The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1894-07-07
Debs' Explanation.

mess interests; whose rights of proper
ty; whose means of living and of car
rying on their pursuits, he has attempt
ed to strike down by his imperial edict,
why he has done this thing. What is
his justification for the war he has de-
clared against the public who are de-
pendent even for the food that keeps
them from starving on the operation OF
the railroads he has ordered to be tied
up? In an address to railway men,
which he has issued, he sets forth the
causes and objects of the strike in these
words:
The struggle with the Pullman com
pany has developed into a contest be-
tween the producing classes and the
money power of the country. This was
what Lincoln predicted at the close of
the war, and it was this reflection that
gave the great emancipation his gloom
lest forebodings. We stand upon the
ground that the workingmen are EMIT
led to just proportion of the proceeds
Of their labor. This the Pullman com
pany denied them"
And so this is the best be can DO Ill
dertaken to put complete stop to all
railroad traffic between Pennsylvania
and the Pacific coast. 1t IS an explain
alton which does not explain. For how
are producing classes aided by tying up
the railroads on which they depend for
transporting their products to market
and thus destroying the value Of their
products? Certainly 'wcrkingmen are
entitled to a just proportion Ofthe pro
ceeds of their labor" not only those III
the employ Of the Pullman company,
but every worhingmau in America. Rut
are all the railroads of the country to
be tied up and all business brought to
a standstill every time Mr.. Debs gets
the idea into his head that some en-
ploycr is not paying his men enough
wages? This mar is crazy. There is no
doubt of it. After this exhibition of
bald imbecility it is plain that lie is
stark mad, that the intoNIcation Of his
sudden lift TO unknown heights of pow
er has swelled his head and fuddled his
brains till he lis incapable Of the sim
plest process of reasoning.
Yes, "workingmen are entitled to a
just proportion of the proceeds of their
! labor" and he adds: The Pullman
company has denied them" If it were
true that the Pullman company has
denied them" how does that fact JUS
tify the tying up of nearly thirty rail
roads on which over 20,O00,OGO people
are directly dependent for their means
of living, for even the bread they eat?
For neither the railroad companies nor
the public are in any wise responsible
| for the acts Of the Pullman company.
1t will hurt the railroad companies
much and Pullman very little to stop
their operation. 1t would intiict i'm
measurable disasters upon the public
and very little, if any, upon Pullman to
deprive them of the use Of the means
Of transportation.
But suppOslDg that there was some
connection between the two. that in
some unknown way Pullman could be
hurt by Furnishing the public; by what
authority does Debs decide that Pull
man has denied to his employees u just
share of the proceeds Of their labor:
One would suppose that Mr.. Debs, be-
fore involving 10000, 600 of people in ali
the suffering and losses incident to a
general strike of railway employees on
this ground, would at least have taken
pains to make sure that ii was true. But
there is not particle OF evidence to
sustain the charge. On the contrary,
it is contradicted by all the facts which
the controversy has brought to light.
These facts have been already stated in
these columns. At the outset of tie
dispute the company offered to satisfy
its employees, by producing is books,
! that it was losing money even ut the re-
duced wages it offered It's men to keep
/ them employed, and that it would lose
much more money at the higher wages
! demanded, that, in the depressed con
/ dition of industry, ii would prefer to
shut up its works. No evidence has
I been produced in contradiction OF these
statements. 1t cannot be said that a
manufacturer refused to give his work
men just wages when lie refused to give
them wages which would subject him
j TO heavy losses III operating his factory.
1t cannot be said that he acted opprcss-
lively towards them when he offered to
employ them at loss to himself, but
when they insisted on the restoration
/ of the wages paid them in prosner9i.s
| times, preferred to shut M his works
They would have been at work TODAY.
getting better WAGES than the majority
of the working men Of this coug.trv are
forced to accent in these hard times if
pebs and Howard had NOT intnrr.rpd -
plunge them into idleness and misery.