The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-20
THE CLAsHING OF CLASSES.
From the Kansas City Gazette.


movement against the railroads is the
hand that associations of railway en-
ployes are taking in the matter. The
railway employees of Kansas had lobby
at Topeka all winter resisting the rail
road legislation attempted by the Peo-
pies party, because they claimed that
the reductions proposed could only re-
suit in abolishin.g trains and lowering
of wages. The attempt to legislate for
the farmers exclusively has aroused
other classes. A representative of the
railroad employees, who spent forty-two
days in Topeka, reviews the Peoples
party legislation at length, in the Neode-
sha Register, concluding thus: ''The
Alliance as an individual organization
has failed; as friend of the wage-earner
it is worse than an enemy; as promoter
of public interest it is as usuful as a
drouth or an invasion of grasshoppers. "
An address signed by William II. Hamil-
ton, chairman, and G. c. Grouse, secre-
tary, of the Locomotive Brotherhood,
says:
Enclosed find bill 531, by Congress
man John Davis. Of Junction City
elected by the Knights of Labor, en-
dorsed by Democrats and Farmers Al
lance. 1t is not necessary to explain
to YOU what our wages would be il left
in the hands of three Alliance railroad
commissioners, as the argument OF the
knights of Labor element in the Alliance
is that railroad employees receive such
big wages the railroad companies have
to charge high prices too for moving
their freight. Mr.. Davis has met us in
every house committee that we have
been before and has done everything he
could against the interest of railroad en-
plOyes and in favor OF the farmer. lie
made the threat that if we would not
withdraw our protest against the reduc-
ton Of freight rates we could not
have any legislation through the house,
and if we would withdraw our protest
he would withdraw all bills obnoxious
to us; he also threatened that in case of
trouble between us and the r. r. Co.'S,
he could furnish five men for every one
of our places from the Peoples party.
In every speech made by the Peoples
party last year they claimed to be the
friend of the laboring people, and in
every appropriation bill that has been
before the house the salaries of the labor
ing people have been reduced from $50
to $3.50 per year. Ind every instance the
senate has restored and even raised the
wages of the laboring people, they hold
ing that if reductions were necessary it
must be made from the heads of depart
ments."
Mr.. G. G.. Grouse, locomotive engin-
eer, who represented the Brotherhood
at4Topeka, addresses divisions as fol-
lows:
"We have accomplished nothing in re-
gard to securing legislation for ourselves
but have succeeded in stopping consider
able that would have been very detri-
mental to the railroad employees of Kan
sas. We have few warm friends in
both houses, but not enough to overcome
an element unlocked for by us. We will
send you the names of our friends in the
near future. The great difference of
opinion, politically, between the two
houses has retarded legislation to great
degree. The Alliance has tried to curtail
the expenses of the state at the expense
Of the laboring people and it has kept
the senate busy to prevent them from
doing SO. We want to advise our
brothers of Kansas TO take part
and enter more in politics in
the future so that two years from now
we can have our friends III the legisla-
tue hall of Kansas. You must see to it
and must take part, or the railroads will
be crippled to such an extent that your
salaries will be reduced and thousands
of your brothers discharged. We should
have a paper to look after our interests
and keep US posted. There is no doubt
but that the Alliance is against us and
the laboring man, and we have album
dant proof of that. De not think that
because we did not get laws made this
time that your committee has been neg
ligent. We were late starting and met
with more opposition than was expected.
We nave gained information and have
brought the railroad employees before
the people of Kansas. We are organized
and ready for work"
We make these quotations simply to
show that legislation by trades and pro-
LESSONS can have but one result, and
that is to create antagonisms unreason-
able and unnatural. This idea of legis-
lating money, and success and comfort
into the possession of all, is an ignis
fatuus very aptly set forth by one of the
Brotherhood's representatives at Topeka
in quotation from Goldsmith:
How small of ali that human heart en-
dure,
That part which laws or kings can cause
or cure:
Still to ourselves in every place consigned,
Our own felicity we make or find. "
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