Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-08-22
Pullnaa Taetics.

A great. hue and cry goes up
throughout the country over the an
nouncement that George n. Pull
man. president of the Pullman Pal
ace Car company. will bring proceed
ings for eviction against about ZOO
workingmen recently in the employ
of the company and now occupying
houses owned BY their late employer
in the town OF Pullman.
The cold. cruel, hard facts in the
lease are that these workingmen-
whether with or without cause is not
now question-inaugurated q
strike and boycott against the Pull
man company; that the most dread
full riots ana scenes of lawlessness
ensued: that the strike was 8 failure
and that the works have been reop-
ened with new men st the benches
and at the forge.
For several months the strikers
have been absolutely out of employ
ment and having received no wages
are now unable TO pay their rent.
and their families are on the verge
of starvation. All the houses. the
streets and the entire town of Pull
man are owned by the company
egainst which the workingmen
waged warfare, and upon whose
generosity they can have but small
claim.
1t can be said in mitigation OF the
circumstances that Mr. Pullman was
a cruel taskmas,er; that he ground
down his employees with such exac-
lions of high rent and payment o:
low wages as compelled them TO re-
volt: that the strike was, if YOU
please. necessary result Of the hog.
gish monopoly of the Pullman com
Pany and was justified from every
social and economic standpoint.
The truth still remains that the
town of Pullman is owned by the
Pullman company and that the own
ers have perfect legal right to de-
mand the removal from their prem
ises of all and every citizen who
fails TO pay rent. And the people
can hardly ask the company to sym.
pathize very deeply with the mer
who conducted such q relentless wal
upon them
Back OF all these questions and
facts. however, is George NJ Pull
man and his relation to the masse.
Of workmen with whom he under.
took to people his town Of Pullman
He set himself up as benefactor,
paternal spirit whose pleasant dut,
it was 10 establish town where hi:
employees would be free and would
gladly acknowledge him as tn,
father Of q line Of benefactors. II
such capacity he obtained monster
concessions from the city of Chicago
and state of Illinois, and immediatel,
began placing upon them an enor
nous premium. He extorted from
his workmen regular sums of none,
for privileges which had cost hin
nothing more than an assumption o
superior righteousness.
Mr.. Pullman has the legal right I,
whip from his town every man VIII
cannot pay the rent and water ia,
demanded by the Pullman company
but the magnate will not escape tn
knout of popular Indignation tina
VIA NC dpPiASu W MS UdCh UtCauc
in past years he took advantage OF hi
workmen and by extortion rendered
their condition so intolerable as I.
impel their revolt against him.
1t is needless to say now that tn
strikers cannot lay claim to the Pull
man generosity and that they hav
put themselves beyond the help 0
those TO whom they are indebted 70
rent and water. The truth is tina
there never was generous impuls
! in Mr.. Pullman and his company an,
the commencement of eviction pro
ceedings will be only the culminai
ing tragedy in a series of wrongs an,
outrages premeditated and carrie
out in cold blood.
George NJ. Pullman is q traitor +
his community obligations. He ha
abused his great privileges and du
ties in order to add millions to hi
|, vast wealth. He has the law on hi
side today, because his workme
were driven into wrong; but in tn
ewes of the world he stands scourge,
and tattOoed in the streets of his Ow