Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-07-12
WHEN DEBc OPPOSED STRIKES.


When EUGENE V. DEBs, the president
Of the American Railway Union, was
the secretary and treasurer of the
Brotherhood OF Locomotive Firemen,
he was also the editor Of the official
organ Of that order, the Fireman'S Mag
azine. He then held views regarding
strikes aud boycotts which were very
different from those he now entertains.
The Cleveland Leader has unearthed
some Of these and they make interest
ing reading.
In the issue Of the FTemen's MdgG-
zinc Of May, 1854, is an editorial writ
ten By Mr. DEBs, headed The Mission
OF our Brotherhood" in which he said:
The best for locomotive fremen is not
to be found within the domain Of
strikes. A strike means war. The
shibboleth Of locomotive fremen is
peace" Again in the same editorial:
1--WE have said that we are opposed to
strikes as means of settling contro-
verted labor questions. We are OPP
posed to strikes primarily because we
are satisfied that they do not promote
the welfare of laboring men," The
article, which filed ten columns Of the
magazine, was a sensible and logical
argument against strikes.
Two years later, or In the issue OF the
Fremcn's Magazine for June, 1886, Mr..
DEBs discussed ooycotting in an editor
ial seven columns in length. He was
more emphatic in his condemnation OF
the use Of the un-American weapon by
the workingmen Of the United States
than he had been in his denunciation Of
strikes. In describing the boycott
Editor DEBS said:
In common parlance, boycotting is an
importation" 10 is not an OutgrOwth OF
American institutions. IL could not have
been born in the United States, simply be-
cause the conditions which made II ne
cessity in a foreign land never existed in
this heaven favored aud freedOm-favored
republic. Unfortunately, we
think, boycotting has been introduced into
the United states.
Following are some of the striking
sentiments against boycotting which
are found in the article:
Just here we inquire what has been the
history Of boycOtting in the United States!
We contend that boycotJing in the United
States has been from The first, and cOntin-
uOusly, mistake, stupid error, total
misrepresentation Of conditions, institutions
and rights.
We are discussing a principle in human
affairs as they exist around us, and Of
which we are required to take cOgnizance,
and our conclusion is that bOyc0tting is
wrong Of such magnitude, OF such wide
spreading and tar-reaching injustice, that
10 can never have popular approval, and IN
fact never ought to have approval.
Furthermore, we are of the opinion that
average mau-we like the term average,
because IL does not include cranks, vision
aries, utOpians, but takes in men of COM
mon sense, which IS, after all, the best
sense that the world possesSes-such men
oppose OoycOtting, if for no other reason
than that 10 does more harm than good,
very men 10 assumes To benefit.
Continuing, Editor DERs argued that
boyeotting attacked the principle that
q man had the right to work for whom
he pleased, which principle, he declared,
was fundamental, aud TO attack which
was to attack the superstructure of
liberty, freedom, personal rights, and
all that Americans hold dear. He held,
therefore, that boycOtting was grew
Gus error,and it ought to be everywhere
discouraged and discontinued. thought
to be discouraged, he said, because sit
is not fair play, it is not in consonance
with American ideas Of justice, it is
fruitful OF injustice, it does not recog-
nizs personal liberty and personal
rights"
These are strong words, and, as our
Cleveland contemporary says, it does not
seem possible that they could have been
written by the man who is now conduct
ing the boycott placed upon the princi-
pal lines Of railway in the United States
and ordering men TO strike right and
left, Yet those were the sentiments,
the honest sentiments, we have every
reason to believe, Of EUGENE V. DEBs
in 1854 and 1856. Editor DEBs was
right then. He is everlastingly wrong
now.