Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1894-08-30


the regular average. The police were massed
along tracks or held in reserve at stations, and
30 old not pay as much attention to the crlm.s
inal classes Of the city Us usual. 2 ai. \
The chief said many of the complaints made
against the police were made by deputy mar
shals, who We're more In the, way than of serv-
Ice. To show the character OF some Of these
men the chief offered to Introduce the records
OF three deputy marshals who had been ar
rested Tor highway robbery. The commission
excluded the records as irrelevant.
john I. Norton, q locomotive engineer re-
siding In South Chicago and formerly en-
ployed by the Illinois Central railroad, gave
his e experience with the blacklist. After the
strike he secured q position with the Calu-
met - Blue Island road, which was to run
over the Rock Island tracks part OF the way to
get out OF South Chicago. He made one
Trip and on his return was informed that the
Rock Island ofncials had barred him from their
tracks, and he was therefore discharged He
with witness. called on Superintendent Dun
lap OF the Rock Island system, and was told
that he could not run on, their tracks because
he belonged to the A. r. u. and for no other
reason. s5 Il 81 &fst
Says Strikes Do Good.
CHICAGO, Aug. 28.-President Samuel "A
GOmpers, OF the American Federation OF La
Dor, being called to testify, told the commis-
sion about the Briggs house conference Of July
IL, at which there were present representatives
OF all the prominent national labor organiza-
TONS This conference was called upon BY
committee from several Chicago unions asking
that general strike be ordered as sug-
gested The request was considered care-
fully, and the conference Of the American
Federation of Labor came tOthe conclusion that
the presidentef the United States should be
called upon to do whatever there was in his
power to bring the great labor trouble to an
Ant N<a hot N oF%
was sent to the president asking that he either
come to Chicago or send some one to act fer
him In q conference with the executive
council OF the American Federation OF Labor.
The president did not reply to the telegram.
The council decided that 1t would be detri-
mental to the cause to indorse general strike,
as the American federation had no such au-
thority, even were its members so disposed.
Mr.. GOmpers said he had no scheme for the
abolition of strikes, boycotts and industrial
disturbances. He said that he did not join in
the denunciation of strikes. So long
as the present system of labor and
trade exists there would DO strikes. The
strike shows that the workingmans has
left yet some honor, manhood and courage,
Strikes have forced the employing classes and
the rest OF the world to pay some attention to
the labor question. Strikes were not the fail
ures they were usually written down to be-
More than two-thirds of the strikes were Victo-
ries for the laborers involved MI. Gompers said
that strikes bettered the condition Of the people
generally, even when they failed. Employees
Of q railroad strike. The corporation hires
other men, These new men certainly elevate
their economic condition, else they wouldn't
make the change Mr.. Gompers said his obser-
vations had led him to believe that the men
who strike are not lowered; do not take rela-
tive positions with the other men. So that
even failing strikes benefit the community
Ho n of H of cfr rr,1,n
sible to do without them. He believed in vol
untary arbitration.
He was not prepared to say that state social
ism would be the remedy: he did believe in the
government ownership Of railways and all
means OF transportation and communication
He said: III
1.-THE government already operates q great
number OF railroads. II it can operate q bank
rupt road l do not see why 1t could not operate
it before it becomes bankrupt
Mr.. GomperS thought the beneficial outcome
OF the recent strike was the appointment of
the commission before which he was testify
ing, only 1t would have been better il the COM
mission had been sent to Chicago earlier-dur-
ing the strike. He thought that 1t would have
been able to bring the General Managers asso-
citation and the leaders OF the labor organiza-
lions together.
The witness had some things he wanted to
say about the injunctions issued by court He
nelu tnat tneSe 1nJunctlOnS were not rightly
based on the inter state commerce law, that
that law was not intended to apply
to labor organizations. He said the
injunctions 4 were based on court-made
law, upon decisions given In the absence Of
law. He held further that 'old musty laws"
made hundred years ago, before the appli-
cation OF steam and electricity to industry
had eyer been dreamed of, were
not pliable enough, elastic enough to deal
with the prob!SMs Of to-day. Conditions
had changed so that the laws should be
changed humane and beneficial law, when
passed. was not infrequently pronounced un-
constitutional.