The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1894-07-07
KNIGHTS TO STRIKE
And the Typographical Union Will
Follow Them.
LET THE CORPORATIONS ANSWER
The Situation in CalifOfnia---Pu Pullman
Goes to Europe and Leaves the
Strike to Settle Itself
Statement From Debs.

statement from OeDs'
Chicago, july 5.-Eugene V. Debs,
president of the American Railway
Union, has issued long statement in
justification of the great strike of which
he is the central figure. The article is
addressed to the public, and reads in
part as flows;
'The Pullman employees who struck
May last did so entirely of their own
accord. The officers of the American
Railway Union used all their influence
to pacify the employees, and advised
them repeatedly not to strike, but to
bear patiently their grievances until a
peaceable settlement could be effected,
The truth of this statement the em-
ployes themselves will bear witness TO.
But the grievance of the employees, IN
and women, had become so aggravated,
SO CALLING, that patience deserted them,
and they abandoned their employment
rather than submit longer to conditions
against which their very souls rebelled.
The Pullman company, pe it understood,
owns the town of Pullman, owns the
home of the employees, controls the
light and water and other necessaries of
life, and wages are so adjusted to living
expenses that in a large majority of
cases the employees are scarcely able to
support their families. At the time
they struck the employees were in arrears
to the Pullman company $4,000 for
rent alone. Wages had been repeatedly
reduced, but the rent and all other ex-
penses remained the same.
"The employees from the beginning
have been willing to arbitrate their diff
ferences with the company, but the
company arrogantly declares that there
is nothing to arbitrate. If this be true,
why not allow board of fair and i'm
partial arbitrators to determine the fact.
Committee after committee waited upon
the officials of the Pullman company,
but all their advances were repelled.
Up to this point the trouble was confined
to the Pullman Company and its en-
employees and how then did the strike
extend to the railwaysP Let the answer
be given in accordance with the facts.
''The day before the order for the men
to decline to pull Pullman cars went in
to effect, the managers association, re-
presenting the principal western rail-
ways, met and adopted series of reso-
lutions, declaring in substance that they
would uphold the Pullman Company in
its fight upon its employees, that they
would haul Pullman cars and would
stand together in crushing out the
American Railway Union. It will thus
be seen that the railway companies vir-
tually joined forces with the Pullman
Company; went into partnership with
them, so to speak, to reduce and defeat
their half-starved employees. In this
way the trouble was extended from
system to system until a crisis has been
reached.
"What can be done to dispel the ap-
prehension that now prevails and re-
store confidence? The American Rail
way Union, by whose authority, and in
whose behalf this statement is made,
stands ready, and has from the begin
ming stood ready, to do anything in its
power, provided it is honorable, to end
this trouble. This, it can be stated, is
the position the organization occupies.
1t simply insists that the Pullman Com
pany shall meet its employees and do
them justice. We guarantee that our
employees will accept any reasonable
proposition. Let them agree as far as
they can and where they fail to agree,
let the points in dispute be submitted
to arbitration. The question of the
recognition of the American Railway
Union or any other organization is
waived. Let the spirit of Cancellation,
mutual concession, and compromise
animate both sides, and there will be
no trouble in reaching settlement that
will be satisfactory to all concerned.
''It has been asked what sense there
is in sympathetic strikes. Let the cor
porations answer. When one is assailed,
= II n :