The evening world., 1894-08-20
DEBS ON the STAND.
A. Z. U. Leader Tells His Story
of the Great Strike
Says the Courts Saved the Rail-
reads from Defeat
Commissioner Call Upon Pullman
to Appear and Tsstify.
IBy Associated Press \


q CHICAGO, Aug. 2o.-The Strike Com
missloners have notified George NJ.
Pullman to appear and testify,
and will also call for several
members of the General Managers As
ISOLATION. The date for MIR. Pullman's
testimony OF President T.. V. Debs. of
Is expected that he will appear Tues
day or Wednesday.
BY far the largest audience yet in
attendance upon the Strike Commission
sessions was present to-day to hear the
testimony OF President 8. v. Debs, Of
the American Railway Union. When
told to tell his story, in his own way,
what he knew Of the Pullman strike and
its results, the tall leader of the great
strike began In low. clear voice a
earnest and forcible as he proceeded.
until 1t developed into almost an ora
ton. He told OF having received word
that strike In Pullman was imminent.
and Of his coming to Chicago to inves-
tigate.
II found" he said. that the men were
working for the Pullmon Company ut
wages upon which they could not live.
I found that salaries had been cut time
and again until skilled mechanics were
working their hives away for wages not
SUFFICIENT for a common laborer; that
the town of Pullman, with It's shops.
Its houses and its stores was so schemed
that every penny the workingman made
found Its way back into the Company 4
Golfers.
I'm fact, 1 found the workingmen OF
Pullman In a pitible condition, and de-
termined to do all In my power as
- n
Union. to improve their CONDITION. The
| strike followed, ordered by the mer
themselves. Then came the boycott, or.
dered by duly elected delegates to oui
road strikes, ordered BY the ,variou,
anees Of Its own.
account differing but little from that Q
the other American Railway Union ON
ness-stand He said the Pullman strik
was the prime cause Of the railroa'
grievances OF their own. The Genera
Managers Association had been organ
niaed with the avowed intention OF CIV
| organized labor from existence.
No sooner had this Association beef
formed than systematic reduction o
railroad wages all over the country be
/
At time and In one department at .
time, but the systematic regularity will
which they appeared was sufficiently sig
and felt they had cause. But the trou
BILE would not have come when 1t die
had II not been for the Pullman matter
The time was unpropitious," said Mr.
Debs. Business was depressed ant
strikes. ! had not the power. The mel
did that themselves. But / do not wlsl
to shirk any responsibility, and am will
Ing to say that heartily concurred II
| men. As to violence, / always con
demned 1t. have written and Spoken
against It. believing and knowing that |
kilograms sent from our once counsel
ling violence, / know nothing OF an!
such epistles."
w9s' ,. about the buy kan tele
That Is easily explained. The tele
gram was sent by a private secretary t,
a friend In Butte. and was merely
pisSytv expression IT was sent as suel
Mr.. Debs then said that within fy
days after the strike was declared tn
Union had the railroads beaten.
just at that time injunctions were sow
broadcast, and shortly afterwards III
officials Of the American Railway UnioI
were arrested for contempt OF court
4
or the army, but the power Of the Unite
states Courts that beat US. About tina
| time thing occurred which desire L
| mention. Gen. Miles came to Chicago
called on the General Managers Asso
citation. and the next day was quoted 4
an interview as saying that he ha
broken the backbone Of the strike.
Now. l consider that call OF Gen
Miles AZ vulgarly out Of place. He ha
| no more right to consult with the Gen
eral Managers Association than he ha
TO consult with the men OF our Union
!! might say, too, that II seems strang
that all Of our letters and telegram
were made public property. while not
published"
Mr.. Debs said that the union had talk e,
every possible means to prevent riotinl
and disorder. We objected to the pres
snce OF the Federal troops, but not I
rightly no serious outbreak occurred un
til the Federal troops arrived. as thei
presence infamed the men"
The witness then told OF the troubl
with the railroad brotherhoods.
The brotherhoods have out,ived thei
usefulness" he said, and for that rea
They were, I fear. jealous OF the Amer 1
can Railway Union, and Helped to de
feat us. There Is now a movement o
foot TO form a grand and united railroa
labor organization. Within three days
proposition will be submitted to the othe
railroad orders, whereby all present OF
shall resign, with no possibility OF cleo
tim TO office. The principal cause @
strife thus being removed, an organiZa
don will be effected. II the brotherhood
will consent, which shall include all raj
road employees"