The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-04


There was very large meeting held
in Cooper Union. Of New York city, last
week. Of members of the Central Labor
Union, and Of the sympathizers OF or
ganized labor. 10 protest against the
proposed appropriation Of Noo,0ooooo
by Congress TO provide the coun-
try with proper coast deiences,
and TO protest also against the oxpcndi-
ture Of any more money upon the fur
Their Improvement OF our navy. The hrst
speaker Of the evening was Mr.. Charles
W. Hoadlcy. secretary Of the Building
Trade Association. lie declared That
nobody wanted war. except. perhaps the
inventor Of new rifle ana smokeless pow
dcr.or the manufacturer 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 mat we were not
open 10 attack from other nations.
Henry y. Salisbury said that Benja-
min Harrison. lecturing upon law. had
given the best definition extant OF capi-
talist legislation when he said the object
of law was TO make the rich secure
and the poor content" An appropria-
ton Of $ssOOO,0oO for coast dcfences, he
said, was to make the rich secure, and
when the poor looked down the muzzies
OF Tho guns they would have 10 be
content.
Tho meeting adopted resolutions
which, after reciting that the proposed
appropriations were part of plan OF
monopolists and rings who have grasped
political power and are robbing the
workers under laws passed at their in
stance and by their purchase. 70 so in
crease the standing army that they may
rule by injunctions. backed by Federal
bayone,s-those resolutions denounced the
appropriations, and called upon Con-
gress to refuse TO make them. They
then ended thus:
Resolved. That the times call for the
ORGANIZATION of a political party that
will demand the abolition OF an arlslo-
craticdlly organized standing army ana
navy and Of the means that nave peen
insidiously taken to put under control
OF a centralized government the militia
Of the States, and that shall devote Itself
10 the crushing OF monOpOhes that are
rauidly bringing on all the social Ills
Of the old world that our fathers thought
they had escaped.
Resolved. That we call on the preachers
of all denominations 10 the fact That
the Worlingman VINO was cruc0ed eigh-
teen hundred years ago for his denuh-
citation of the uniustly rich was for peace
at any price and that a truly Christian
| nation would no more have standins
| armies and standing nayies than II would
| have tramps.
The proper fertilization Of our seaports
so that they may be defended against
the warships Of European powers IN case
we should have war with them Is in
our opinion. just as important TO Amen-
can workingmen as it is to her capital
lists. 1t is even more so, indeed Tor
the men who live by wages are in larger
numbers in the seaport cities than ca.i-
| talists. and cannot so easily leave IN
case Of trouble; and capture OF those
| cities by the enemy would mean not
merely ending Of all wages for them put
much other distress.
We Geplore even the possibility Of war
between Christian nations as much as
any Central Labor Union leader or
anybody else can, and we rejoice at
| every step that is taken to substitute
| arbitration for the sword, but it Is idle
TO say We run no risk Of war with the
| great powers OF Europe. Sixty days ago
We were apparently at the very threshold
Of war with the greatest of all naval
powers-Fneland-a our sea-coast cities
would have been at her mercy If war had
broken out.
/ is most unfortunate that the au-
thorities of the labor unions should mani
| fost a spirit of opposition TO military or
| carnations. especially 20 suppress local
disorders. and we do not believe they
fairly represent the views Of the indiyid-
nal workinemln IN doing it. They Ger
| tainiy do not represent the views Of the
worltingn.en Of this community in it, for
there are none Of It's citizens who are
more law-loving and law-abiding than
the workingmen Of Richmond and Man
chester.
A military organization. both for for
eign ana domestic troublcs-.is absolutely
necessary in every society. There can
be- no progress or prosperity anywhere
unless al men feel that the laws are
adequate for the protection Of their lives
and property, and no men feel con-
0dent Of this unless there is military
organization within call equal 70 sup
messing any excited mob that may be
suddenly called into existence. This Is
lust as necessary for me peace and Sc
curity OF the worhngman as for that
Of The capitalist, and we should be re-
ioiced TO see the managers OF the labor
unions accepting that view, and resvlat'
ing their utterances and actions ac-
corjingly
OUR NAVY AND SPANS.