the cleveland era-第32章

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e　cause　of　labor。　The　Knights　of　Labor　and　other　organizations　of　workingmen　had　passed　resolutions　complimenting　the　Governor　on　his　pardon　of　the　Chicago　anarchists；　and　the　American　Railway　Union　counted　unduly　upon　his　support　in　obtaining　their　ends。　The　situation　was　such　as　to　cause　the　greatest　consternation　throughout　the　country；　as　there　was　a　widespread　though　erroneous　belief　that　there　was　no　way　in　which　national　Government　could　take　action　to　suppress　disorder　unless　it　was　called　upon　by　the　Legislature；　if　it　happened　to　be　in　session；　or　by　the　Governor。　But　at　this　critical　moment；　the　Illinois　Legislature　was　not　in　session；　and　Governor　Altgeld　refused　to　call　for　aid。　For　a　time；　it　therefore　seemed　that　the　strikers　were　masters　of　the　situation　and　that　law　and　order　were　powerless　before　the　mob。

There　was　an　unusual　feeling　of　relief　throughout　the　country　when　word　came　from　Washington　on　the　1st　of　July　that　President　Cleveland　had　called　out　the　regular　troops。　Governor　Altgeld　sent　a　long　telegram　protesting　against　sending　federal　troops　into　Illinois　without　any　request　from　the　authority　of　the　State。　But　President　Cleveland　replied　briefly　that　the　troops　were　not　sent　to　interfere　with　state　authority　but　to　enforce　the　laws　of　the　United　States；　upon　the　demand　of　the　Post　Office　Department　that　obstruction　to　the　mails　be　removed；　and　upon　the　representations　of　judicial　officers　of　the　United　States　that　processes　of　federal　courts　could　not　be　executed　through　the　ordinary　means。　In　the　face　of　what　was　regarded　as　federal　interference；　riot　for　the　moment　blazed　out　more　fiercely　than　ever；　but　the　firm　stand　taken　by　the　President　soon　had　its　effect。　On　the　6th　of　July；　Governor　Altgeld　ordered　out　the　state　militia　which　soon　engaged　in　some　sharp　encounters　with　the　strikers。　On　the　next　day；　a　force　of　regular　troops　dispersed　a　mob　at　Hammond；　Indiana；　with　some　loss　of　life。　On　the　8th　of　July；　President　Cleveland　issued　a　proclamation　to　the　people　of　Illinois　and　of　Chicago　in　particular；　notifying　them　that　those　〃taking　part　with　a　riotous　mob　in　forcibly　resisting　and　obstructing　the　execution　of　the　laws　of　the　United　States。。。　cannot　be　regarded　otherwise　than　as　public　enemies；〃　and　that　〃while　there　will　be　no　hesitation　or　vacillation　in　the　decisive　treatment　of　the　guilty；　this　warning　is　especially　intended　to　protect　and　save　the　innocent。〃　The　next　day；　he　issued　as　energetic　a　proclamation　against　〃unlawful　obstructions；　combinations　and　assemblages　of　persons〃　in　North　Dakota；　Montana；　Idaho；　Washington；　Wyoming；　Colorado；　California；　Utah；　and　New　Mexico。

At　the　request　of　the　American　Railway　Union；　delegates　from　twenty…five　unions　connected　with　the　American　Federation　of　Labor　met　in　Chicago　on　the　12th　of　July；　and　Debs　made　an　ardent　appeal　to　them　to　call　a　general　strike　of　all　labor　organizations。　But　the　conference　decided　that　〃it　would　be　unwise　and　disastrous　to　the　interests　of　labor　to　extend　the　strike　any　further　than　it　had　already　gone〃　and　advised　the　strikers　to　return　to　work。　Thereafter；　the　strike　rapidly　collapsed；　although　martial　law　had　to　be　proclaimed　and；　before　quiet　was　restored；　some　sharp　conflicts　still　took　place　between　federal　troops　and　mobs　at　Sacramento　and　other　points　in　California。　On　the　3rd　of　August；　the　American　Railway　Union　acknowledged　its　defeat　and　called　off　the　strike。　Meanwhile；　Debs　and　other　leaders　had　been　under　arrest　for　disobedience　to　injunctions　issued　by　the　federal　courts。　Eventually；　Debs　was　sentenced　to　jail　for　six　months；*　and　the　others　for　three　months。　The　cases　were　the　occasion　of　much　litigation　in　which　the　authority　of　the　courts　to　intervene　in　labor　disputes　by　issuing　injunctions　was　on　the　whole　sustained。　The　failure　and　collapse　of　the　American　Railway　Union　appears　to　have　ended　the　career　of　Debs　as　a　labor　organizer；　but　he　has　since　been　active　and　prominent　as　a　Socialist　party　leader。

