The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-07-09
soyEREIGN's MANIFESTO.
An Echo OF pemagouges' Talk-Asssrtion
That Mean Nothing.

An Echo OF pemogOuges' Talk-AsssrtiOns
That Mean Nothing.
Ra,htnglOp Post
Our greatly admired neighbor, the
New York Commercial Advertiser, strikes
us as being trIHe too serious over Cen
eraI Master Workman Sovereign, Of the
knights OF Labor, aud his literary style.
After quoting from Master sovereign's
late proclamation as follows:
The Pullman Company docs not stop with the
oppression Of is employees and the robblng Of
the public, but 4 resorts e pOrSccSu9In q mei'
cd the cup OF poison 70 the philosopher, Anu
Rlndled the iagou at the teot OF mArt IA TINS
company hRl robbed It's employees with leAs
humane consideration for innocent women a ~
children than did the meAneSt slave driver Tor
his chattelS Of the auction block In ante'bellUm
days.
tho esteemed, but much too solemn
Commercial AdpTtiIer goes on to say:
The truth Of tho mattor Is that these robbed
and persecuted employees had as, 900 in the sav'
ings bank at Pullman when they struck last May,
and lived with degree Of comfort that no other
WoTkinEmen Of their Glass ever enjoyed before
In tho history OF tho world. Their model city
was tho theme OF praise from all travellers who
visited Il, and tho Pullman Company, whose
pride Il was 10 have Il SO, spent money with a
lavish hand 10 maintain lt In Its perfect condi'
ton and efficiency. Possibly It IS soTerelgn'S
purpose 70 poison tho minds Of the. working:
men OF his order, thinking that bis lying Will
not DO found out before Il has accomplished IL
object Il Is q knaviSh tEick, and II Is shame
that there Is no law " punish him.
Tho truth Is, however, that Master
Workman Sovereign 10 merely talking
as no has heard other demAgoEuss talk.
de knows, Just as we'll as any one else
knows, that tho Pullman employees
wero not especially oppressed and per-
secuted. He knows that they lived In
comfortable, even luxurious houses, for
which thoy paid very light rental, and
ho is intelligent enough TO understand
tho meaning OF tho 100000 and more
which they had saved out Of their wages
and had lying to thor credit
in tho Pullman bank. The only
trouble with Mr.. Sovereign Is q GER
tain ofilorescence OF fancy and a tropical
profusion Of language. His literary
tastes ran in the direction Of the florid
and tho ornate. He revola In epigram
and metaphor. But we do not really
think that Mr.. Sovereign believes half
the dreadful things he says so pictures
urely, or expects anybody else to be.
love them. He 10 poot whose inward
fires flame up at times whether no will
or no, and it is hardly fair to hold him
responsible for an occasional puff OF
smoke. i,
That therc arc instances Of greed and
tyranny and meanness on tho part Of
employers we do not doubt That the
employees arc always wrong whom they
break out into protest and rebellion We
do not for ono moment believe
But this arbitrary grouping Of the
classes and these incendiary appeals to
prejudice have wrought diro calamity
to tho whole country, and should DO re.
celved with great caution by Intelligent
men. 1t Is just US false and foolish to
say that all employers are usurers and
tyrauts Gs to say that oil employees arc
virtuous and noble martyrs. Honest
men don't say such things aud sensible
men don't believe them. ,
As for Mr.. Sovereign, We haven't the
least idea that no intended the half OF
that proclamation Of his to DO taken So
riousiy. Flo lie the head OF powerful
organization, and no wished; OF course.
to declare lie sympathy with Ito pur.
poses and convictions, but beyond that
no was merely disporting himself amidst
the flowers Of MISUNDERSTANDING his
appetite, so TO speak, for tho flemboy-
ant and tho pictuuesuue In speech.