The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-11-01
THE STREET CAR STRIKE.
Have Laboring Men the Right to
Associate for Mutual Ad.
vancement.

w udU lie meant.
ut means that you've got your
time," was the reply.
well, won't you you give me some
explanations" asked.
mo explanation is necessary"
So could simply shrug my Shout
ders and walk away"
This was one of the opening Incl
dents of the St. Paul Street Car COM
pany's lockout last Friday morning.
Mr.. Lowry says $50 men were summa-
rily discharged. Formerly the compa-
ny required everyemploye to sign an
agreement that he would not be con-
nected with any labor union. This
was source Of much dissatisfaction
and was finally abolished and union
of the employees was organized last
summer; but he purpose which
promptedits insertion in the contract
was never relinQuished. Mr.. Lowry's
course in the late trouble removes all
doubt as to that point.
Vice President Goodrich denied
that strike was pending and made
the following statement to the Fri
day morning papers:
''The company has simply taken
the bull by the horns and got rid of
the agitatOrs. Last night notices
were printed for distribution among
the employees in this city and St.
Paul, and this morning copy was
tor To
stay with us. The others received
their time and were asked to quit
forthwith"
The notice was in the form of
circular and closed with these signif-
icant words:
eve now say to all employees as IN
dsvadaGts that we in the future as in
the past desire to treat them with
such fairness as is due from en-
ployer to employe, but in so doing we
shall not listen to the mandates or dicta-
tons Of our employees as to the manage
ment OF the affairs of our company.
Every eanploye must stand upon has ooUn
MERIT"
Following the lockout all the cars
were tied up except those carrying the
inter urban mail. Mayor Wright
went over to Minneapolis and tried
to arrange conference, but Mr..
Lowry refused. A great mass meet
ing was held in Market hall Sunday.
Mr.. Lowry's action was condemned as
an attack on the workmen's right as
citizens to organize for the promotion
OF their mutual interests, and gen.
eral tie-up in all lines of business was
favored until Mr.. Lowry should con-
sent to recognize the union and arbi-
trate fairly.
Saturday noon service was resumed
on most of the lines; but the service
has been and is, simply execrable.
Two or three hundred applicants
for work stood in line all day Satur-
day at the company's office. The
men were taken separately and rigid
ly examined, promise being exact
ed from each that he would not be-
long to union.
~
Inciden thy there is involved in this
matter the question of the propriety,
after having received from the citi-
zens of St. Paul the magnificent gift
of the free use of the public streets
of the city for private business en-
terprise-a franchise that if used by
the city would support the city gov
ernment-the propriety of tying up
the street car lines, subjecting the
people to the Inconvenience of pedes-
trianism and the annoyance of an
abominable service, all to enable him
to get rid of lot Of union men and
to crush out all independence among
his employees. But the underlying
principle which furnished Mr.. Lowry
his incentive to action, is the broad
est and most comprehensive that
the American people-an
issue of which the great questions of
tariff, and corporate monop-
oily are but features-the question of
the relations of labor and capital-of
human rights; whether the labor
ing men have the same right to form
socities for their advancement as
bankers, employing printers, or 9TH
er citizens, and whether Mr.. Lowry
can arbitrarily deprive them of their
rights as citizens. The process of
Capitalization of wealth and central
ization of power through legislation
reaching back over a period of thirty
years, has gradually fastened upon
the people industrial, financial and
economic systems that are mon
strous, They have enthroned Greed
and subjugated the people. The cor
poration is sovereign. Its power
dominates the legislative, the execu-
tive, and the judicial branches of the
government. All important legisla-
tion is dictated by, and enacted in
the interest of, capital. The "finan-
Gers" the money kings, the manu-
featuring barons and the corporation
aabobs, all of them legislation