America 1881: They Call Me Legend

Chapter 428 Anti-Strike Alliance

The people who participated in the meeting filed in one after another and found their seats to sit down.

After all the bosses entered the room, a waiter in white closed the door of the room, blocking other unrelated people from outside.

The governor walked to the middle seat.

Chen Jianqiu found a chair farthest from the governor.

He took out a palm-sized comic book from his pocket, and began to read it under the table.

This comic book was drawn by Astor Jr. based on his novel, and it is said that it sold very well in New York.

When Chen Jianqiu came back from Europe and passed through New York.Little Astor stuffed seven or eight books for him no matter what.

He flipped through two or three of them on the train, and found that the contents were surprisingly interesting.

Seeing that everyone was seated, the governor started today's topic.

He stood up straight, and his ass hadn't touched the chair since he entered the room.

"Gentlemen, as I wrote to you, a strike of unprecedented scale will soon be taking place in California."

The governor pointed his fingertips on the table and said forcefully.

"I don't want the trams in the city to stop running, and a bunch of people take to the streets, holding signs and marching!"

This sentence sets the tone.

I am a politician, and maintaining stability is my priority.

"All of you present here are also those who have made considerable contributions to the development of California. You will also bear the brunt of the strike at that time and suffer losses. This is why I informed you of this news in advance."

The second sentence appeases the merchants present.

Many of these people provided a lot of financial support for the governor's election.

"So, I called everyone together to give everyone a chance to discuss and come up with a plan to properly resolve the strike issue."

The governor looked around the venue again.

He found that everyone was looking at him, except for a Chinese man at the end of the table who kept his head down.

This caused some discomfort to the governor, but it did not affect him from continuing to speak.

"That's all I have to say. Next, discuss it yourself."

After that, he walked straight out of the door of the room.

Come in a hurry, go in a hurry.

The businessmen understand the governor's behavior.

The government, especially the state government, is unwilling to stir itself into the muddy waters of labor and capital, which violates the principle of non-intervention by the government at that time.

After all, this is a matter between workers and capitalists.

The government will try to be the referee if it can, and it will not end if it can't.

Unless the fire really burns them.

The fact that the governor can appear here has already explained a lot of things, and there is no need for more statements.

So, after the governor left, the venue became noisy.

Everyone was discussing this matter in small groups, but they didn't realize that Jack Brannan, the owner of the house, had quietly sat on the chair where the governor was standing just now.

"Everyone, everyone, if you discuss like this, you won't get any results." He cleared his throat and said loudly, "Everyone, please be quiet."

Then everyone turned their attention to him.

This "rich second generation" is in his thirties, with a boxy face, thin lips, and pointed ears.

The businessmen looked at him differently, but their expressions were basically the same.

Roughly: Why do you sit in that position?

"I'm the host, I'm just the recorder for everyone." Seemingly seeing what everyone was thinking, Brannan said with a smile.

But his expression changed soon.

"However, I told the governor about all the strike information."

As soon as this sentence came out, the expressions of the merchants present changed.

It turned out that the governor was just giving this person a platform, and he was the real convener of the meeting.

"I just think the workers are united. If we don't unite, we won't be able to fight them." Brannan said seriously.

"You're not afraid of the workers, are you? When have these guys not making trouble? When did they succeed in the last time?" A timber factory owner was somewhat disapproving.

"Then do you have any good suggestions?" Brannan asked, crossing his fingers on the table.

"The old way, they don't do it, some people do it, let's recruit some Chinese workers." The owner of the timber factory said, "They are cheap and easy to use."

Brannan shook his head: "It won't work this time, not to mention that the bill drove many Chinese workers out of California, judging from the recent situation, those Chinese workers and white workers chose to stand together, so it's not so easy to deal with. .”

"What about the divided trade unions? As we all know, those people have never been monolithic. We can solve the strike as long as we find a way to buy their leaders."

Brannan shook his head again: "In the past, the strikes were organized by trade unions and various organizations in various industries, but this time is different. The union organizations in California have been unified. Now there is only one organization, the California Labor Knights. As for the leader"

He paused.

"The identity of this person is very suspicious, but the leadership position in the trade union organization is quite strong at present."

"He perfectly led the Rock Springs strike, and the victims of that strike were here with us."

After finishing speaking, his eyes began to look for Chen Jianqiu in the venue, and finally found it in the corner.

"Mr. Chen, have you ever dealt with that person?" Brannan asked.

"No." Chen Jianqiu didn't even raise his head, "I asked my manager to deal with it, but he sold me out."

"The manager was fired when he came back." Chen Jianqiu bowed his body, still looking under the table, "This bastard caused me to lose a lot of dollars."

"But that's not what you told the people in the Carbon Mining Association at the time."

Brannan's eyes are playful.

"Otherwise? Have you admitted to those guys who have made trouble?"

Chen Jianqiu still didn't intend to look up.

The majority owner of the Pacific Railroad seems to be particularly good-natured.

As a result, the topic of everyone returned to the strike itself.

"Is there any possibility to go through the courts and declare those unions illegal? I know that's what some states in the east do."

Brannan was silent again.

The experience of the eastern states does not apply to California.

Every state's laws are different.

In California, if there are no particularly outrageous things happening to the unions, it is difficult for you to pin the shit pot of illegal organizations on their heads.

"This doesn't work, and that doesn't work. It's better to let the governor send the police and the army to interfere with the budget!"

A more irritable aquatic boss complained.

This person was born as a fish seller, he was not very good, and he was reckless.

After this sentence, everyone looked at him like a fool.

If willing to intervene directly, what else is the governor going to do?
Only Brannan and Chen Jianqiu did not express their emotions too clearly.

Brannan folded his hands on his chest, silently looking ahead, not knowing what he was thinking.

As for Chen Jianqiu, he was reading a comic book.

No one here knew a man like the governor better than he did.

As the former head of the Federal Military District,
If the situation really gets out of control, such people are extremely happy to bring the police and militia to the scene.

Of course, the premise is uncontrollable.

After all, he was still a soldier.

Sometimes, these people only need a reason to kill people, so that they can stop the people's mouths in a high-sounding manner.

This is not surprising.

Chen Jianqiu was a little interested in this rich second generation named Brannan.

This person seemed to know a lot about the trade union. He had investigated the relationship between himself and the trade union. Although he didn't find anything, he still had his own judgments and guesses.

It seems that there is probably an inner ghost on Holly's side.

A group of people discussed for a while, but still did not discuss why.

Eventually, at Brannan's initiative, it was decided to form an anti-strike coalition.

Come here for a meeting every other week between now and the strike.

They elected Brannan as the commander-in-chief of the Anti-Strike League in response to the strike action of the Knights of Labor.

"Mr. Chen, what do you think?"

Brannan named Chen Jianqiu.

Chen Jianqiu's comic strips are finally finished.

He raised his head for the first time in the whole meeting, with a relaxed smile on his face:
"No."

(End of this chapter)