The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-06-29
QUEER POSITION OF oLNEx.
Proposes the Arrest Of Men Who WI
Not NAu Trains.

Proposes the Arrest of Men Who VIII
Not MAn Trains.
Los ANGELES, June 29.-The attitude
of the federal government taken toward
the strikers late last evening puts SEN
sational aspect upon the case, as. accord
ing to Z. S. District Attorney Dennis in
structions, the strikers will be arrested
and prosecuted as conspirators under di-
rections from Attorney General Olney
unless they go to work at once. 1t APP
pears here to men supposed TO know the
law that the Washington officials have
sadly failed to understand the situation.
and if there is an attempt to arrest the
men it is possible they will resist If
they do, repetition of the Homestead
fighting is not i'm pOssible.
NJ. Dennis has received orders from
Olney to take legal steps to compel the
passage of the United States mails. Two
switchmen. McHugh and Goldstsin were
asked to confer with Dennis. They stated
that any mail train would be hauled;
that a crew had been ready for twenty
four houls, but that the company refused
to haul the mail car unless it had Pull
man coupled to it. Because of this the
union had decided not to change it's po-
sition.
last night general strike on the South
ern Pacific system was ordered by the
union. All the operators of the great
corporation will not wait for dismissal
but will walk out, so that not even the
coal trains will be run. A telegram from
President Debs was read in the meeting
ordering the strike and was received
with enthusiasm. The only answer the
men would make as to District Attorney
Dennis ultimatum to arrest them if the
mail trains were not run as usual, was
that they had nothing to say.
'We are ready to pull mail cars any
where" said one. "but we do not think a
Pullman is part of postal car, or that
the United States government considers
that the property of an Italian marquis
is necessary part of a mail train"
1t is evident that the men have not
changed their opinion about operating
the Pullmans and that they will be
rested rather than give in.
1t is learned on what ought to be good
authority that all the Santa Fe telegraph
operators and station agents will quit.
If the same policy is to be followed by
the federal authorities towards the
Southern Pacific strikers, as well as the
Santa Fe, there will be difficulty in
swearing in enough deputy marshals to
arrest 800 or 9UO alleged conspirators.
The police and sheriff have made prep
arations in case of trouble.
just before receiving his instructions
from Olney Dennis had prepared a dis
patch to that official, in which he stated
the request of the railway company for
him to prosecute the strikers as conspira-
tors under the section of the revised
statutes above referred to and in which
he said: SIN my opinion the statute re-
ferred to does not apply TO existing con-
ditions Besides, the prosecution of such
great mum bers is a practical i'm possibility.
There are no funds to prosecute and
there are insufficient accommodations in
the district for the mems detention"
Oluey's order, however, overruled the
above: the situation is accordingly very
grave
About 400 strikers held a meeting last
night to listen to the argument of the
United States district attorney as to the
responsibility of the government in
handling mail matter. The district at
torney contended that the men in body
were violating the law in refusing to
handle trains on which the mail was to
be carried, but the men commended that
they were at liberty to leave their posi-
tions and retire at their own pleasure.
A definite understanding of the matter
will probably not be reached until to-
morrow.