The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-11
Wild Talk by Howard, Who Says "We
Have the General Managers Licked
Off the Face of the Earth"
VIEWS OF GENERAL MILES
He Does Not Believe the Knights
Can Create Trouble.
No Disorder Reported at Chicago Yes
terday-Passenger Trains Moving
Regularly-New Men at Work.

CHICAGO, July 1O.-Knights of Labor
throughout the entire country have been
called upon to strike for the cause of or
ganized 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:
ITO the Knights of Labor of America,
greeting:
"A crisis has been reached in the affairs
of this Nation that endangers the peace of
the Republic. Every fibre in our civil
structure is strained to the breaking point.
The shadows of factional hatred hover
over our fair, fair land with terrible fore
bodings. The arrogant lash of superiority
is being applied by the corporations with
relentless 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 Nation saved
from acts repulsive to the conscience of
all Christian people there must be wise
action and that quickly.
Sincerely beneving that the flames of
discord are being purposely famed by the
railway corporations at the risk of the life
VI lHe SONeTHtutUl Il TAKE the liberty TO
appeal to you. and through you to the
conscience of the people, to lay down the
implements of toll for a short season and,
under the banner of peace and with patri-
otic desire to promote the public welfare
and the power of your aggregated numbers
through peaceable assemblages, to create
healthy public sentiment in favor of an
amicable settlement of the issues growing
of he ri L<a nf ha limo
employees; and you are further requested
not to return to your usual vocations until
settlement of the pending trouble is made
known to you through some authentic
source.
I'm the present strained relations be-
tween corporations and their employees is
involved a principle near and dear to all
Americans-the right of labor to present
its grievances to the owners and represent
atives of corporate capital. The Pullman
Palace-car Company refused to arbitrate
the differences between itself and its en-
ployes on the ground that cars were built
below cost. and, therefore, there moth
ing to arbitrate. But the conclusion of
every unprejudiced mind is that if such
were the true facts it could have nothing
to fear at the hand of an arbitration COM
mittee. But the Pullman company goes
further in its autocratic policy than a re-
fusal to arbitrate. 1t has refused to join
with the business men and the Board of
Aldermen of Chicago in a committee to
discuss the question as TO whether there
is anything to arbitrate or not, and behind
this autocratic policy stands the Managers
Association of the railway corporations,
backed by the United States army as the
aiders and abettors of this social crime.
Suppose the Pullman company bad in
vited organized labor to arbitrate and or
ganized labor had declined the invitation
and refused to discuss the question as to
whether there was anything TO arbltrate or
not. 1t is needless to say a wave of pop
ular indignation would obiterate every
labor organization from the face of this
country, and no more could be formed for
the next fifty years. The stigma of such a
position would follow every name con-
nected with organized labor to the grave.
But in the present crisis the corporations,
whose wealth has been created by labor,
take the position that they are prior and
choke their creator Like the brigandS Of
old, they rob the laboring masses and en-
ploy the sword and the bludgeon, and set
up throne on the bones of the vanquished,
and declare their divine right TO rule over
the balance of mankind.
THE Pullman company claims that not
withstandng the wages of their employees
were reduced TO the starvation point, there
is nothing TO arbitrate because cars have
been built at loss. yet it neglects to state
that the stock of the company has been
watered three times over, and that the
company has not only been able TO pay its
regular dividends water and all, but
that it's stocks have long been and are at
the present time at a premium on the stock
markets Mr.. Pullman cries poverty TO his
starving employees and then retreats to his
princely summer mansion on Pullman's
island i'm the St. Lawrence river and wires
the business men of Chicago that he has
nothing TO arbitTate Like a Nero, he
laughs in luxury, while devoted martyrs
burn.
IF the present strike is lost to labor IL
will retard the progress of civilization and
reduce the possibility of labor TO ever
emancipate itself from the thraldom OF
greed The dignity of labor and all the
victories won ln the past at stake in
tbs conflict. 1 beseech you 10 be true to
your obligations in this hour Of trial. Court