The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-13
BAER TO The CONFISCATORS.
READING PRESIDENT REM kES
COAL STRIkE MEDDLERS.
Reminds Them That the constitution Places
a Limit Upon the Course which They
Proposrd-IIis speech ArOuses the

George F. Baer. president of the Phla
dephia and Reading Railway. made
| stirring speech on the rights of capital and
| the rights of labor AT the annual dinner of
| the PENNSYLVANIA Society at the Waldorf
Astoria last night. and served notice on
men whom he characterized a. -tinkering
| politicians" that IL was time they remem-
| bcr.d that there is United States Con-
.titution and United States Supreme
Court, which will see 10 it that they do not
| override that Constitution.
Mr. Baer was next To the last speaker
on the programme Of the dinner. His
toast wa. Pennsylvania Theories of Gov
| .rnInent" Although many of the diners
had gone home Wien he began To speak.
those who remained were so moved 10y
his remarks that they rose and fairly
shouted their approval.
When he would have stopped, they begged
linn to 60 on. but Mr.. Baer did not GO on
beyond the conclusion he had set for him
| self Mr. Baer was surrounded by his fell
! low members of the society and after cheers
and handclappinG was heartily congratu-
lated for the fearless stand he had taken.
Mr. Baer'- speech was as follows
After all the lauda'ion have heard Tonight
of the stat" of Pennsylvania am moved to
wonder why So many Of YOU pennsylvanianS
have come to New York to live have often
heard II said that Pennsylvania il good plac"
TO make your money In and New YORK a good
place TO spend il. which may account for so
many Of you being residents OF this city.
| Many years ago there was In tho state OF
New York trust II was an Indian trust.
and its title. literally translated. meant SUI
| r-rior men. That trust was the first trust
In America Historically II WAS known
| md s.l, ooh ~. Iffl NJ
making It up IA lived in New York, they had
mighty little regard for the n"Shborlne In
| dams of the State of Pennsylvanii.
| After william Penn bought tho lands OF
PENNSYLVANIA from the Indians. paying them
a good round price for them. the trust cam"
over to PENNSYLVANIA from New York and
said that tn" Drlawarcs had no right TO sell
that land TO ANYBODY. why" they said.
years ago We made women of the Della
wares
You soc the idea Of this trust was that ~"
most Coutomptible thing they could do TO
any enemy was 20 max" woman of him.
! This + FIR from being an expression Of my
own opini n IN such matter.
| Nevertheless the result OF this Interference
! from IN" INDIAN trust vas that a new treaty
was made. this time With the Indians of Ne"
, York But IN the end, when the war Of the
Revolution cam" along, the trust Indians
| made the mistake OF 20 ne on the wrong side
|
| II = an important thing when YOU organize
a trust 10 be- in accord with the ri eht party.
Ma ybr II Is because of the old claims Of the
SIX Nations that the people Of Pennsylvania
| are so willing to come to New York TO spend
their surplus money as Il kind OF n tribute
| am reminded of this by the events Of q
| month ago. and ! am wondering yet on what
part cular theory it was that the state Of New
Work PROPOSED to come over and Connscate
Pennsylvania lands. Was It on the old theory
that the Indian trust OF New York based It's
claims 90 Pcunsylvania land,
| Navho the reason so many Of YOU pennsyl-
varian- come to New York i that YOU are
here on pilgrimage Ia that Indian. the patron
saint OF New York. - Tammauy
In times of civic dyspepsia there's some
talk OF d"Canonl2ing that saint. but notice
that In the end st 1ammany still holds lis
sway,
Mr. Bacr said that he had before him
COPY Of the first Constitution of the State Of
Pennsylvania, adopted in l778 and he
read from the preamble the lines referring
! to the right of the citizen Ia acquire
properly and his right 10 have that property
protected. The limitations TO this Con-
-titution, he said, could be determined only
bv law and not by any sef-created code
. Continuing Mr.. Baer said:
The las allows the workingman of to-day
TO b" t'e captain OF industry OF Tomorrow
I
, the natural power of Pennsylvania and made
her the first industrial state. not only Of the
United stats nut Of ne e. en'ir" World cha.
peopl. OF the State have the sole right to
regulate The internal !olicy Of that state
danger OF that grand old idea Of local auto
nomy being gradually taken from Us.
III" local autonomy OF states is funda-
, mental part of American Constitu, ional liberty
and 1t w',S on That principi" nat PsnhHy lvhnli
, S War h of Ea r Scesso We %ar. nor MN
, willing TO surrender Il. and W. are not willing
; to surrender l. now We VII surrender III"
. | no one. lth"crs.'
The experiments of those who would have
Constitutional limitations II the masses will
not resp.ct these limitations there Is IA trl-
supreme Court Of IN" United States, which
will see TO II that tink"ring politicians do not
And when the Period of momentary excite
mcnt has passed away Their. " i'll be- no danger
of an amendment Of III" Constitution by men
, who do not understand the fundamental
Maybe YOU viii ask me why have spoken
r az | hnve tonight answer YOU that | do
it because when Constitutional iimlta,ions
are set aside and overlooked II Is, well to have
| of that Constitution, So that We may go on
/ | preserving the blessings of liberty and keep
| our Government free.
Mr Basr tolu tic story of Martin Cos,cr
an Aust rian subject who had declared lis
intention Of becoming an American citizen
} and was then kidnapped and taken aboard
an Austrian ship. He was rescued by
: Commander Ingraham on the United 81 a,es
ship ST. Louis, who took his part simply
on the strength of his declaration that he
was going To become an American citizen
Then Mr. Bacr said
But to-day we have tho speCtacle of citizens
born right in this country not b. ing pro-
tcctcd IN their rigt to work. the very srnnilcst
of tac natural rig Is for the protection of
" Itch IN" Government was founded
D. Tn" whole power OF our Governn must
be- brought 10 protect the man who wants
to work. and to strike down any and every
hand that would oppr,ss him. This il Still
the great r.publiC. aud viii never despair
or believe that II will be- anything else
The scene which followed when Mr.
Baer sat down l. beyond description. Men
shouted and waved their napkins in the
! air, and dozen jumped on chairs in their
enthusiasm There were shouts for NOR,
along the same line from Mr. Baer. but he
shook his head and declined to speak
further
Bishop Potter presided al the dinner
but went home before Mr.. Bacr spoke
other speakers during the evening were
: Bishop Alexander Mackay-Smith of PhiIa-
delpha. the Hon John Patton and the Rev.
John X. Paxton