The Washington times., 1894-04-22
THE GREAT NORTHERN STRIKE.

tully o,UUU,UUU people ar
directly dependent upon the
MEMBER OF Great Northern railroad fol
Coxcprss rpov their traffic and travel
Three thousand miles of the
NoNih DAAoiA road are tied up, and my
constituents on the line have had no mail fol
week. One can see what loss this means tc
business men, and one can likewise see wha
hardship it means to the people in every wall
of life. My one reason for interesting my.
self in the premises rests upon the duty tc
leave nothing un done that will relieve our peo-
pie of the interference with their mail service,
The company is to blame for the strike
This is the first strike that has occurred under
the American railway organization, and II
was precipitated by the company itself, ou!
of revenge, probably, because it was unable
T. control the workings of that organization.
The men have violated no law. They have
stood ready all the time to carry the mail, but
the company has steadily refused to run the
mail cars unless the employees would also
operate the freight system.
The company has had its attorneys here at
work, laboring to have the government assume
the position that the men are responsible for
the obstruction of the mail service, and
should, therefore, be regarded in the light OF
criminals. But it will not work.
told the President to-day that the COM
pany had been flagrantly violating law after
law, for instance, one fixing the rates for
carrying wheat and coal, another requiring
that it build platforms fol loading wheat,
coal and the like at sidings, and so on.
While was district attorney 1 frequently
had Great Northern employees before me as
witnesses.
"Did you not know that such action
OF yours was unlawful?' would ask. Yes
Then why did you do it?' Because,
vas the uniform answer of each, 4 was told
to obey the company first, last, and all the
time, and it would stand at my back if trouble
came"
By violating the law in this reckless man.
ner the company has made money where
other honorable railway corporations have
failed. And now this band of bandits are
trying to have the government bring its great
power to bear against their meE. For what?
For a mere technical violation of the lava
far-fetched construction of it that would not
hold water in any court.
The company, through Judge Sanborn. has
cited many Of its employees to appear before
him at St. Paul, 500 miles away, to show cause
why injunctions should not issue to prevent
them from committing certain illegal acts that
they had no intention to commit. 1t is an
outrage-one that would bring a flush of
shame to the face Of Gar. The most of
these men are poor. They are now out of
work, yet, at the bidding of this company,
they must travel 500 miles and pay all the ex-
penses of the trip. have introduced a reso-
luton in the House to have this matter invest
igated. The company hasn't heard the end
of it.
have urged the President not to commit
himself to the policy of the company, and it
was plain to me that neither he nor Attorney
General olney, with whom have conversed,
nor the law officers of the Post Office Depart
ment, have conceded that the failure of the
men to run passenger or freight trains ex-
cuses the company for refusing to carry the
mail. n. NJ. JOHNSON.