The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-26
SAM GOMPERS' VIEWS.
He Thinks Cleveland Should
Have Settled the Strike.
THE INQUIRY AN "lNoussr."
window GiAa Werksrs' Wages Al
Jastea 60 the ns.emeyer Tari1
Bni-rhe Men May strike.

CHrcAso. Aus. ea-Prssidens Dehs vss
called again to-day BY the strike commits
sion. In reply 20 questions he stated that
he did not favor compulsory arbitration
in setting labor troubles. He did not b.
lEeve sueA method would prove univer-
sally satisfactory. nebs said that before
the strike there had been dissatisfaction
among the selegraphers. The report that
there were not more than 30 American
Railway Union men on the Rock Island,
witness said was absurd.
Samuel Gompers. president Of the
American Federation Of Labor. was the
nexs witness lie prefaesd bis testimony
with an outline II the aims and pTin ciples
Of the federation. and gave figures saew-
Ing the extent Of It's membership. Com
pers told Of the conferences Of the heads Of
the labor organizations in Chicago. lie
said that after long elaboration the dele
gates had decided to request President
Cleveland TO attempt to settle the strike.
I'VE thought" Mr.. Gompers said. that Il
Mr.. Gladstone could do 80 much good SER
vice IN the English coal strike. such
an attempt would not be beneath
the dignity of the president
Of the United States. Accordingly a
telegram was sent 70 Mr.. Cleveland. ask
ing his aid. To that message he DID NOS
deign 10 reply. In fact. he took not tho
slightest notice Of It. We considered
the matter carefully, and finally de-
clded that We could not gain the
strike: that IL would be a usarpa-
ton Of power and would for many
reasons be unwlse The delegates ex-
pressed their sympathy with the move
ment, and we soon afterward adjourned"
r. - sE=sFts hsa
tary's report a detailed statement OF the
proceedings Of the conference. Mr. Com
pers implied in effect that IN a general
strike all the unions participating muss
agree on the action, and said that IL would
have been impossible for che conference %
have declared general sympathetic strike.
Gompers was asked for his opinion as ~
the methods for preventing strikes II
do not condemn strikes as heartily as do
some men, +" he said. Il believe that 80
long as present conditions exist they arc
necessary. and believe that all strikes
do good in calling attention 20 the fact
that Iaboring men will not be driven fur
Their down into poverty. think tue &C
ton OF strikers In paralyztng the railroads
OF the country was iustihaole.
The witness was frankly uncomplimen-
tary regarding the strike commission. 81
think this thing is rather late in tho
day. " he said. This examination Of the
commissioners is rather in the nature OF
an inquest on dead body. do not am
ticipate great good from The present i'm
yestigation."
The witness had something he wanted
10 say about the injunctions issued by the
court He held that these injunctions
were not rightly based on the interstate
commerce law; that the law was not In
tended to apply to labor organizations.
lie said the injunetions were based upon
court-made laws. upon decisions given Ia
the absence of law. When Mr. Gompers
finished tho commission adjourned until
Monday.
An error erept into last nights report OF
the proceedings before the commission In
yestigating the Pullman strike. The
statement was made that Mr.. 81. John.
general manager of the Rock Island. tesn-
fed that list OF names han been prepared
for the General Managers Association
containing the names of the most active
strikers. Mr.. ST. John made no such
statement. but testified that neither the
Rock Island nor the General Managers
Association had ever kept blacklist or
that they had such At the present time.