The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-26
STORY OF THE STRIKE.
Testimony Continued Before the
Strike Commission.


by the Labor Leaders-Gompers Be-
lieves in Strikes and Quotes Stats
tics to Show That 80 Per Cent. of
Them Win.
Chicago, Aug. 25.-President Debs of
the American Railway Union was re-
called at the beginning of to-day's session
Of the national labor commission. He pro-
cured letter substantiatinE his state
ment that the now famous expression
save your money and buy gun" was not
his but that of his stenographer, L. P.
Benedict, and was by the latter used in a
spirit of badinage. The letter declares
that the expression was a common one in
the Office at Butte, Mont, from which
Benedict came.
Debs was then asked the question:
DO you believe it justifable TO tie up the
commerce OF. the country in order to OBJ
tain redress for a comparatively small
body of men," TO which he replied; THAT
depends. For small grievance do not
think it would be justifable; for one
affecting a large number of men think
it would be-" do you think railroad
company would be justifisble in tying up
commerce in order to resist a demand
made on one roadp
well, that is the way the general
managers do the thing"
Commissioner Wright then read
Mr.. Debs communication which
suggests that labor and CAPT
tai each be required to file a bond to
be forfeited in case of refusal to submit
any question to arbitration. The witness
did not like the plan. He said he was
| opposed to anything like compul-
sorry arbitration. President Debs said
ne had no personal knowledge of black
list. He then devoted his attention to
denying statements made by General
Manager St. John, first denying that
| there were only 200 mem bers of the
American Railway Union on the Rock
Island system. I'VE had larger men,
bership than that" he said.
| Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, next took
the stand. He said the membership was
| $4,000. Mr. Gompers told, in detail
about the meeting atthe Briggs house, at
| which action was taken on the American
Railway Union strike.
1--WE decided at this meeting" said Mr.
Gompers, that since the prime minister
VI L-nElfSllQ ld0 uCClACu IL OK pCulGub W
| use the great power of England to end the
coal strike. il would not be beneath the
| dignity of the President of the United
| States to take some action in this I'M
happy crisis. To this end we telegraphed
| him, asking him either to come to Chicago
or send representative. To this tele-
! gram the President did not deign to re-
ply The American Federation Of Labor
| deemed it ineXpedient at this time to
| recommend q strike"
MIR. Gompers read an address to the
! public, explaining why the organization
| of which he is president refused to order
a strike. He referred TO the town of Pull
man as Pullmans pharasaical para
! disc. -
1T would be very difficult thing for
the American Federation of Labor to de-
clare a strike" continued Mr.. Gompers.
I'VE could only do it in some matter of
| general interest, such, for Instance, as
the establishment of an eight hour day."
When asked whether he thought a
| strike iustitiaOle at any time, MIR. Com
| pers said: II believe that labor has the
right at all times 10 better its condition.
| if commerce or industry is incidentally
| of the corporations which refuse'tougrant
/ it's lust or reasonable demands"
Asked how he would solve the labor
problem, Mr.. Gompers said: so long
as the present conditions exist there will
be strikes. l do not Join in this general
denanciation Of strikes. I regard the
strike as the protest of labor against
being bound in slavery. But for the
strikes. labor would never have been
given a second thought except for the
amount Of work 1t can produce. Strikes
are not the failures that they are usually
written to be. Labor statistics demon
strate that majority of strikes are won.
thirds of the strikes in that state have
been gained by the strikers. Some time
ago l was sent request for reports on
strikes by trades unions affiliated with
the American Federation of Labor
These reports show that so per cent.
of the strikes were won. per cent.
compromised and Is per cent. lost Even
when strikes are lost, they have their
good effect. They show employers that
If they attempt TO push their men fur
Their down it will be resisted, and will at
least prove very expensive. The fact that
this honorable commission was called to
meet, shows that the American Railway
Union strike had beneficial effect. 1t at
least called the attention of the public
to the grievances OF labor. l believe that
this meeting should have been called dur
ing the strike instead of after 1t is more
like coroner's jury now to me than any
thing else.
Mr. Gompers stated that the Brother
hood of Locomotive Firemen would
shortly affiliate with the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor, and he believed the
other railroad organizations would soon
follow suit.
think the government ownership Of
railroads practicable. If the government
can operate a bankrupt railroad, a thing
that it has frequently done, it can Ger
tainly operate railroad which is not
bankrupt But 90 not believe any one
plan can solve the labor problem. Wage
workers are Just like other per
sons-they will always ask for
more, no matter how much they
are getting. A man earning
dollar a day will be satisfied for awhile
with 81. 10 a day. A man who earned SO
a day will not be satisfied with an in
crease Of 10 cents; he will want 1925 or
Sd. 80 day. If he earns $1,000 year he
will want an increase to $4,000 year,
and if he gets $4,000 he will want the
earth"
Mr.. Gompers presented many objections
60 arbitration He, under no circum-
stances! favored compulsory arbitration
In regard TO injunctions by courts. Mr.
Gompers thought the courts often made
law where the statutes were silent
These new laws were afterward called
precedent. In this way an injustice will
sometimes work on the laboring classes by
the courts. The witness thought