The Louisiana populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La.) 1894-1898, 1896-06-05

Probably no one thing of recent oc-
ccrence has added more to the
hscength of the silver sentiment in
Chicago than the so-called working
mems meeting addressed by Mr.. Car
Isle.
In the first place, 1t was not spon-
taneous movement OF the workingmen
at all, but the whs lie thing was en-
gineered by the "soand" money club,
and few bankers. The workingmen
who figured, in no sense represented
the great labor organizations, and were
simply "decoy ducks" In the sense OF
being workingmen's demonstration
1t was an out and out fraud, for it was
patent that a large majority Of the
werkingmen present were not In ac-
cord with the speaker. The boxes and
a considerable portion CT the parquet
were well filled with federal Office
holders, bankers, and other horny
handed sons OF toll whose flashing
diamonds, spotless linen and broad.
cloth lent eclat to the occasion, and
gave somewhat patrician tinge to an
assemblage that might otherwise have
been too plebeian in character. These
representatives of the labor element
clapped most enthusiastically at every
reference to sound" money and hon
est" dollars, but the chaps who actually
do the work-when they can get any
to do-who had none of those dollars
and did not know where or when they
would get any of them-these men gen.
orally did their cheering on the other
side. Secondly, the speech itself was
SO weak, and so thoroughly permeated
with false and ridiculous assumptions,
that the average workingman saw
through it at glance and 1t fell per-
fectly fat ~
Lastly, the meeting was conducted in
a manner altogether un-American.
Numerous burly policemen dotted the
hall, as If riot had been expected.
Not single attempt was made to in
terrupt the speaker, although the
hearty applause which followed his
references to free coinage may have
been deemed offensive to those who ex-
pected all the applause to be on the
other side f 7- fs
After the two hours address was
completed Col. J. c. Roberts rose and
asked the privilege of propounding
question. He had to speak a number
of times in order to make himself
heard; but finally fixed the attention
of the chairman and was about to ask
his question, when he was abruptly re-
moved from the hall by a policeman,
amid cries Of Shame! Shamey'
Col. Roberts is himself a speaker of
some repute. He is as familiar with
the money question as Mr.. Carlisle,
and has submitted to and answered in
Vulnerable questions when speaking.
His summary expulsion was simply an
outrage. Other gentlemen, knowing
that the meeting was a fraud Upon the
workingmen, and that the great labor
organizations of the country are over
whelmingly for free coinage, quietly
passed around through the audience
sealed envelopes containing the procla-
nation to workingmen, issued and
signed by Sovereign, Gompers, Debs,
Mcbride, Robinson, Arthur, Butler,
Mcguire, and nearly or quite all the
heads of labor organizations in the
United States. The hall was open to
the public for public purpose Those
desiring to do SO had just as much
right to distribute the proclamation
there as they would have had upon the
street, provided, of course, they did IL
without disturbing the meeting, which
was fact. But no sooner was 1t known
to the management than the police. the
ushers, and others of questionable
authority were at once set at work to
stop the distribution. They did not
succeed very well, but they tried hard
enough, and the whole proceeding was
suggestive of Darkest Russia
A few more such meetings and
sound" money will be about the
'deadest" thing that has ever polluted
the atmosphere of Chicago.-Ex-Con-
gressman Bartine in National Bimetal-
Es<