Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1894-07-21
TIE HISTORY OF THE GREAT
STRIKE.

no kaOcAt VIM - VIZ WV -
at an end. II
Only here and there can the strik- .
RS be found to be In any manner I'm ,
,eding the freight and passenger ,
rattle.
Thus ends one of the greatest Ia
Dor movements In the history OF
this or any other country.
For the benefit of those who have
not read fully the history of this
strike 1t would be we'll to give an
account of It's cause and It's effect.
This was what was known as a
sympathetic strike, or strike in
which the parties directly engaged
had no grievances themselves, but
struck out of sympathy for Others.
In this movement, Mr.. EUGENE V.
DEBs, president of the American
Railway Union was the central fig
ure.
It seems that the business depres-
sion which has been a most promi-
nent accompaniment of President
|CLEvELAND's administration caused
cancellation OF car-building con-
tracts and a cessation of orders.
This led to the discharge or rath-
er the temporary laying off OF two
thirds ,of the persons employed at
PULLMAN, Ill.
Other contracts were taken in
competition with other car-manu-
factories and at greatly reduced
rates.
| The workiDgmen insisted upon the
restoration of the old wages which
existed prior co November, 1898.
The Pullman Sleeping Car Co. de-
clIned to accede TO this, owing to tn
reasons herein set forth.
This led to a strike at Pullman
Il Up to this time no other wage
earners were affected. But thes
! men were members of the America
, Railway Un,pn. and this poweriu
organization attempted to settle
: through their leaders.
Arbitration was proposed, tina
? is, the proposition was made tina
: the Pullman people should submit
i the question to a nunber of dIsir
Z terested gentlemen, some OF whic
A we're to be named by the Pullma
. employees and some by the Pullma
A Co., and both to agree upon I'll
A third party to the agreement.
u, The Pullman Co. declined to a
h Icept this proposition, claiming ths
1t was already operating the WORK
II st loss and to consider any prop
q lsition which would tend to increal
that loss was out of the question
n hence there was nothing TO arbitrat
N The American Railway Union WI
" thus placed In a peculiar situation
"a 1t had come in to assist In the SCI
a Element of the difficulty, and Il
20 members of the organization WI
ls had struck insisted that 1t car
,o out it's pledges to them, and for
"A the Pullman Co. to q settlement al
Of it was accordingly in a peculiar pr
h dicament.
II 1t failed to insist upon It's
mands, it would become a laughin
stock among railroad people and
no doubt regarded disintegrati
in it's own ranks as certain shoU
as it fall to heed the appeal of t
or brethren whose cause 1t had I
OF clared to be just.
cd To order a strike might porte
st defeat; but it regarded the weakn'
rs, which would ensue as result as
ia less dangerous than the disinteg
lie ton which would follow should
Is desert the men clamoring for it's a
The strikewas. ordered, and in sh'
nm time more men had responded th
ION had ever been known to do so
the fore.
oil The excellent condition of the
yer ganization was plainly appare
' ';ch for the greatest railway systems
the the West were tiled up" and to
old a railroad designation, mot
wheel turned"
ny- 1t must not be forgotten that
ec'- thousands of men who quit W
The had no grievance themselves,
ago the only excuse given for their
1t ton was that they had orders so
re- do.
The Money played no part with tn
lore They were bound to obey orc
Sen. In this action, the American ]
hen way Union forgot TO provide for
any transportation of the mails,
nat failed to guard against the CHI
I 1t. of obstructing Interstate rail
the traffic.
and Members of the organization
NOR ing their places being filed by
Is to union men whom the railroad {
w of panies were importing grew des
got ate, and resorted to violence.
cad AS is usual In such leases
gder, crooks, toughs of all descripti
tar the dregs of bad society mir
BODY with the -laboring men, and in