St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-29
ERWIN is ON DECK.
He and Argo Are at the Scene
of the Homestead
Trials.
Erwin Tells of the Interest Min.
neSOta Has in the
Cases.

The labor organizations of the coun-
try have been filling their minute books
with heavy resolutions of whereases and
NOW De it resolved" expressing their
sympathy for and promising financial
and moral support to the Homestead
workmen. But most of these let the
matter drop there. yesterday, how
ever. brought aid from an unexpected
source, says the Pittsburg Post.
The labor unions of the state of Min
nesOta appeared in the field in active
service, and sent legal aid.
Two lawyers of we'll known ability,
both in the criminal and civil courts of
the North, came to Pittsburg with the
express purpose of assisting, on behalf
of Minnesota, the counsel of the Home
come. They are George w. Argo, of
Sioux City, and w. w. Erwin. of st.
Paul. They arrived here in the morn
ing and stopped at the Monongahela
house, where they occupy rooms A and
B. They went out to inspect the city
and to inquire into the situation. At
$50 they called at the Almagated asso-
ciatiOn's headquarters, and were re-
ceived with wide open arms. but as
President Weihe was away they did not
stay long there. Secretary Madden
took the gentlemen to see Attorney
William J. Bremen, and a conference
from beginning to end was explained to
the visitors and the talk lasted until
almost noon.
The gentlemen were rather reticent
during the day, but received Post re-
porter very cordially last night at their
rooms. They were asked to say why
they are here, and Mr.. Erwin spoke for
both. ''He said: "Mr. Arg0 and my
self come to Pittsburg as the legal rep
resentatives of the labor unions of Min
nesOta to offer our aid to the counsel of
the Homestead men. Though we and
those who sent us are miles away from
here, we feel deep interest in the state
of affairs that you folks have gone
through. 1t seems to be a question
here of the right of the men to have a
just share in the money yielded by the
industry. For a long time i'll this
country the working people seem to
have been going under the fiction of
servant and master, which was very
suitable in the ancient times.
ut is now held to be right that labor
has the same privilege to assert it's
rights as has capital. But labor hasn't
been getting a very great show. The
capitalists can go ahead and protect
their industry by tariffs, and no sooner
does a particular industry become so
perfectly protected than it at once as
SumeS a dictatorship over the whole
trade. Now. if labor, either as an indi-
vidual or collectively, has not the right
to demonstrate without calling upon
themselves the vast code Of penal laws
that have heretofore affected malcon-
tents, then the whole idea of labor being
sovereign is lost.
''fhe battle of labor at Homestead
has stirred up the entire United States
in legal and labor ways. The decision
that will be made in the trials will be
looked for all over the land and handed
down from every bench. 1t will de ~
onstrate whether the greater need is for
the court here to decide what shall be
done, or whether the matter must be-
come a legislative one.
''The people Of Minnesota, therefore,
take great interest in the case. The
cities of Minneapolis, st. Paul and Du-
luth, containing large manufactures of
flour and other valuable things, are
deeply in sympathy with the men. They
have sent US on to appear for them and
show their earnestness. We could not
do anything by correspondence, so we
came right here i'll person. We will
offer to assist the PittSburg counsel. We
shall not interfere with their manage
ment of the case; but are here solely to
offer our help if we are needed. Just
what we will do depends on what the
regular attorneys say. We have talked
to Mr.. Brennan and others regarding
our mission, but it has been more or
less informal, and we cannot say yet
what part we Will take"