The Irish standard., 1894-07-28
Why HE cur THE WAGES.
The Cause of the Pullman Strike Explained
by New York Editor.


The Cause Of the Pullman Strike Explained
by New York Editor.
The following New York Herald story
Of an interview with Mr. Pullman last
summer gives what is believed to be the
first authentic inside information as to
the origin and animus OF Pullman's pres.
ent controversy with his employees:
About July Of last year prominene'
republican editor Of New York, who is
nationally known, to his profession at
least, had occasion to make arrange.
ments for an extensive business trans
action with the Pullman company. To
effect the arrangements he travelled from
New York to Chicago to call personally
upon Mr.. Pullman Although the two
gentlemen had never met, the New York
editor was we'll known to Mr.. Pullman
and was received by him at once upon
his arrival.
The business which took the editor to
Chicago was quickly completed, and the
two gentleman engaged in a discussion
of the prevailing panickly situation.
With hardly any reference to the imme-
diate point of the conversation, Mr.. Pull
man suddenly turned upon his visitor
and said abruptly and forcibly:-'I like
your paper and like it's politics. am
q Republican, and while I do not do
much talking, my Republioanism
is of the same stalwart, uncompromising
sort as yours" MIR. Pullman went on to
express in torcibls language bis anger
and disgust at the election of Cleveland,
declaring that it was directly responsible
for the panic. He continued:
II predicted this and fought against
Cleveland's election with all my power.
But it was of no avail, The workiugmen
were simply crazy
With this Mr. Pullman arose and se-
lecting from a cabinent of files book OF
clippings, he read to his visitor the sensa
tional speech which he delivered to the
employees in Pullman late in the presi
dental campaign OF 1892. 1t was this
speech which stirred up the work1Dgmen
Of Chicago to such pitch of indignation
and undoubtedly contributed much to
the surprising vote which Cleveland re-
.eeived in that .oty.,>A more inpolltle
speech could hardly have been delivered
and the party organs of Chicago did
everything in their power to counteract
the boomerang like effect which it pro-
duced.
In this speech Mr.. Pullman said to his
employees substantially this:
my men, have no wish to unduly in
auence your votes, or to attempt to per.
suade you in any way that is not entire
ly right and proper for me to do. want
it understood that every man in Pullman
is absolutely at liberty to vote as he
plsases and wish none of you to regard
what + hav . to say in the light OF an at
| tempt to coerce you into voting any way
against your conviction.
But this is a business campaign. II
Cle7eland is elected it means an end to
The protective tariff ia this country, and
Furthermore, as result Of this, the big
gest financial disaster which this country
has ever seen. If Cleveland is elected
business in this country will come to q
letandstill. The railroads will have moth
| ing to do and We shall have no cars to
lbuild. You can see for yourselves what
this means It means that Pullman will
have to shut down or to run along on
half pay. In other words, the cold fact
is just this: That any man in. Pullman
who votes the Democratic ticket is sim
ply voting bread and butter out of his
mouth and out Of the mouths of his wife
and children. Ifyou want to do that go
ahead and do it But I appeal to you
not to commit such folly"
These OF course are not Mr.. Pu]lman's
exact words, but fairly represent the
burden of hie harangue. When Mr.
Pullman had finished reading the clip
ping of his speech to his visitor, he
turned to him and said:
II have done as much or labor as any
man living, and have always tried to
treat my men squarely. But I am sick
and Glisgusted at their treachery. Nor
mally we returned in Pullman from g.
600 to $500 republican majority. con-
fdently expected that we should do as
much for Harrison. [ had not the slight
est idea that the majority would fall be-
low 1000 in any event. You,may imagine
my surprise when the returns came in
and Pullman had cast majority OF more
than 1000 for Cleveland"
Mr.. Pullman's manner became impress
sive and he leaned forward and said slow
ly and vindictively:
II made up my mind that that was the
last Of my sympathy for the working
men. I made up my mind that my en-
ployes in Pullman were not worth car
ing for. and that I would go ahead and
cut wages to the bottom notch. lWould