The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-10
Even Newspaper Men Excluded
From Portions of Homestead.
STRIKERS WELL FORTIFIED.
Behind Their Breastworks They Could
Resist Large Army.
The Sheriff IL Afraid, tho Governor Has
Promised to Do Nothing, and tho
Company Makes No Move Labor
Unions Everywhere in Sympathy.

HOMESTEAD, July 9.-The reign of quiet
is still undisturbed at Homestead, and but
| for the suppressed excitement and the
little groups clustered on the streets no
| one would suspect the tragedy the week
has witnessed. While the policy of the
strikers is to wait and watch, they declare
they are we'll prepared for the enemy. So
| perfect is their organization, SO numerous
their sentinels, that surprise seems impos-
sibIe from any force. The men have ap-
parently made up their minds that sooner
or later the mil-owners will make another
attempt to resume domination, and every
preparation is being made to resist the ef-
fort when it comes. Several times during
the day kilograms were received conveying
intelligence that Pinkertons were being
shipped or massed for shipment to Home
stead. Whether true or false they had the
effect of keeping up the public tension,
that is at last beginning to tell on many.
There is no doubt that organized labor
throughout the nation is in sympathy with
the Pennsylvania iron workers. During
the day numerous kilograms of coincidence
and congratulations were received, and
tenders of assistance have been pouring
in, but they were courteously declined.
All the accompanying scenes of want and
squalor incidental to a typical strike are
significantly absent here. Nobody seems
to be worrying over the morrow, and
everybody seems to be prepared for pro-
longed siege. The scene as presented to
a casual visitor to Homestead today re-
sembled very much Sunday in a manu-
featuring town.
A new arrival is fairly free to come and
go as he wishes, never suspecting the
espionage to which he is subject, and un-
less he ventures too near the mill he never
suspects the martial law declared by the
Amalgamated Association. But the.e is
martial law as thorough as B n Butter
ever gave New Orleans. and the instant a
visitor attemps to approach the scene of
Wednesdays battle or enter the mill he is
made cognzant of its existence. A sentry
crosses his path and in tone courteous,
but positive, informs the saunterer that
he can proceed no farther.
Part of the programme of the strikers is
that the plant must lie preserved intact
and free from outside intermeddling and
trespass, but how long it would remain so
were an attempt made to man it with nom
union laborers is an entirely different
question. The visit of the strik ,rs' COM
mittee to the governor last night has ap-
parently satisfied tne men that there il no
danger to be apprehended from the mill
itary while the present condition of things
continues, and only in an extreme case
will troops be summoned. simultaneously
with this intelligence there disappeared
all talk about the sheriff and deputies
coming to take possession of the works for
the firm, and the leaders who were asked
today professed absolute ignorance of any,
thing relating to the sheriff or the prop 81.
ton that deputies will be permitted to take
possession of the mill property. The
locked-out workmen talk already about
the mill being in possession of the COM
pany, and point out the fact that the COM
pany's watchmen are on guard there and
| that the clerk of the firm can come and go,
| as evidence of this.
The men have made arrangements with
F! the labor leaders in this and other states
| to keep watch of the Pinker:ons' move
ments and promptly notify the leaders
| here. In Illinois the Federation of Labor
| has men prepared to nave the Pinkertons
| arrested and put under bonds to keep the
| peace if they attempt to leave the state.
| The Knights of Labor are also actively
working on behalf of the Amalgamatad
| Association, and an endeavor is to be
| made to form complete alliance of all
| organized labor.
The Homestead iron and steel workers
| tonight issued an answer to the Carnegie
company. The statement says in part:
Frick's interview makes a reply necessary in
order that wrong impression OF conditions
| may not be received by the public The work.
ingmen at Homestead have desire to dictate
| the wages they shall receive, but see no good
| reason why they should not exercise the privi
| lege OF discussion with their employers the rate
! of compensation. The workmen are now, as
| they have always been, prepared to meet a rep
| resentative of the company and discuss the
| scale. II the conferences already have failed t.
! bring about a settlement it cannot De said this
| was the fault of the workingmen. Complaint is
| made that no minimum should have been in
| sisted upon in the sliding scale. 1t is the ex-
perience OF the iron and steel workers that some
| prevention is necessary to protect themselves
| from being reduced to a extremely low rate of
| pay by the acceptance by manufacturers of
sales below the current rate. The Introduction
| OF improved machinery, to which reference is
| male by the company, displaced men necessary
| before the introduction Of such machinery and
| n this manner repays the costs of investment.
| The output OF the mill is always consideration
| when arranging the sea 9, and every opportI-
nitv is offered by the woTkmen to arrive through
| a conference at an equitable rate, but when the
| employer refuses 10 engage in discussion with
| employees on the matter, all hops Of a Just set
| tlement is lost. An attempt is made TO lead the
| public into the belief that the mum
| Der OF men affected by the reduc-
ton IS few. There are three distinct prop
! oSitons in dispute. While all the propositions
| do not affect all the Homestead workmen few
| Of the $50 employees escape without being al
| fected. 1t is sisted by the company that il is
| no. their desire % reduce their workmeu below
Others The cost OF production TO the Carnegie
company at Homestead is decidedly in favor of
| that company as compared with other
| mills OF fhat character. There Can
| be no legitimate reason why the
| Carnegie company should deny to the Home
| stead workmen a conference. where the things
| Of which they complained could be auaiyzcd
| and il found unjust made right II argument
! and honest reasoning are substituted for reserve
| and coldncss, as seen in the conpany's nreseu,
| attitude there can be Il reason to expect an end
| of the deplors6le state Of affairs There are
| none who regret the lamentable occurrences O.
| the past few days more than those whom the
| Carnegie company charge with having been in
| s.rumental In bringing them about We are
| willing TO allow the public 10 Judge, alter the
| evidence IS all in, whether the charge IS true.
/ Until then we prefer not to forget our recent
| sad exp per ence-
4 startling report was in circulation at
| II O'Clock ton ght. l, was that Bop and
| William Pinkerton, in command OF 800
| men armed with Wincheste-s, were on the
| road TO Homestead via the Wheeling
| division of the Baltimore & Ohio road.
| The reports alarmed the mill men. and a
large array Of scouts was dispatched to