The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-07-11

upon to strike for the cause of organ
lied labor
General Master Workman Sovereign
issued an order late this evening to all
members of the organization to cease
work until the conflict originating in
the strike of the Pullman employees
shall have been settled. Following is
the text of the order:
Chicago, July 10.
ITO the knights of Labor of America !:
"Greeting-A crisis has been reached
in the affairs of this nation that endan-
gers the peace of the republic. Every
| fibre in our civil structure is strained
to the breaking point. The shadows of
fractional hatred hover over our fair
land with terrible forebodings The ar
rogant lash of superiority is being ap-
piled by the corporations with relent-
less fury, and the chasm between the
| masses and the classes is growing
deeper and wider with each succeeding
day. If peace is restored and this ma
! ton saved from acts repulsive to the
conscience of all Christian people, there
must be wise action, and that quickly.
sincerely believing that the flames
of discord are being purposely famed
| by the Railway corporations at the risk
| of the life of the government, I take
the liberty to appeal to you and
| through you to the conscience of the
whole people, imploring you to lay
down the implements of toll for a short
season and under the banner of peace
and with patriotic desire to promote
the public welfare, use the power of
! your aggregated numbers through
| peaceable asSemblages, we create a
healthy public sentiment in favor of an
amlcable settlement of the issues grow
ing out of the recent strike of the Pull
man employees, and you are further
requested not to return to your usual
aVocations until settlement of the
| pending trouble is made known to Won
| through some authentic source. In the
present strained relations between cor
porations and the companies is in
! VOWED prineiple-'near and dear to all
american citizens-the right of labor
10 present its grievances to the owners
and representatives Of corporate cant
| tai e0p4-
| me Pullman Palace Car comnanv
refused to arbitrate the difference be-
| tween itself and it's EMPLOYEES on the
ground that cars were built below cost
ana therefore there was nothing Ia
arpltrate. But the conclusion of every
unprecedented mind must be that if sucn
were the true facts it could have moth
ing 10 rear at the hands of an arbitra-
tlon committee. But the Pullman com
pany goes further in its autocratic
policy than a refusal to arbitrate II
mas refused to join with the business
men and the board of aldermen nj
Chlcago In committee to discuss the
question as to whether there is anv.
tn!hs 10 arbltrate or not, and behind
thlS autocratic policy stands the Man
ayers association of the railway cor.
poratons, backed by the United States
army as aiders and abettors of this
social crime
Suppose the Pullman company had
invited organized labor to arbitrate
ana organized labor had declined the
invitation and refused to discuss the
question as to whether there was any.
thlng to arbitrate or not, it is needless
10 say wave of popular indignation
would obliterate it from the face OF
thlS continent. and no more could be
formed from the next fifty years. Tn.
Stigma OF such position would follow
every name connected with organized
laoor to the grave. But in the present
crisis the corporations whose wealth
mas been created by labor take the
position that they are prior and chok,
their creator.
Like the brigands of old, they roll
the laboring masses and employ the
sword and the bludgeon and set I'D :
throne on the bones of the vanuuishet
and declare their devine right to rule
over the balance of mankind
The Pullman company claims. not
Withstanding the wages of their EN-
ployees were reduced to the STARVING
point, there is nothing to arbitrate be
cause cars have been built at a loss
yet 1t neglects to state that the stoeL
OF the company has been watered three
times over, and that the company ma,
not only been able to pay its regular
dividends on water and all, but tina
its stocks have long been, and are a
the present time, at a premium on tn,
stock market
If the present strike is lost to Iabo,
1T will retard the progress of civiliza
ton and reduce the possibility of la
Dor to ever emancipate itself from tn,
thraldom of greed
''Tre dignity of labor and all tn
victories won in the past are at stalk
in this conflict.
[ beseech you to be true to you
obligations in this hour of trial.
Court the cooperation of the gener
Gus public.
Stand firm and united in our com
mon cause and the victory will be on
Of peace and prosperity for the faith
full
tS1gned). y. R. SOVEREIGN,
Grand Master Workman.
All K. of L. assemblies in Chicag
were notified by the district maste
workman to take action on the pIal
adopted at the recent labor confer
ence. all members being adjured t.
maintain peace and order.