval
OF the same. Chicago is the source and
center of this most unfortunate affair.
Strikers in California refuse to sanction
any proposition not sanctioned by Dsbs.
With the strike broken in Chicago this
state will soon resume it's peaceful pur.
suits. Please assure the president OF
my earnest support.
III. H. MARKHAM, Governor.
But in the meantime l was NOS idle.
Dozens of honest men were employed to
ascertain the cause OF these strange pro.
ceedings, and within "a hours after the
strike was declared l was confronted
with the fact that new president had
leaped into power, and that his will and
his dictates were set up against all the
established laws of this country, and
thousands were blindly submitting to his
lmperious dictates, scarcely knowing
why. and with sympathizers enough to
constitute almost q majority Of our
people. The leading strikers would listen
to no one, nor to any proposition that
did not emanate from their improvised
president-Debs.
There were but two courses for mo to
pursue. One was to declare martial law
and assume control of everything, and
the other to assist all the civil authofi-
ties to the fullest extent of my power
in the enforcement of the laws. adopt
the latter course. On the I'd of July
began to inquire AZ to what could be
depended upon from the National
guard of California. From all sections
except Sacramento the report was pos
tive and assuring. Acts Of lawlessness
were being reported to me hour by hour
from so many places in the state. and
especially frem Oakland and Sacramen-
to, that I sent General Dimond this
order:
PASADENA. CAL, July 8, 12:0S p. m.
Maj Zen. W. H. Dimond, San Francisco:
Exercise your best judgment - to
number and time of your commaad il
condition for work. Do this without