The herald., 1897-02-26
VOICE 0F THE UNEMPLOYED
Is Lifted Up in the
Plaza
PROPOSED PLANS FOR THEIR RELIEF
To Work in Developing Griffith
Park
THEY MARCH TO THE MAYOR
And He Addresses Them With Sym.
pathy and Counsel
Morrison |. Swift Of Massachusetts and His
Radical Propaganda
A Demonstration and Public neeting to Be
Held in the Near Future-The Sit-
uation Urgent and Action
And He Addresses Them With Sym.
pathy and Counsel
Morrison |. Swift Of Massachusetts and His
Radical Propaganda
A Demonstration and Public neeting to Be
Held in the Near Future-The Sit-
uation Urgent and Action
Is Demanded

In response to a circular signed Pub
lie Ownership Association" several
hundred of the unemployed men, with
a half dozen interested women, assem-
bled at the Plaza on Upper Main street
yesterday morning at 10 o'clock The
object of the meeting as set forth in the
call was "to take steps for securing i'm
mediate employment; the unemployed
must act or starve.''
They were. foR the most part, shah
billy dressed crowd, unkempt and UT
shaven. but they were quiet, orderly
and we'll behaved in speech and manner.
They had earnest, serious faces some
with lines of suffering around the mouth
and hunger-haunted eyes. So large a
crowd may have had in it an occasional
professional hobo, but the large major
ity were men out of employment, will
ing and anxious to work if an oppor
tunity can be given them. They stood
around on the sidewalk and under the
shade of the Plaza trees talking quietly
until DR.. J. L. Stevens mounted a soap
box few minutes after 10 o'clock and
stated the object of the meeting.
1--WE meet" said the speaker, "to
formulate some plan to take imme-
date action in securing work for the
large number Of unemployed men in this
city. Money should be raised to i'm
prove the pulic roads and to put men at
work at once in the large park of 5000
acres recently donated to the city"
The city council should set aside a
fund to improve this park and to build
small houses and tents for the men
to live in while the work Is being done.
The unemployed do not want charity:
they can support themselves If they can
be furnished employment.
The speaker did not think there was a
man within sound of his voice who
would tramp the streets from choice.
I'VE don't want the city to issue bonds, +"
he said, for 5000, 900 to mature in forty
years at high rate Of interest, which
would in that time amount to $2,500,000
for the people to pay. We want to in
terest the council in providing fund
to employ men in the public parks"
DR.. Stevens then introduced Mr.. NJ.
I. Swift of Massachusetts, who thor
oughly understands this work, having
been interested in it in his own and
other states.
Mr.. Swift said: 1--WE have come to-
that is going on all over the country.
We have in the United States over s.
100000 idle men, not because there is no
work, but because it is parceled out
in such a way that the unemployed
can not get at it, This is a grand coun-
try, it goes ahead of the world in every
thing, even in paupers. When it sets out
to get paupers it gets more than any
country under the sun. The cause of the
In. .of ,v,lo iv, 1,ie
country is the same that has broken
down other republics before ours. That
cause is very simple; We have allowed
private property to get into the hands
of private trusts. You are merely
starving today, by and by you will be
thankful to do nothing worse than
starve. There are too many people in
the world, and you are the too many;
the place for you Is in heaven. Machin-
cry does not feel the loss of your labor,
1t can do all your work and do 1t ten
times as rapidly. Where is the place for
you to work? There is none. There is
work enough, but factories are closed
because they can not be run on large
enough profit. What is the remedy?
The lands and railroads belong to the
people. Today one is starving, tomor-
row another starves and we must rank
the middle class with the unemployed.
for they are fast being crushed down to
pauperism. Public ownership of lands
and railroads is the only hope.
MANY people are saying there is no
remedy but revolution, but this Is a
mistake. Have you asked yourselves
what you would do afterwards? You
would simply get together and pass a
silver bill, and that is absurd. The
trusts would simply make prices, 80 that
it would require mountain of money to
buy a piece of cornbread. This is po-
lite world, and the wealthy classes are
polite; everything must be done the
right way. Don't cut your throats in
public parks and bleed over the grass.
What you will do Is to- quietly starve 20
DEATH"
The speaker read a petition and ask
ed the crowd to give their assent IT
they desired it presented to the mayor
of the city. A loud and unanimous aye
came from the assembled throats with
no dissenting voice. 1t was as follows:
To the Mayor of Los Angeles-Ihe un-
employed of this city and their friends
present the accompanying peution 10
YOU and ask you to take the necessary
steps to provide immediate work We
are not willing to have this matter de-
layed any longer, aud we will not an
-, ar for the consequences to the prop
crtr of this city if the. thousands who
.ire destitute and desperate are not
giyan work.
rs delaying and delaying do you not
teach the unemployed to believe that
their only chance of obtaining consid-
-rs t'ou is to riot? We ask you to con-
sue / public meeting of citizens to
aeria ways and means for raising
sufu ient amount by subscription to
analle the city to begin the construc-
Hpu Of rood roads to adjoining towns.
f's ask you to call mass meeting of
ui etl2ens in one of the largest halls of
Jh clty 70 obtain an expression of their
,7sr neuts concerning the present acute
tr'e 7 $ our opinion that nine tenths
at t7r vot RS would demand that some
tlliiis he lone. 1t is great public and
private rislc to have 5000 to 5000 people
aif freu2lad with hunger in .,ommu-
nty, In a short time of popular rage
ore property could be destroyed than
n oula be reduired to give ample work
10 5000 unemployed men for a year
e y is your place as mayor to heed these
po shill ties. and to act In q way to avert
them, viii " tdo It?
.hlS ntegti cOntinuaA fIa enna Ixavs