The San Francisco call., 1897-02-03
FRYE.
GETS A ROAS 7.
A Mass Meeting That
Spoke Out Loud for
Poor Jack"
MAYOR PHELAN ENTERS
HIS PROTEST.
The Arago Decision Charac-
teriZed as on a Line With
the Dred Scot.
TREATMENT OF THE SAILOR A
BLOT ON THE FLAG.
kilograms From Senator's Perkins
and White and Congressman
Mcguire.
TREATMENT OF THE SAILOR A
BLOT ON THE FLAG
kilograms From Senator's Perkins
and White and Congressman
Mcguire.

Metropolitan Temple, strong resolutions
were passed condem ming the substitutes
OF Senator Frye 10 the bills recently
passed by the House of Representatives
for the relief of sailors, and incidentally
the Sureme Court decision in the matter
OF the barkentine Arago was severely
criticized.
The House bill is intended to abolish
imprisonment OF sailors and flogging at
sea, and Frye's amendment inserts with
out lustifable cause" which practically
destroys the purposes of the bill. The
Arago decision makes it punishable Of
tense for sailors to leave the service of
ship with which they have engaged, even
though the ship be in a harbor
Metropolitan Temple was crowded. A
band played inspiriting airs between the
speeches. Z. Rosen berg, secretary of the
San Francisco Labor Council, presided.
On the stage were Mayor Phelan, H. E.
Highton, J. II. Barry, Alfred Furhman
and others.
Mr.. Highton was the first speaker. He
made an eloquent appeal in behalf of the
sailor ''to whom" he said, i've owe our
own country in the first instance and have
ever owed its preservation. l have never
been able to understand why the men who
follow the sea should not compose our
sturdiest and most manly citizens.
They face nature in her widest moods,
daring dangers continually that lands
men are seldom called upon to meet,
travelling IN all lands. Why should they
not be the most intelligent, self-reliant
and trustw orthy of our citizens?"
THAT they, of all others, should be
Disseminated against and put On the
level OF slaves Was infamous" he said.
''fhe thought that an American sailor
should ever be called upon to carry in his
mind the thought that at some time or
some place his tack was laid open by the
lash of some petty tyrant rouses my blood
almost to the point ntofrevoiution," OF ne said.
Speaking of the question under consid-
Grafton be said:
"As understand it, Robert Roberts and
three others shipped on the barkentine
Arago for Valparaiso and other points to
which the master might dispose. They
had had no allotment, as they call it-no
advanced pay.
when they arrived at Astoria they un-
dertook to leave the vessel, the conditions
on board the vessel not being satisfactory.
They took a small boat and went ashore
and were promptly arrested under the
laws OF this great country and through a
Justice of the Peace, whose name will
probably glitter in the annals of American
Jurisprudence forever, they were kept in
Jail sixteen days during the stop of the
vessel in that American port.
"They were then taken on board the
vessel and expected to help sail it. l
tons, refusing to work. [Applause.1 Re-
member, these men had received not
dollar up to this time. The barkentine
was compelled to come into this port.
These sailors were taken ashore and
placed in the Alameda County Jail. They
have been there nine months, until re-
leased under writ of habeas corpus. The
lower court decided against them, and
within the past few days the Supreme
Court has affirmed the decision of that
court.
Justice Harlan, in a very able opinion,
dissented. Now, we are living under a
system of law, and l am not here to dis
cuss the iudg ment of the court. 1t is the
law and that is enough. But 1 am here
to discuss the conditions that would make
such judgment possible. This judg-
ment Is sanction by the law OF species
OF kidnapping. We are here to express our
desire that bill which has already passed
The House at Washington, and which is
directed at the correction of this evil,
shall become a lew.
"lt is now undergoing process of
emascnlation at the hands of Senator
Frye OF Maine in the upper house. Sem
ator Frye represents the wishes of the
ship-owners of Maine. 1 think he will
learn before long that he is getting him
self into trouble" The speaker said that
this country had fought out the question
of slavery OF the black man and had set
him free. That white men should be held
in bondage in this same fair land was
circumstance not to be longer tolerated.
The chairman read the following teIe-
grams from our Senators and Representa-
tive Mcguire at Washington:
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. Q. 1897.
E. Rosenberg, Secretary, San francisco. A
sailors vocation is honorable and calls for
brave and true men. Justice demands for
them equal oppor iunities, therefore / opDose
any law which permits their imprisonment
for vioia ton of civil agreement. as that allows
laudsharks TO obtain their advanced wages
GEORGE c. PERKINS