The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-27
DEBS BOUND TO DIE HARD.
The Railway Union Don't Realize YET
That II is Whipped.

A Meeting to Be Held at Chicago on
Aug. 2 to Decide Whether to Con-
tinue the Strike or Declare 1t Of.
Debs Greeted With Cheers on Enter
ing Meeting of Strikers.
Chicago, July 26.-The board of direct
ors of the American Railway Union held
meeting this morning at the Revere
House and decided to call a convention of
delegates of the local union to be held at
Ulrich's hall in this city on Aug. ?. The
convention will be attended by one dele
gate from every local union at present
affected by the strike, and its
purpose will be to determine
whether the strike will be continued
or abandoned, aud in the former
event to decide on the future mode of pro-
cedure. Each delegate will be instructed
by his union before attending the conven-
tion, how his colleagues feel on the ques-
tion, and he will have full authority to act
for them. This will relieve the directors
OF direct responsibility, and incidentally
accomplish the purposes of Messrs. Debs,
Howard, Keliher and Rogers without
making them liable to another case of
contempt of court. At least this is their
opinion.
The directors went into session at 10
O'Clock and sat until after ~. Further
than issuing the call for delegate con
vention, nothing but routine business was
transacted.
DEBs GREETED WITH CHEERS.
The members of the board went from
the Revere House Immediately on adj
,ournment, and attended meeting of the
local strikers at Ulrich's hall. The hall
viii comfortably accommodate about 500
people, but on this occasion it held over
1000. The cheers which went up upon
| President Debs' entrance could be heard
! several blocks away. The hearing Of
committee reports, which had been go
| ing on, gave way to the demand for
| a speech from the unions president and
| he was not reluctant in giving it. He
| told his fellow railway men that If the
| ruling of Judge Woods was cor
| rect in the United States circuit
court, then the laborer was no
! longer a free man, and had
no right to defend and protect himself,
| but was a common slave to capital, and
| had no right to do other than as his en-
| ployer ordered He said he did not be-
| lieve the ruling of the Judge was sound
| but If 1t was, the only thing LETT 10 90
was to muster their forces and
carry to the polls man who would bring
about an amendment to the constitution
which would give them their liberty.
"Debs for Congress" was the cry on all
sides after this speech.
The directors say that the strike situa-
tion will remain as it is until the conven-
tion of Aug. 2, at which time future tao
tics will be decided upon.
BITTER AGAINST THE COURT.
At a meeting of the American Railway
! Union to-day President Debs violently as
sailed the prosecution in the contempt
! proceedings. Toward the close of his
| speech he said: Il am under indict-
ment all the way from San Francisco
! to Pennsylvania, and from St. Paul to
| New Orleans, but l have not forfeited my
right to free speech. and if Judge Woods
! yesterday enunciated the law, | would
rather rot in Jail than be free man. If
! l alone were concerned in this matter,
would permit no defense to be made in
my behalf, for l consider it an honor to
be in contempt of the court that is going
TO try me-"