A mass meeting was called at Battery D by the Bricklayers' union for the
purpose of eliciting sympathy from the public. It was held Thursday
evening, June 16th, there being three thousand workingmen present. Revs.
Lorimer and Goss and Gen. Beem were invited to be present, but they were
not there. Persons who favored the builders' side of the question were
conspicuous by their absence. One builder who was bold enough to get as
far as the door was knocked down and driven away. Edward Mulrany, of the
Bricklayers' union, presided, and the exercises were conducted by
members of the union. The following lengthy preamble and resolutions
were read and adopted unanimously, followed by great applause and loud
cheers:
The United Order of American Bricklayers and Stonemasons of the
city of Chicago, in mass-meeting assembled at the armory of battery
D, June 16, 1887, do adopt and declare the following preamble and
resolutions:
_Whereas_, Certain questions and matters of difference have arisen
between us and the Master Masons' and Builders' association of
Chicago, and the controversy over the same has resulted in a
widespread suspension of building operations in this city, to the
immense injury of both the employers and the employed, and to the
great damage of the community at large; and
_Whereas_, There is no adequate remedy for any such case under any
existing law; and
_Whereas_, The working people have often been admonished through
the public press and otherwise that they should not resort to a
strike or boycott to obtain their rights, but should appeal to the
law for protection and relief, and in case the existing laws are
insufficient to the lawmaking power for new and better enactments;
and
_Whereas_, In pursuance of such admonitions they earnestly appealed
to the legislature at the last session to provide an adequate
remedy for conflicts of employers and the employed; and
_Whereas_, The legislature nevertheless wholly neglected and
refused to provide any such remedy, or even to consider and discuss
the subject in any open and public manner; and
_Whereas_, There is now no other mode in which relief can be sought
than retaliation by strike or boycott on the one hand, or by
voluntary arbitration on the other; and
_Whereas_, The same legislature that refused to provide any remedy
for such cases, has sought to make every participant in any strike
or boycott punishable as a criminal, without extending the same
penalties to the corresponding offense of a lockout, so far as we
are yet informed; and
_Whereas_, We have heretofore offered and proposed, and do now
again and openly and publicly offer and propose, to submit to the
full and final decision of arbitrators, to be chosen in the usual
manner, every question and matter of difference or controversy
pending between us and said Master Masons' and Builders'
association, and to abide by and perform such decision, and would
be willing to have one of the judges of Cook county chosen to act
as umpire in case of disagreement of the arbitrators; and
_Whereas_, The power of public opinion is the only force by which
we can compel such submission to arbitration; and
_Whereas_, The public at large are deeply interested in the matter,
and would be greatly benefited by an early resumption of the
suspended building operations; and
_Whereas_, We are willing and desire that a decision by arbitration
should extend over and include the entire residue of the building
season of the present year, that any future difficulty may be
avoided; now, therefore, be it
_Resolved_, As follows: 1. That we condemn in strong terms the
neglect of the legislature to provide any adequate legal remedy by
a state board of labor and capital, or otherwise, for conflicts
between employers and the employed, and that we will continue the
agitation of this subject till proper laws have been enacted
providing such a remedy.
2. That we condemn in equally strong terms the refusal of said
Master Masons' and Builders' association to submit to arbitration
whatever claims, charges, questions, controversies, or differences
they may have with or against us; and we appeal to the mighty power
of public opinion to uphold our cause, and to compel the submission
to the arbitration we desire.
3. That we purposely abstain from attempting to argue in the
present preamble and resolutions the justice of the points for
which we contend with the Master Masons' and Builders' association,
because that is the matter which should be discussed before and
determined by the arbitrators whose appointment we desire.
4. That we appeal to the two great organs of public opinion, the
pulpit and the public press, to advocate the righteousness of our
demands, or to point out to us if they can wherein the same are
contrary to justice or offensive to law and order; and in that case
to show us some other lawful way, if any exists, by which justice
may be secured.
When Drs. Lorimer and Goss and Gen. Beem could not be found in the
assembly, the venerable Judge Booth, who has attended nearly every
public meeting in Chicago for half a century, delivered a brief address
in which he expressed himself in favor of arbitration.
Other speeches of the evening were made by M. L. Crawford, of the
typographical union; George Lang, a bricklayer; William Kliver,
president of the trades assembly; John Pierson, ex-president, and A. E.
Vorkeller, president of the Bricklayers' union; William Davidson and C.
R. Temple.