The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-09-27
HIS VIEWS IN 1865 AND 1892
Shut the Mouths of Anti u MON
Men in Kentucky.
THEIR OPPONENTS
The Other Speech Was an Arrangement
of the Carnegie Company and
Its Course in the Home
stead Strike.

| STAGES in his career do not tally with
his present position, Nor, for that
| matter, do they always tally with each
| other.
He is now the political partner of
a kentucky Confederate soldier and is
asking for the votes of Southern Demo-
Gratis. These Democrats will be inter-
ested in reading the Senator's ideas
| of free speech as expounded in 1865.
At the so-called Union convention
at the capital of Kentucky in the sum
mer of 1865 for the nomination of a
State Treasurer, General Palmer, Uni
ted States commander of the military
forces in Kentucky, was a prominent
figure. In the course of his speech to
the convention he counseled them to
organize all over the State, said he
would protect them in free speech,
but would close the mouths of those
who spoke treason. He said (Appleton's
Annual, 1865, page 463):
"You will receive the assistance of
the general government in the proper
use of the government patronage. |
am authorized to say that | know it
is true the administration desires that
its powers will be employed for the
support of the true Union party in
this State. But that patronage must
be directed and controlled by you. The
next point is, you will be protected all
over the State of Kentucky. To secure
this there must be an active political
organization to the support of which
these forces can be directed. 1t must
be active in all parts of the State; and
| take it upon myself TO say, and / say
what / know to be true, that wherever
in this State of Kentucky during the
coming canvass. the true, earnest I'm
ion men wish to appear and speak,
they shall he protected in speaking.
The time has passed in this country
when free speech is to be understood
as the liberty of mounting treason"
In 1892 the Senator's ideas of liberty
had switched a little to suit the politi-
cal position he then occupied. He is
now the standard bearer of those Dem
ocrats who object to Altgeld's criticism
of the Presidents interference in the
strikes at Chicago. July 7, 1892, he
spoke on the Homestead affair and
was the most indignant Senator of all
in denouncing Pinkertons and in de-
Tending the strikers. He said:
1.-THE men who resist, claim that they
have some rights, because if it is true
as a matter of law, and if it is to be
regarded as true in a political sense,
that these $500 men were simply tres
passers there, then of course it must
be very difficult to condemn the Car
negie Company, except as to the man
ner in which they assert their rights.
1t NAV be said that it was menacing
and insulting that hey should organize
this force in contempt of public au-
Fcv Ia, ~,
attempt to enforce his own rights, how
ever clear they may be, in disregard
of the agents of the law, is con-
tempt of the law, and this attempt to
maintain their rights by the aid OF
this organized force was contempt
of the authority of the State of Penn
sylyania. The manner was mcnacing
and insulting. To advance upon a
peaceful, quiet city in the manner
have described was an insult to the
people who wer3 there. Mr.. President,
it is difficult for American citizens,
whether they are in the right or in
the wrong, &c submit to be driven by
an armed force. I confess that cycrv
impulse OF my mimi tempts me to
feel that should dislike being driven,
even though / might be in the wrong,
by person who might happen to be
in the right.
81 will not discuss that question
Something more, however, must be
claimed for these men. I maintain
and I ask the attention of the Com
mittee on Education and Labor, if that
committee shall be instructed to in
quire into this subject, that these citi
zens were right. I maintain accord
ing to the law of the land-not ms
the law is generally understood, but
according to the principles of the law,
which must hereafter be applied to
the solution of these troIIbles-that
these had the right to be there. That
makes it necessary for me to assert
that these men had right to employ
ment there, they had earned the right
to live there, and these large manufac-
turing establishments-and there is no
other road out of the question--m ust
hereafter be understood to be public
establishments, in the modified sense,
which I will explain in moment, in
which the public is deeply Interested,
and the owners of these properties
must hereafter be regarded as holding
their property subject to the correla-
tive rights of those without whose ser
vices the property would be utterly
valueless. That concession which /
make only comedies to them right to
reasonable profit on the capital in
vested in their enterprises.
II maintain, Furthermore, that these
laborers, having been in that service,
having spent their lives in this peculiar
line OF service, have the right to insist
upon the permanency of their employ
ment, and they have the right to in
sist. too, upon a reasonable compensa-
ton for their services"
The Senator and Presidential nomi-
nee seems to believe in liberty and free
speech for those with whom he agrees
and in arbitrary use Of power to those
to whom he is opposed.