The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-23
STRIKE AT THE OCTOPUS
ACTION OF THE LATE SO-CALLED
INDIGNATION MEETING
DENOUNCED.
STANTON AND La RUE PRAISED.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL PETI-
TONED TO STAND BY THE
PEOPLES GUNS.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, Oct. %. - The
Federated Trades Council of this city has
utterly repudiated the action taken by the
so-called labor Indignation meeting held
last Saturday night in Armory Hall, at
which the action of the Railroad Commits
sioners, in ordering a reduction of % per
cent in freight rates in certain localities,
was denounced and has offered a series of
resolutions, which were passed unani-
mously. They are as follows:
We beg leave to offer the following preamble
and resolutions, and We move their adoption
as the sense of this body OF representative
wage-earners
WHEREAS, Some 800 railroad shop employees
and others did on Saturday evening, Oc-
tober 8, 1895, in defiance of and without
regard TO regularly organized labor,
in mass meeting assembled pass resolu-
lions denouncing the Railroad Commits
sioners of the State of California, constitu-
tional executive body, duly and properly
elected by the sovereign people of this State,
for having well and faithfully performed their
duty 10 the people aforesaid according to
their ante-election pledges and their oaths of
office; and
Whereas, The said railroad-shop employees
claim that they would be injured by the en-
forcement of the proposed cut made by said
Commissioners, and therefore they are now
attempting to intimidate and influence said
Commissioners to repudiate their pledges
made through their party to the quail
fed electors of this State at the last
State election and violate their several oaths of
Office and to compel them to become recreant
to the trust reposed in them by the sovereign
people, for the sole benefit of putting I'M
earned coin into the already bullying ex-
chequer of the greatest and most soulless
monopoly the Pacific Coast to-day and for
the further purpose of strengthening the we'll
nigh overwhelming grasp of the said corpora
ton upon the Threats of our people: and
Whereas, the present Railroad Commission
is the first one since the inception of the con-
stitutiOnal law creating such commission
which has made the slightest attempt 10 obey
the viii of the people as against the extortion-
ate methods OF corporate monopoly in this
State; therefore be it
ReSOlped That it is the sense of Sacramento
Council OF Federated Trades that the Southern
Pacific Railroad Company is paying no more
wages to its employees to-day than it is COM
PEELED to pay in order to obtain the skilled
labor 1t requires; that the wages of labor
in the railroad branch OF industry is subject
to the same conditions that prevail in all other
branches OF industry, and that increased earn
ings of the corporation simply and solely result
III 5IcdlCI QIN4OcnuS 10 the SIOchnOlU6rS ana
higher salaries to the already high salaried
officers in control of said corporation.
RESOLVED, That even were the claim of the en-
ployes true, i. e.: "That the proposed cut in
transportation rates would compel the com
pany to cut wages correspondingly," still
would they be not entitled 20 consideration in
view of the fact that the classes of our com
monwealth who would be benefited by cheaper
transportation for the products of their labor
far n11tT ,lNa-4
as to leave them entirely out of the considera-
ton of the subject matter.
ResOlUed That it is a fundamental principle
of our great American liberty, and one OF the
main bulwarks of our free American institu-
tions, that all citizens presenting themselves
before the American people for office should
not only outline their policy but should pledge
themselves to the qualified electors to carry
out that policy. and that after being elected
and qualifying they should faithfully perform
their duties to the people according to their
pledges
RESOLVED, That the present Railroad Commits
sion of the State OF California has, so far as it
has gone kept its pledges to the people and is
entitled TO the utmost encouragement and
support of the citizens of this commonwealth,
irrespective OF party, and they are hereby
commended by this organization of citizen
wage-earners for their faithfulness and LOYALTY
to their sworn duty.
RESOLVED, That the Attorney General of this
State, be encouraged and aided as much as
possible in the performance OF his duty in the
action now pending in the Federal Circuit
Court; that this organization, while hay
ing great confidence in his integrity and abil-
1ty, realizes the vast amount of work to be
done and the momentous issues involved,
and would request that he employ special
counsel to aid him in the great work before
him TO the end that the peoples best interest
be subserved regardless OF cost, since all posi-
BILE cost would be thousand times compen-
stated for if the is saved to the common
wealth.
Resolued, That the Sacramento Council of
Federated Trades repudiates the action OF said
meeting and commends the action taken by
said Railroad Commission
ResotUed, That a copy of these resolutions be
sent forthwith to each Railroad Commissioner
and to the Attorney-General of the State of
California and to the various newspapers.