The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-10
Who Informed the WOuld-Be Peace
makers that the BOycOtted Com
pany Had Nothing to Arbitrate.
CHICAGO ALMOST PEACEFUL
No Serious Riots Yesterday and
Trains Moving More Regularly.
General MiIes's Instructions to His Sol
diers-AnOther Statement from
Debs-Incidents of the Strike.

CHICAGO, July 9.-The wheels of COM
merce still lag at the bidding of the Amer
lean Railway Union; nevertheless the war
cloud which has overhung this city and
this land for the past ten days shows dis
tinct signs of lifting. Instead of stories
of additional railroads tied up at various
points throughout the country to-day's dis
patches almost without exception, bring
advices of strikers returning to work and
an increased resumption of traffic, amount
ing in some places to a return to normal
conditions.
The day in Chicago passed without a Sc
rious conflict between the rioters and the
armed forces now on duty here. The feat
ure of the day was the action, early this
morning, after an all-night session, of the
federated trades unions of Chicago in de-
Gliding to call out all classes of labor on
Tuesday afternoon. at o'clock, unless
Geo. NJ. Pullman should have agreed be-
fore IL o'clock of that day TO settle the
differences between his company and his
striking employees or otherwise. For rea-
sons not known to the public General Mas
ter Workman Sovereign, Of the Knights of
Labor, and his advisers subsequently de-
cided to postpone the general walkout and
paralytic stroke which they proposed to
infiict upon the business of Chicago until
o'clock Wednesday morning. Late this
afternoon, however, the announcement was
made that President Samuel Gompers, of
the American Federation of Labor, had
called a meeting of the executive commit
tee of that organization, to be held In this
city on Thursday, and that he would leave
New York for Chicago tomorrow evening.
In view of this it is not believed that the
federated trades of Chicago will take pre-
cipitate action before consultation with
him. AS President Gompers cannot reach
Chicago before Wednesday night, it will
be impossible to decide on line of action
to be pursued before Thursday, and prob
ably If il should finally be resolved to de-
clare general strike of all these COM
bined forces it could not be put into effect
before Friday morning. In this connection,
the interesting question arises whether or
not, if President Gompers allows himself to
be hauled from New York to Chicago by
nonunion engineers and firemen, his visit
will be of any particular profit. One labor
leader in Chicago said to-day that if he
did so he might as well stay in New York
Another feature to be noted in connec-
ton with the meeting of Chicago's fed
Grated labor unions is the fact, which was
developed that there was in the meeting
ment whose action had practically blocked
the plans of the more hot-headed leaders
until the latter, in the excitement conse-
quent upon the reading of President Cleve-
lands proclamation, were enabled to
stampede them and carry the strike reso-
luton. Therefore there is reason to be-
leve that even if the order for a general
strike finally goes forth, many of those
to whom ii is directed will decline to
obey it. So that, with the men already
made idle by the effect of the tie-up, the
walk-out will not be nearly so important
as anticipated by the leaders.
REBUFFED BY WICKES.
What effect. if any, the action of Vice
President Wckes, of the Pullman COM
pany, this afternoon in refusing in the
most positive manner to even meet
committee to consider the question of
arbitration. will have upon the final de-
cision of the labor leaders and their fol-
lowers remains TO be seen. At 2 o'clock
this afternoon a joint committee of the
Council and Federated Trades Unions
called on Mr.. Wickes and asked him to
consent 10 the appointment of committee
of five citizens whose function should be
not those of arbitrators, but the de-
termne whether or not the Pullman COM
pany had anything to arbitrate. 1t was
suggested that the committee should con-
sist of two citizens chosen by the COM
pany, two of the Circuit Court judges and
one by these four. Mr.. Wickes stated at
the outset that arbitration was impossible
but listened while Alderman McGiIlen
chairman of the committee. talked of the
gravity of the situation and urged that
the company take steps looking to an
amicable settlement of the strike At the
close of the interview Mr.. Wickes retired
with his attorney. and, returning after a
brief consultation, declared that the COM
pany could not receive the proposed COM
mittee. Alderman McGillen again urged
that the company receive the committee,
and intimated that a corporation which
derived the benefit from the government
as the Pullman company. should be willing
to make some concessions for the welfare
of the city and State.
1--WE have nothing to arbitrate." Mr.