The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-02-29
T0REINGNEN FOR PEACE
Labor Leaders Oppose Proposed
Warlike Preparations.
NO NEED FOR COAST DBFBNsBs.

Henry George Declares He Would "Rather
See Every Locomotive Thrown from the
Rails Than to See Order Preserved by
the Bayonets of Standing Army"
New York, Feb 29-Members of the
Central Labor union, sympathizers of or
ganized labor and others filled the large
hall of Cooper Union last night TO protest
against the proposed expenditure Of $780,
100000 for coast defense, as well as more
millions for an increased navy
jerome O'Neill, secretary of the Central
Labor union acted as chairman. He made
Il brief speech explaining the object of the
meeting The first speaker was then in
troduced in the person of Charles w.
Hoadly, secretary Of the Building Trade
association. Mr.. Hoadly declared that
nobody wanted war, except perhaps the
inventor of a new rifle, a smokeless pow
der or the maker of the bunting used on
land and sea. The common people did
not want war; and as the United States
had never provoked war he maintained
that we were not open to attack from
other nations.
John McLuckie, of Homestead, Pa, who
was connected prominently with the strike
at the Carnegie works, followed Mr.
Hoadly and spoke of the armor plates
manufactured for the navy. He said that
belt line armor plate "XS, now located on
the Monterey, had one hole in it as large
as the face of an ordinary eight day clock
and which was filled with forty plugs
What reliance, ho asked, could be placed
on such armOr. He mentioned as other
ships on which fraudulent armor had been
placed the New York, Oregon, Amphi-
trite, Terror Massachusetts and others.
Herman Helzel, of Philadelphia, said
that he came from the city of Brotherly
Love and poor wages He begged all men
in his hearing never to join military or
ganization and to stand together, of
each other and for each other.
Ernest Howard Crosby said he wished
to congratulate the Central Labor union
on having inaugurated struggle against
militarism. An appropriation of SIS, ,OOO,-
600 for coast defenses, he said, meant war
whatever some people might say to the
contrary. He asked why American work
ingmen should be against English work
ingmen, for instance. If the wage earn
ers here and in other countries would only
| say the word, he said, there would be no
more war. We need protection in the
country from the faults, vices and imper-
fections of our social system rather than
coast defenses he said. Mr.. Crosby asked
if, after a hundred years without coast
defenses any nation would now begin to
attack the United States.
Henry b. Salisbury was the next speaker.
He said that Benjamin Harrison, lectur-
ing upon law, had given the best defini-
g
he said that the object of law was to make
the rich secure and the poor content An
appropriation of $SS, 900 600 for coast de
| fense, he said, was to make the rich Sc
cure, and when the poor looked down the
muzzles Of the guns they would have to
be content.
The secretary then read set of resolu.
tions denouncing the proposed appropria-
tion which were adopted with but few
dissenting voices.
Henry George, who followed, asked tnat
those in favor of the resolution and those
opposed should rise in turn. Those op
posed amounted to hardly more than two
dozen, and Mr.. George, after saying that
he respected the antis for the courage Of
their convictions, said that he had nc
doubt that the proportion shown in the
of the working people of the country. Al
though denying that he was socialist
Mr. George said that in one respect he
could always be counted with the social.
lists, and that was in his opposition to
war. President Cleveland's message on
the Venezuela difficulty he characterized
as insane" The proposed appropriation
he said, he considered to be carefully
laid plan to build up standing army
which will crush labor whenever it dares
to raise it's head.
"As a citizen of the United States, and
from thought study, reason and convic-
tion," he said 81 would rather see every
locomotive thrown from the rails. every
car broken, every rail torn up, than to see
order preserved by the bayonets of a stand
ing army Order is Heavens S first law, but
there is one thing prize before order, and
that is liberty"
Among the resolutions adopted by the
meeting were the following;
"Resolved, That the American republic
is great enough and strong enough to set
to the world an example of nation that
] fears no foreign foe, and that refuses &c
! join in the monstrous armaments that are
| bolstering up the thrones and crushing
down the masses of Europe; that her true
| glory and real safety lie in securing the
right TO gain an honest and ample living
to every willing worker, and that threats
of war and preparations for war-means
that the classes have always used TO dis
tract the masses from the demand for So
cial reform and to induce them to aid in
their own enslavement-are prompted by
the fear of justice on the part of holders
of ill gotten wealth, and should be re-
sisted by every friend of the rights of labor
and of American Institutions.
Resolved, That the times call for the
organization of "A political party that will
demand the abolition of an aristocrati5-
ally organized standing army and navy
and of the means that have been insidi
ously taken TO put under control of a CEN