The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1894-08-24
DEBS AS A WITNESS.
TESTIFIEs BEFORE THE ARBITRA-
ITO. COMMISSION.
Leader Of the Recent Railway strike
Gives His Version OF That Great
Event-sn>s 1t Was Caused by
the Pullman strike.

audience Wnlcn mas yet Deen Ill a''Sii"-
ance upon the strike commission SEES
Soas was present to-day. attracted bS
the appearance as Il witness or ifeSl-
dent T.. Y. Debs, Of the A. Il. L. The |
court room where the commissioners |
sit was crowded from the bench TO the |
doorwayS President HeDS took the |
witness chair,
Now, tell us in your own way Mt. !
Dcbs" said Commissioners Wright,
what YOU know Of the Pullman strike
and its results.
Leaning forward in his seat the tail
leader of the great strike began IN
low, clear voice. 4 recital, which grad
ually became more earnest and forclble
as he proceeded, until il developed into
almost an Grafton He told Of having
received word that strike in Pullman
was imminent and of his coming to
Chicago to investigate.
II found" he said, that the men
we're working for the Pullman company
at wages upon which they could not
| live | found that salaries had been
cut time and again until skilled me-
| Chanics were working their lives away
/ for wages no sufficient for day LABOR
er. That the town Of Pullman with It's
sh0DS. lis houses and its stores was so
schemed that every penny the WORKING
nan made found its way back into the
e, In,,anvs Golfers In fact | found the
workingmen of Pullman in Il pitiabie
condition aud determined | would 90
n, in my power rs president OF the =.
Il. L. to III prove the condition OF these
men The strike followed, ordered BY
the men then. selves Then came the
boycott. ordered by the duly elected
delegates to our convention ana theh
followed the railroad strikes, ordered
by the various local unions, each or
which had grievances Of its own
MI. Debs then told Of the strike, ms
account diiferin. but little from that
Of the Other 4 r. Z. officials who had
preceded him en- the witness stand.
Would the railroad strikes occurred
if there had been no Pullman trouble!
asked Commissioner Wright
NO. the Pullman strike was the
prime cause We decided to stop Pull
mans ears and shut of his income,
thus forcing him to arbitrate. But the
railroad men had grievances OF their
own. The general managers associa
|,
avoved intention of giving assistance
to the railroads in labor troubles. The
evident aim was to drive organized Ia
,, .,,, 1ran. existence No sooner hah tins
sssociat:on been formed than syStemat
l.. reductit Ms Of rlil"oa,l wages all ovcl
, the couLtry hegan. he cuts were MADE
, on one road at time, and III one de
: partment at Il time. but the systematic
Q regularity With which they appeared
t was sufficiently significant. The mel
: were ready t. strike, and felt they Ia,
) cause Bur the trouble would not hay'
: come whel il did had il not been 70
+ The Pullman matter. The time was un
0 propitious b,siI ess was depressed ani
II oney was scarce | did not order tn
G strike | bad not the power. the mel
, did it themsels es. But ] do not wisl
= to shrink any responsibility and an
: Wiling to say that heartily commend
: cd. concurred III and approved of III
action taken by the men As to VIZ
,, lence, l always condemned It, | hav
+ written aid spoken against it, belieN
ing aud knowing that strike canne
: be won by violence As 10 telegram
! sent from cur office counselllng w
Il lance. | know Of no such epislles.
n What about tile sblya--un' tel
e gram asked Commissioner Herman.
1t That is easily explained. The tel
in gram was Sc nj by a private secretal
to friend in Butte, and was merely
le playful expression. 1t WAS sent as sue
g and was - understood.
y Mr.. Eebs then said that within fl
days after the strike was declared u
" Il rai IL
- They were paralyzed. he said, ID
- lust al that time injunctions were SOW
y broadcast ard shortly afterward Il
: officers of the a. X. T. We're arrest'
- for contempt of court That beat I
to It wasn't tho railroads or the arm
IN but the POWER Of the United Stat
courts 1Lat beat us. About that tir
%. thing occurred which | desire
ed mention Gen. Miles came to Chicas
ly called on the general managers assoc
ton, and the next day was quoted IN
ay Interview as say ing that he had brok
ds the hackbcIa OF the strike. Now, C
slder that call Of Gen. Miles as vulgar
m out OF place He had no more right
OF consult with the general managers
le- sociatiOD than he had to consult w
10 the men of our union l might 81
too, that i, seems strange that all
- ou. letters and kilograms were ma
~ public property while not line Of
- railroad cer:esE1 Lderce was publish
10 II it had been / think we could pre-
or, that the general managers, at one
,at their secret meetings. declared Il
would stamp the A. X. {. out of
m istence.'
Be ------
to The Mfkado's cousin arrives
RS, New York, Aug. 2l.-Amons the
Gre senparS on the French liner. La IL