The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-10

classes which 81 his command has struck
at the national transportation business
This American Railway Union desires 10
rule the railroads and to take to itself the
power over the public means of travel
which the Law now exercises It wishes to
replace the limited machinery of the law
with an absolute despotism which can
strangle the whole business of the country
by the sudden withdrawal of the means Of
transportation.
The utter insincerity of Debs is shown
when he proposed before the general boy
colt was ordered that "a COMMITTEES OF
twelve be appointed from the convention
TO wait upon the officials of the Pullman
company and demand . settlement or
arbitration of the questions at issue.
Then, IL they refuse the order general
boycott on the company's cars can be
issued" continued President Debs, 'and
when that order goes out, brothers. not q
Pullman car will be moved in any terri
tory over which the flag OF the American
Railway Union fioats''
In PLAIN English Debs has arrayed the
/
against the commonweal, against the
American flag. against the country. The
Pullman Car Company and its employees
disagreed on wages, the company saying
that from lack of orders they could not
keep their shops open unless at reduced
wages. The employees refused to work on
the proposed terms. so the Pullman COM
pany ceased TO work. Then this American
Railway Union declares general boy
colt against all railroads using Pull
man sleeping cars in order 10
force the Pullman Car Company to
go to work for Its health. The Pullman
company must be compelled. says this
American Railway Union, to work against
its will, which Is about as moral and just
and lawful a proceeding as it would be to
make a man work against his will by the
lash of a slave driver or the duress of the
law. In free country unless man
breaks the common rules of society he has
been protected in his rights of life, lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness.
This American Railway Union made
demand that the Pullman company should
submit to arbitration the question whether
IL could afford to raise wages at time
when IL was building cars at less than
cost, merely in order to give the men en-
ployment at some rate Of pay.
A decision in favor of the employees
would not put the Pullman Car Company
in funds; 1t would not furnish new orders
for cars st higher prices than before. A
decision adverse to the company could not
be complied with so that an arbitration
would have been useless and downright
mockery. The New York Evening Post,
Dem, recites these we'll known facts and
says:
Probably the Railway Unionists had
this fact in view when they insisted so
strongly on arbitration and when they re-
fused the company's offer TO submit its
books to examination by q committee of
the employees"
These very men who are now endeavor-
Ing TO enforce a compulsory arbitration
upon the Pullman Car Company con-
demned United States Judge for recent
decision denying the right of railroad work.
men to leave off work at will. Ever since
that decision was rendered il has been de-
nounced as a violation of the right of the
| iaborer to work or not, as he pleased. even
when his employer was corporation in
the custody OF United States court.
The Philadelphia Press says:
Disputes between employers and EN-.
/ ployes, no matter 10 what extent they
may affect the public, are really private
| matters With which the public cannot pre-
sumo 10 interfere, either officially or other
/ wise. III both parties are willing 10 arhi-
trate they can proceed without the need
| of any law or the use of public machinery
/ They can select their own arbiirat0rs ana
| proceed in whatever way they like, regard
I less OF any existing arbitration act. III
i one party or the other declines to arbitrate
4 the law cannot compel IL 10 accept Arbitra-
/ ton. IL cannot be enforced. ard that
makes all laws on the subject failures"
The Typographical Union of New York
| city, No. & is reported as having passed
resolutions Of sympathy with the Amer
| lean Railway Union aud decided that the
only solution of the question lay in the
purchase OF the railroads by the govern
! msnt.
This method Of settlement would Ne alb
surd, as Secretary Carlisle once pointed
| out 20 a committee of populists. saying
that il would cost SO. O00, p00. 90 Tor the
| government to buy the railroads; that we
had been nearly thirty years trying to pay
war debt Of s. so, 90, coo and that there
vas nearly billion still lef. unpaid; that II
the government owned aud conducted the
railways the number Of petty government
ogfiee holders would be enormously in
| creased, that today our offics-holding class
Of iess than 10000 vas deemed an injury
70 the cause Of good government: THAI the
/ purchase and RAINING OF railways By the
government would give US nearly Leo. 600
petty once holders and exercise a very
pernieioas effect upon our politics. as a
million Of men, all government ofles
holders, could saFn sa election aud perpet.
uate political party IN power. no matter
how psrnieious IL might be.
Tas tAoukhtlsss suggestion Of the Typo.
graphical Union Of Ne~ York city shows
that Joha Stuart Mil vas righs when he
said the conspicuous lack In tbs labor
combinations from a business poiat o.
view vas good leadership this is why SC
many men - on strike tos SIX weeks and
face starvation only 70 had defeat at last
strikes are costly affairs. The extra ex.
psuse Of the state Of 0hie for militia dur
ing shs cosi strike IA estimated 81 $50 0o0
A Uniontosa. Pa, telegram says; The
coke strike bids fair 10 oatriva! all It's pre-
dscessars in expense. The actual cost /.