The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-07-16
CHAIRMAN OATES VIEWS
He Thinks More Blood Will Be
Shed at Homestead.
BEYOND FEDERAL LEGISLATION.

That is what the Committee VIII Likely
Report--The Investigation to be Con-
tinusd In Washington with Regard to
the Pinkerton Agency.
WASHINGTON, July 10.-Col Oates,
chairman of The House Committee which
Investigated the riot at Homestead, says
It is probable that the committee will re-
port that the case is out Of the reach of
Federal legislation. When interviewed,
the Colonel talked freely.
~ think" +" he said, "that we got all the
facts of the case and went down to the
bottom of the matter It will not take
long to prepare the report. The greatest
delay will be in getting the stenographer's
notes out, there being so much testi.
mony.
"We examined Mr. Frick and his sup
erintendent and Mr.. O'Donnell and a
number of the workmen, as you have
seen Frick is a remarkably cunning fell
low and great manager. He has one oi
the brightest lawyers have met to advise
him. The leaders of the workmen art
men of intelligence and capacity, ant
take the worl1men as body, they are thl
best set of workmen l have ever com
across The contention is not one be
tween ignorance and power. 1t is con-
hict of strong men, the workmen being
keen, intelligent and always wide awake.
"The man who goes to Homestead with
an idea that he is going to find a lot Of
ragged, half starved and ignorant strikers,
will have great surprise before him. II
is a revelation in the way of a community
of workingmen. They are men of thought
and action and of independence They
have their homes, and the skilled work
men earn from S65 to 1878 per month.
The laborers get from 81 to $3.50 per day.
1t is not poverty stricken community by
any means But for this unfortunate dis
agreement between the workmen and en-
: ployers the situation at Homestead would
| be very good. Mr.. Friok insists that the
reduction of wages is made necessary be-
cause of the reduction in the price of steel
billets, etc. The workmen declare that
the reduction is unnecessary and that the
purpose of it is to put more money into
the pockets of the company.
"Mr Frick declined to tell the commit
tee what it costs per ton TO produce the
steel billets, In this contest neither side
is acting on impulse. They are delib-
it is the meeting of two great forces"
"How do you think it will endN
"You know how these things generally
end Law and order must be vindicated
in the long run, even if there is conflict
between the statutes and the eQuitios oi
the case"
"Do you think there will be any further
troubleF'
eyes, yes, do. think there is bound
to be more blood she'd and probably q
great deal of it. The workmen know
what they are doing and are acting upon
their calm judgment as far as the leader
ship is concerned, but they are the most
determined men you ever saw.
"They do not claim TO have the right oi
law with them, but insist that they are
morally right and will hold to their po.
sitions.
81 think the Carnegie people intend X
open their works with non-union men
They will do this under the protection O.
the militia and will, suppose, arm theil
men. As soon as the troops have beer
withdrawn the strikers will, / believe, at
tempt to prevent the mills being run b!
non-union men. There will then be 1
fight, / believe, desperate fight and |
great deal of bloodshed.
hlo nONihS w lAC W OC AlCNAbobAo ~
view of the sentiment there"
Mr. Bynum member of the commit
tee, gives it as his opinion that the fight
ing was done by few hot-heads and no
by organized labor. The cannon used by
the strikers of which there has been mucl
said, he stated, was an old-time affair AM
could not be trained so as make it effeC
tive 1t was an article Of intimidation
and not one of danger.
: Mr.. Bynum says that the Plrkerto
: men had perfect right to go into Home
: stead, armed or unarmed, as they wer
: simply citizens employed to protect tn
property of the Carnegie Company, an
, from what he heard from the people 9
7 Homestead he was of the opinion that th
. Pinkerton men could have landed withou
being harmed in the least, if they ha
gone in the day time instead of night, o
: that they could have landed after the frs
volley was fired if they had been men {
, nerve.
The investigation will be continued 1
3 Washington with regard to the Pinkerto
agency, and the committee hope to be abl
to make u report on the Homestead POI
: tion of it before Congress adjourns fC
this session.