The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-07-08
Special to the REcoRp-USroS.

yesterday and last night the town of
Homestead to-day was almost as quiet as
a sleepy country village, and the sad
duty OF decent interment of three of the
five striking workmen who were in
stantly killed in the battle that ragged
fercely along the beautiful banks of the
Monongahela was the chief evidence of
the storm of yesterday. The strikers
We're masters of the situation to-day, and
the best evidence they could possibly
produce of their intention to protect
property, and not turn the town into a
hell, where anarchy and destruction
rule, lies at the scene of yesterdays bat
tie. where the immense plant of the firm
at distance shows no sign of the fearful
work of the preceding twenty-four hours.
The ruin incident to yesterdays prepare
ton for the warfare has been repaired,
the dismantled fence rebuilt, the yard
cleared of all debris, and inside the works
the old watchmen of the firm peacefully
perform their customary patrol.
The striking men assert that, ex-
cept in defense of what they claim to be
their right, that is, to prevent the intro
duction and prevention OF non-union
their homes and means of livelihood,
they are orderly and careful observers of
the peace.
The darkest story of the whole affair is
that OF running the gantlet after the
surrender, and the brutality inflicted
upon the detenseIess Pinkertons. Care
1ul inquiry among the eyewitness
show that the reports Of it were not exag-
gerated, and all that the men can say
cannot eXtenuate it. The women were
most virulent and savage after the sur
render, and 1t was largely to their acts
and their goading of the men that the
leaders were unable to restrain the mob.
While peace reigned to-day, it was
armed peace, q truce forced by the fact
that there is nobody to fight, rather than
permanent cessation of hostilities. No
reasonable man doubted for a moment
that fighting would be resumed at once if
another attempt were made to introduce
Plnkerton men into the town. Home
stead, as far as the introduction of these
men goes, is IN a state of siege. The town
is picketed, and no man can enter with
out has presence being noted. The men
Intend that the Carnegie works shall not
be taken by surprise. They are stronger
now in numbers and death-dealing equip
ments. Besides this, they are reinforced
by the prestige of yesterdays success
and the arrival of a number of fellow
workmen from outside towns, bringing
assurance OF sympathy on the part OF CO.
laborers, and assistance, physically and
financially, If needed.
A large number of men, estimated as
high as 500, arrived late in the night from
Pittsburg, and to-day small Numbers
came from various places. What would
happen If an attempt should be made to
secure possession of the works of the firm
with other than Pinkerton men is cues
ton to which an answer cannot be made.
SDa CIV hos hnn, fO,- IL.
purpose of the firm to make the mills
a non-union establishment and break
down the workmen's organization. They
charge that the Pinkertons, VIGOROUSLY
regarded with the most bitter enmity by
organized labor throughout the u nited
States, were purposely sent here in ex-
pectation that they would fight. and for
the purpose of killing, if need be, in or
der to carry their point.
TRICKS sTATEMENT.ss
PITTsBURG, July III. C. Prick, Chair
man of the Carnegie Company, was in
terviewed this evening as to the basis of
the differences between the company and
men.
He said: "Skilled workmen in the
Amalgamated Association worked under
what is known as a sliding scale. AS the
price OF steel advanced. so did the earn
ings of the men, and vice versa. While
there are no limits to the advance there
are points aC winch the decline stops.
We believe II the earnings can advance
without limit the workmen should be
willing TO follow the selling price down
to a reasonable minimum and instead of
SO as minimum we fixed S23. The
reason for this was that we spent large
sums of money in the introduction of
new machinery by means Of which work
men were enabled to increase the daily
output, thereby increasing the amount
earned in wages.
Another point was the date of the ex-
piration of the sliding scale, June Both.
We asked that the date be changed to De-
cember 3lSt, to permit us to take esti-
mates beginning January LIST, so that We
would be enabled to make contracts for
year accordingly. The Amaigamated AS
sociation declined.
1.-The third matter proposed was a re-
duction in tonnage rates. We were pre-
pared to show IN nearly every denart-
ment under the proposed reduction that
skilled workmen would make more than
they did when the scale of 1889 went into
effect. As rule the men making the
largest wages were the ones who most
bitterly denounced the proposed revision.
for out of $500 men employed only 325
were directly affected by the reduction.
Finding it impossible to arrive at an
agreement with the Amalgamated Off
Gals we decided to close the works.
Asked as to the reason of the employ
ment OF Plnkert0n men, Frick said they
did not see how else they could have
protection, doubling the ability of the
Sheriff to enforce order at Home
stead, and protect the property. Frick
SAID as to future difficulty, it is in the
hands OF the Allegheny County author
tiles.
Tricks attention being called to the
widespread interest aroused and pro-
posed by the Congressional inquiry, said
they welcomed the proposed investiga-
ton, and were prepared to submit facts
and figures which would convince un-
prejudiced men of the equity of their
position.
Frick further said regarding the politi-
cal situation: 1--WE cannot AFFORD to RIM
orr business and politics at the same
time" He continued: 'We did not pro-
nose to reduce the earnings of EMPLOYEES
below those of other amalgamated men in
other mills. We put in machinery other
mills do not possess and increased the
ontput and earnings of the men. We ask
that a reduction be made SO the earnings
Of our employees be on par with other
1vorkmen in other amalgamated mills,,
Nothing occurred to disturb the peace
or ouiet until 9 O'Clock, when men were
oror1sed to Indignation by the reports of
efforts to circulate anarchist papers. The
men denounced the appearance of the
circular as gotten up for the purpose of
;ninrine their cause and creating the be-
lief that they were anarchists. Four