People's voice., 1892-04-01

udlll OldSL the TlIuJS OF WOrhlngneQ Il
as if it were written in our constitu-
tions that railroad employees are serfs
or chattel slaves, who have no rights
which courts are bound TO respect.
Who, of all the wise men in America,
possessed OF hearts and whose sensi-
bilities are not dead beyond the reach |
of hope, are not Mortified almost daily |
by the records of the manned and |
killed emploves OF railroads?
By the rulings of the courts, based |
upon no law, except that nondescript !
thing called the common law, handed !
down from the time when the en-
ployer was master and the working
man slave, neither a workingman nor
his heirs, having a claim against a rail-
road corporation for damages, have
any more standing in court than an
African slave in "old plantation times"
The courts show them no considera-
ton whatever provided it is shown
that he was manned or killed by the
negligence or ignorance OF a co-em-
ploye, though in the employment of
the co-employe he had no more voice
than man who died before the food
and the corporation is usually pre-
pared to show that a co-employe was
the cause of the injury.
In one or two states, perhaps, the iu-
fanny has been wiped out Why not in
every state? Simply because the
corporation has demanded that it
should stand.
The corporation is always on hand
when legislature meets Its agents
find out who are the base born, de-
generate creatures who represent
themselves; they find out the price Of
those men who are known TO be "for
rent or 'for sale and paying their
price, own them.
Some of them sell cheap, others de-
mand round sums, but the average is
never large and the political mendi-
cants are easily fixed, and in ninety
nine cases out Of a hundred the railroad
emyloye is compelled to accept de-
feat
All of this leads to the inquiry:
What are the railroad employees going
to do about it? viii they accept de-
feat forever and a day? Are they so
welded to their chains that they will
never make a freeman's effort to
break them?
The old parties, call them by what
name we may, have been tried, and
their promises have been broken as
often as they have been made. The
corporation has won innearly every in
stance Is it worth while to trust them
further? Does not every consideration
of Justice, right, truth, independence
and the supreme importance of the in
terests at stake, demand a change Of
policy?
There has come to the front within a
recent period new party, as we have
said-the peoples party. 1t proposes
certain reforms, some OF which, az
least, are of character that command
widespread approval
We are not required to print the plat
form of the peoples party, nor to in.
dorse all OF the propositions it contains
We are not required to so much as sug-
gest that all railroad employees should
become identified with and active work
ers in the peoples party; but the ques-
ton arises, wherein does the peoples
party antagonize any demands of rail-
road employees? In what plank of its
platform is to be found hostility TO the
interests OF labor?
In response, it will doubtless be said
in some quarters that the peoples party
has evinced hostility TO railroads, and
because of this unfriendliness the in.
terests of railroad employees are jeop.
ardized.
The question arises, in what is the
peoples party unfriendly to railroads?
In discussing such proposition let us
be frank.
The peoples party expresses the
opinion that the water in railroad
stock should be squeezed out; that
railroads should do business on honest
investments and not upon a basis oi
fraud, and that they can afford TO SC
reduce rates Of transportation for per
sons and freights as to make them
what they were designed to be, bless
ing to the country.
Railroad corporations at once Sc
about to defeat such legislation, and a
this iuncture comes into view stragetiC
movements on the part Of railroad cor
porations of astounding audacity.
, In the first place, the corporations
, say to the states: "If you reduce rate
we will reduce the number Of trains.
This reduction of the number Of train'
is to operate in the way of a penalty
upon the sovereignty OF the people
the sovereignty by virtue Of which the
corporation exists.
j In the next place, the corporation
r prepares petitions to be presented Il
q legislatures requiring their employees
! to sign them, under threat direct o
e implied, that their wages depend upol
I their compliance.
q In addition to this, the corporation
!. having immense facilities at hand, sen,
:. forth their henchmen TO organize thei
r employees into clubs for the expires
purpose Of antagonizing the farmers
. the Farmers Alliance and the people
!. party, to the extent that such legisla
! ton as the farmers demand shall no
be had
4 In view of these strategic movement
q how stands the case with railroad EN-
ployes who demand, and ought to have
/. certain important laws enacted 70
.bo;r yrotaction0