*　Under　Section　IV　of　the　Anti…Trust　Law　of　1890。


Public　approval　of　the　energy　and　decision　which　President　Cleveland　displayed　in　handling　the　situation　was　so　strong　and　general　that　it　momentarily　quelled　the　factional　spirit　in　Congress。　Judge　Thomas　M。　Cooley；　then；　probably　the　most　eminent　authority　on　constitutional　law；　wrote　a　letter　expressing　〃unqualified　satisfaction　with　every　step〃　taken　by　the　President　〃in　vindication　of　the　national　authority。〃　Both　the　Senate　end　the　House　adopted　resolutions　endorsing　the　prompt　and　vigorous　measures　of　the　Administration。　The　newspapers；　too；　joined　in　the　chorus　of　approval。　A　newspaper　ditty　which　was　widely　circulated　and　was　read　by　the　President　with　pleasure　and　amusement　ended　a　string　of　verses　with　the　lines：

The　railroad　strike　played　merry　hob；　The　land　was　set　aflame；　Could　Grover　order　out　the　troops　To　block　the　striker's　game？　One　Altgeld　yelled　excitedly；　〃Such　tactics　I　forbid；　You　can't　trot　out　those　soldiers；〃　yet　That's　just　what　Grover　did。

In　after　years　when　people　talk　Of　present　stirring　times；　And　of　the　action　needful　to　Sit　down　on　public　crimes；　They'll　all　of　them　acknowledge　then　（The　fact　cannot　be　hid）　That　whatever　was　the　best　to　do　Is　just　what　Grover　did。

This　brief　period　of　acclamation　was；　however；　only　a　gleam　of　sunshine　through　the　clouds　before　the　night　set　in　with　utter　darkness。　Relations　between　President　Cleveland　and　his　party　in　the　Senate　had　long　been　disturbed　by　his　refusal　to　submit　to　the　Senate　rule　that　nominations　to　office　should　be　subject　to　the　approval　of　the　Senators　from　the　State　to　which　the　nominees　belonged。　On　January　15；　1894；　eleven　Democrats　voted　with　Senator　David　B。　Hill　to　defeat　a　New　York　nominee　for　justice　of　the　Supreme　Court。　President　Cleveland　then　nominated　another　New　York　jurist　against　whom　no　objection　could　be　urged　regarding　reputation　or　experience；　but　as　this　candidate　was　not　Senator　Hill's　choice；　the　nomination　was　rejected；　fourteen　Democrats　voting　with　him　against　it。　President　Cleveland　now　availed　himself　of　a　common　Senate　practice　to　discomfit　Senator　Hill。　He　nominated　Senator　White　of　Louisiana；　who　was　immediately　confirmed　as　is　the　custom　of　the　Senate　when　one　of　its　own　members　is　nominated　to　office。　Senator　Hill　was　thus　left　with　the　doubtful　credit　of　having　prevented　the　appointment　of　a　New　Yorker　to　fill　the　vacancy　in　the　Supreme　Court。　But　this　incident　did　not　seriously　affect　his　control　of　the　Democratic　party　organization　in　New　York。　His　adherents　extolled　him　as　a　New　York　candidate　for　the　Presidency　who　would　restore　and　maintain　the　regular　party　system　without　which；　it　was　contended；　no　administration　could　be　successful　in　framing　and　carrying　out　a　definite　policy。　Hill's　action；　in　again　presenting　himself　as　a　candidate　for　Governor　in　the　fall　of　1894；　is　intelligible　only　in　the　light　of　this　ambition。　He　had　already　served　two　terms　as　Governor　and　was　now　only　midway　in　his　senatorial　term；　but　if　he　again　showed　that　he　could　carry　New　York　he　would　have　demonstrated；　so　it　was　thought；　that　he　was　the　most　eligible　Democratic　candidate　for　the　Presidency。　But　he　was　defeated　by　a　plurality　of　about　156；000。

The　fall　elections　of　1894；　indeed；　made　havoc　in　the　Democratic　party。　In　twenty…four　States；　the　Democrats　failed　to　return　a　single　member；　and　in　each　of　six　others；　only　a　single　district　failed　to　elect　a　Republican。　The　Republican　majority　in　the　House　was　140；　and　the　Republican　party　also　gained　control　of　the　Senate。　The　Democrats　who　had　swept　the　country　two　years　before　were　now　completely　routed。

Under　the　peculiar　American　system　which　allows　a　defeated　party　to　carry　on　its　work　for　another　session　of　Congress　as　if　nothing　had　happened；　the　Democratic　party　remained　in　actual　possession　of　Congress　for　some　months　but　could　do　nothing　to　better　its　record。　The　leading　occupation　of　its　members　now　seemed　to　be　the　advocacy　of　free　silver　and　the　denunciation　of　President　Cleveland。　William　J。　Bryan　of　Nebraska　was　then　displaying　in　the　House　the　oratorical　accomplishments　and　dauntless　energy　of　character　which　soon　thereafter　gained　him　the　party　lea