St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-07
He Talks Freely and Earnest
ly Of the Coming Legal
Contests.
The Dogma of Master and
Servant as It Is Interpret
ed Today.
Accused Homesteaders Bear
Themselves as Brave, Per-
secuted Men.

CARNATIONS of Minnesota in the pre-
liminary work of the defense of the
men arrested for alleged rioting at
Homestead, and who will take an active
part in the trials when they begin, re-
turned to st. Paul Monday. After leav-
ing PittSburg MIR. Erwin went to CleYe-
land to visit his parents, both in the eight
les aid both we'll and strong in body and
mind, and was detained there longer
than he expected on account of the alb
Scnce of his father at Erwin, n. Y, the
family Seat since 1888, so his arrival
home was deferred until Monday.
In conversation yesterday with an
eX-preSldent of fhe trades and labor az
Sembly, Mr.. Erwin expressed his views
and sentiments very freely on the
Homestead fight and the rights of the
men arrested and ,now out on. BALL. AS
there was no injunction of secrecy at
tached to the Interview. the GIoBE
gives it to the public substantially as
Mr.. Erwin expressed it.
Date OF the Trials.
The great lawyer stated that Chief
| Counsel Brennan expected the trials to
begin about the middle of October, aid
| continued:
Il am only one of the many engaged
! the Lexington of economic liberty at
Homestead, and my observations and
| personal views must be submitted to
| the splendid corps Of gifted lawyers be-
fore they can be posed before the public
to lead the public thought.
GLOW did you so to PittSburs? Did
yOu correspond with the local lawyersn'-
NO. The trade and labor unions OF
Minnesota, by letter to William Weihe,
Nf i
ton OF Iron and Steel Workers, offered
to send George w. Argo, of Sioux City,
and myself TO aid i'll the defense. This
offer was accepted, and we thought it
best TO go in person to Pittsburg, and
arrange what we could preparatory to
the trials. 1t was a novel affair-two
lawyers volunteering from the North
west to enter the lists of Pennsylvania.
or, rather. two lawyers sent by the labor
Interests to enter the courts of that old
commonwealth. T. #f~'
An Unprecedented Move.
"There had been no precedent set for
our conduct. so we went directly to tile
officers of the Amalgamated association,
and were warmly received 10y all. These
gentlemen introduced us to Hon. Will
lam j. Brennan, who is the regular at
tOrney OF the Amalgamated association,
counsel to defend the Homesteaders.
MIR. Brennan met us most cordially,
and explained that the counsel who
would appear ins court had not been
definitely engaged, although it was
pretty we'll understood who would be
retained, but assured us that we would
be welcomed by the defense bar to assist
at the trials. That in few days he
would introduce us to the local counsel,
and we would consult with them. And
so IN few days we were introduced to
Hon. Thomas Marshall known as
GLORIOUS Old Tom" MarshalliIeads
the criminal bar of Pennsylvania, and is
one of the most loved sons of that great
commonwealth.
"Reardon, Montooth, Cox and others
who are retained III the interests of the
| defense are noted lawyers. They gave
us cordial greetings, and we will be able
| to work under and with this line of
| noble men with disinterested spirit for
| the cause of embattled labor
| Did you visit Homestead?'
Yes, we visited Homestead, and
were called out to address a meeting of
| over 1,500 of the strikers. A more in
telllgent crowd Of men never saw, nor
| even a more honest OF earnest and
| patriotic aSsemblage of citizens.
1.-The heartfelt welcome which they
gave us as the represen lat yes of the
sympathy Of organized labor in the
Northwest we will never forget. God
bless the noble fellows. | do hope we
can do them signal aid III the courts"
Situation at Homestead.
"What is the status Of affairs on the
ground?'
'Ah, sir, there are so many starting
| points to enter into description of the
.-,f, fI,o+ 7 u L.
| you. But first take some facts as the
groundwork Of the picture:
"Pennsylvania is a workshop of mod
ern industry. The fierceneSs of compe-
tition, led on recklessly by an increas-
ing desire to personally acquire great
wealth-this terrible insanity of the
last thirty years-has crowded all of the
| old virtues, heretofore thought insep-
arabic to great state. out Of the for
umS Of enterprise. The old colonial
spirit of Pennsylvania has been buried
under this madness Tor gain. The
colonial spirit was for personal equality
ana personal liberty. Now the patriotic
spirit stops at worship of national
greatness and the Splendor of great
personal acquisition.
"Ihe courts of the commonwealth.
modelled on the plan of England, OH the
principle of the divine right of kings.
are content to enforce the uSages and
practices specified i'll the Magma Charta
They stand petrifed = content to
maintain the liberty of a land of kings,
barOnS and Yeomen-a land of classes
and chartered privileges TO the few.
The labor emeutes of the past twenty
years have passed under the judicial
Legislation of that great state, only to
enforce the law of conspiracieS and acts
tending to disturb the kings peace.
Armed with the sacred deposit
OF the common law powers to judicial
ly determine the rules of justice to
every disturbing abrasion OF men in
every act of life, they seem to have en-
deavored to pass upon the new QueS-
lions now arising up from the agitated
ocean of American liberty, this Com
mending genius of our republic. by an
application of old rules and dogmas of
the government of kings.
A Fatal Idea.
s'The Hebrew dogma of master and
servant-that fatal idea which has ever
Stified all liberty except religious and
political liberty-SeemS still the Gibral-
tar which the courts dare not disturb.
Here is the critical view of the situation.
For if relief comes not from the courts.
where can labor hope for relief?
1.-The principles of the relation of
| master anu servant NOW maintained IN
the law were founded upon the truth
that the master knew better than the
servant what ought to be done by the
servant. But now skilled labor has so
enthroned the special knowledge of
each craft in every fiber Of the work.
mans soul and body that he, the servant
of the law, alone knows what the serv-
ant should do to labor well. Bare capt.
tai asserts the old rights of God-fear-
| Ing master.
The courts must limit the relations
| OF skilled labor from the sweep of the
Hebrew dogma. The Christ's love one
another must be substituted in the
law forums for the Mosaic servant,
| obey thy MASTER"
| Serious Allegations.
''How do the strikers act?''
| Like her0es-patient, brave, silent,
i 81 -