St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-21
KItthe Wheat Ring?

Practically speaking the situation on the
railroads in Minneapolis Is unchanged. The
companies are making an effort TO clear away
he freight gorge and not a complaint is
heard of an unlawful act on the part of any
striker With their short force and with the
iuexperience of new men and men taken
from other departments, the labor of moving
trains is increased and the work is necessa-
riIy slow. The position of the striking switch
men is simply to remain quiet and 10 remain
out, and TO induce others to refrain from
taking their p aces, but at the same time. TO
avoid any trouble and commit no act that can
draw upon them public censure. 1t now
seems that if left entirely to themselves the
men and the railroad managers could speed
lily arrive at satisfactory agreement, but
unfortunately this seems out of the question.
Evidence is multiplying that behind two par
ties TO the disagreement q powerful political
influence is at work, and that the influence is
directed against Mayor Ames. In Republi-
can circles the cry for police protection Is
still going up. in defiance of the fact that
yard men report everything perfectly
quiet, and it is now openly charged
that an effort is being made to prolong this
strike and keep Mayor Ames at home, in the
interest OF the Republican state ticket. 1t
was the talk of the street last night that
public meeting would be held to denounce the
mayor and that, now that everything looked
peaceable, an effort would be made to revise the
cry against him and poison the public mind
in relation to the position he occupies. An
other Gay will develop this phase and have
the public in a position to judge whether or
not there is some unseen influence at work 10
perpetuate the trouble. The charge is made
in the streets and on the stump that the
wheat ring is scheming in this unfortunate
affair. Such powerful monopoly dies hard
and its present efforts are alleged TO be the
struggles of desperation. But above all and
beyond all is the fact that no trouble is
threatened and none is at all likely TO occur.
There is no danger to the city, and those who
love her and take pride in her good name will
remember this.
Is There Official Manipulation
1t was reported in the GLOBE yesterday
morning that all was quiet along the rail
roads and that no violence was offered by
the strikers. who were respecting their
promise to Mayor Ames to refrain from
everything that could in any way be strained
OF construed into lawleSSneSS. Yesterday
afternoon several gentlemen connected with
the mills. and who are also prominently
identified with the Republican campaign in
the state. denied that this state of affairs
existed, and charged that the GLOBE was
manufacturing this report in the interest of
Mayor Ames. One of the gentlemen broke
out into the widest kind of vituperation of
the mayor, and finally his wrath got so
much the better of him that his language
became incoherent. To show that the
GLOBE did give only what was the correct
statement of the situation. the following is
reprinted from last evenings Journal:
The swift hmen have pledged their words,
through III tir leaders, that they would not
interfere with traffic. and the railroads are
apparently moving as if no trouble had ever
arisen to u ar the serenity OF their work.
On all the roads centering in Minnea polls
switch engines are putting back and forth
with their trains Ct laden cars, and long Lines
Of ORA and trucks Standing at the wharveS
show that business has opened again, and the
goods are soing and coming somewhat in the
style that obtained iefore the st ike. Most
of the roads are running their full compile
ment OF engines and are sending trains out,
though hardly on time. The crews are new
about the 1aIds conductors. brakemen, yard
masters and even higher officials coupling
cars and throwing switches as if to the manor
born. The striking swtchmen are some OF
them coming back under the offer of the
companies to accept all who had not been
guilty of actual act o Vi aleDce, while others,
true to the organization which carried Them
out are holding their position as strikers and
reas Uaing with new corners against their TAX
ing positions on the roads. So far as the rail
road are concerned, they are moving freight,
though not so fast as before the strike.
Violence is apparently at an end.
The Journal is the bitter enemy of Mayor
AmeS and cannot be accused of misstate-
ments to beneht him. yet it cOrrObOrates in
every particular what the GLOBE gave yes
terday morning. Now. what do these
gentlemen mean by this charge? They
threaten all sorts of things and use language
that shows their terriblywrOught-up state
of mind. Taking il for granted, then, that
the journal and GLOBE have given the sit
uatiOn correctly. whose fault is it if the rail-
roads refuse to move their trains If there
is any manipulation of the strike to injure
Mayor Ames the public would like to know
who are doing it.