hubert howe bancroft - Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History ...

INCENDIARY PROCEEDINGS. 855
the present bank currency in favor of full legal tenders
issued only by the United States; the exemption
from execution and taxation of $1,000 upon every
homestead; all property to be assessed at its full value,
and the percentage of taxation to be graduated from
one to ten; the unconditional abrogation of the Burlingame
treaty; and the fees of office-holders to be reduced
to the prices paid for skilled labor.
Not to be outdone in reforms, the San Francisco
Trade and Labor Union held a meeting September
12th, at which it was resolved to sever all connection
with existing political parties, and organize under the
name of the Workingmen's Party of California, with
the following objects: The abolition of all assessments
on candidates for office—the people to own the offices,
not the incumbents; holding state and municipal officers
to a strict accountability for their official acts;
the establishment of a bureau of labor and statistics;
the reduction, and periodical regulation thereafter, of
the hours of labor; and the creation by the legislature
of a convention on labor, with headquarters in San
Francisco.
This was the beginning of a party which was to
overturn the government of the state. On the following
Sunday, the first of the regular sand-lot meetings
was held. On the 21st, the workingmen assembled
at Union hall, on Howard street, to consider means
for the relief of the unemployed. State senator Roach
addressed the meeting upon the Chinese trouble and
political corruption, calling for united action to obtain
legislation for the poor, to which Kearney added that
every workingman should procure a musket, and that
a little judicious hanging of capitalists would be in
order. Subscriptions for the destitute were ordered
to be paid to the mayor.
Day proved too temperate a president to please the
turbulent element of the party. When at a meeting
on the sand-lot, Kearney broke forth with the declaration
that San Francisco would meet the fate of