Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-29
LABOR LEADERS FOR PEACE
Mass Meeting at New York Denounces the
Coast Defense Appropriation.
LEVERAGE TO INCREASE THE ARMY
Resolutions Adopted Favor the Or
ganixation of New Political
Party to wnge wnr ON the
Spirit of Militaryism.

Spirit of Mf1fturytsm.
NEW YORK, Feb. 2S-Members of the
Central Labor union and sympathizers of or
CARRIED labor filled the large hall OF Cooper
Union tonight to protest against the pro-
posed expenditure of s110.000,000 for coast
defenses, as well as more millions for an
increased navy. Jerome 0'Neill, secretary
of the Central Labor union, acted as chair
man. The first speaker was Charles w.
Hoadley, secretary Of the Building Trades
association, who declared that nobody wanted
war except, perhaps, the inventor of new
rifle, the smokeless powder or the maker
of the bunting used on land and sea. He
maintained that the United States is not
open to attack from other nations.
John McLuckie of Homestead, who was
connected prominently with the strike at
the Carnegie works, followed Mr. Hoailey
and spoke of the armor plates manufactured
for the navy. He said that belt line armor
plate Ks now located on the Monterey,
had ono hole in it as large as the face of an
ordinary eight-day clock, and which was
filled with forty plugs. What reliance, he
asked, could be placed on such armor. He
mentioned other ships on which fraudulent
armor had been placed, the New York, Ore
gon, Amphitrite, Terror and Massachusetts,.
Herman Heset of Philadelphia said that he
came from the City of Brotherly Love and
poor wages. He begged all men in his hear
ing never to join military organizations and
to stand together, of each other and for each
other.
Earnest Howard Crosby said he wished to
congratulate the Central Labor union on
having inaugurated struggle against mil
itarism. An appropriation OF $SSOOO,OOO for
coast defenses, he said, meant war, though
some people might say to the contrary. He
asked why American workingmen should be
against English worlingmen, for Instance:
If the wage earners here and In other
countries would only say the word, he said,
there would be no war. We need protection
in this country from the faults, vices and
meprfections of our social system rather
than coast defenses.
MENACE TO THE LABoRER.
Henry B. Salisbury was the next speaker.
He said that Benjamin Harrison lecturng
upon law, had given the best definition eX-
tant of capitalist legislation, when he said
that the object of law was to make the
rich secure and poor content. An approprla-
tion of $SS 900 for coast defnses he said,
would make the rich secure and when the
poor looked down the muzzels of the guns
they would have to be content.
letter of regret from General Master
Workman Sovereign of the Knights of La
Dor was roundly hissed.
The secretary then read a set OF resolu-
tions denouncing the proposed appropria-
ton.
Henry George, who followed, asked that
those in favor of the resolutions and those
opposed to them arise in turn. Those opposing
amounted to hardly more than two dozen
and Mr. George, after saying that he re-
spected the antis for the courage of their
conviction. said that he had no doubt that
the proportion shown in the hall was fairly
representative Of the great body Of work.
ing people Of the country. Although deny
ing that he socialist, Mr.. George
be counted with the socialists. and that
was in his opposition to war. Presi-
dent Cleveland's message on the
Venezuelan difficulty he character
lied as "inane." and said that when it was
made public, one would have thought from
the newspapers that New York had gone
mad. The proposed appropriation, he said,
he considered to be a carefully laid plan
to build up standing army, which would
crush labor whenever it dared to raise its
head.
"As citizens Of the United States, and
from thought, study, reason and conviction"
he said, II would rather see every locomotive
thrown from the rails, every car broken.
every rail torn up, than to see order pre-
served by the bayCnet of a standing army.
Order is heavens first law, but there Is one
thing, I prize before order, and that is lib
erty."
Inc otHeI opcdhcTS were Henry Weiss
mann, Daniel Harris and James Fitzgerald.
The following resolutions were adopted:
STANDING ARMY A MENACE
,,,l,,e Wnereeas, Ihs undisguised purpose of the
mG;niopolists and rings who have grasped
pohtlcal power and are robbing the work.
ers under the laws passed at their instance.
and aasI by their purchase. is to SO increase and
by injunctions. backed by fedora. bayonets;
Whereas, As means to this end bills
hnt,c fot.I
the appropriation of s1OO 900 900 for coast de-
fenses and other millions for more ironclads.
Kept from bankruptcy by the issue of bonds
unauthorized by congress and jobbed to IA
Vored capitalists, ultimately to be repaid
fore.
Resolved. That we pledge ourselves and
themselves to vote against any member of
congress, no matter what his party or pro-
bills. and that we especially call on Thomas
B. Reed. speaker of the house, to act as
a true tribune of the people in preventing
Resolved, That the American republic is
great enough and strong enough to set to
no foreign foe and refuses to Join in the
mcnstrous ornaments than are bolstering
masses of Europe; that true glory and
zeal safety HE in securing the right to gain
an honest and ample living to every willing
worker ana threats OF war and preparations
FOR war are means that the classes have al
ways used to distract the masses from the
demand for social reform and to reduce
them in the end to their own enslavement-
are prompted by the fear OF justice on the
part of the holders of ill-gathered worth
and should be resisted by every friend of
tions.
Resolved. That the times call for the or
Ganizatien or a political party that will de-
mand the abolition of an aristocratically
organized army and navy and Of the means
that have been insidously taken to put
urder control OF a centralized government
the militia of the states; and that shall
devote itself to the crushing of monop-