St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-26
GOMPERs AND DEBs
Favor Arbitration - They Testif
Before the Commission.

Favor Arbitration - They Testify
Before the Commission.
CHICAGO. Aug. 25.-President Debs,
of the A. K. u. was recalled today by
the strike commissioners. In reply to
questions he stated that he did not favor
compulsory arbitration in settlement of
labor troubles. He did not believe. he
said, that such a method would prove
universally satisfactory. MIR. Debs
was asked if he knew OF any dis
satisfaction among the Rock Island EN-
plOyeS previous to the strike. He said
that there had been trouble among the
telegraphers of the road, and that there
was much dissatisfaction. Questioned
as to the statement that there were not
more than 200 A. K. U. men on the
Rock Island, the witness said the State-
ment was absurd.
1.-The fact that the road was completely
tied up" Debs added. "etfectually dis
proves such story.
Samuel Gompers. president of the
American Federation of Labor, was the
next witness. President Gompers pref
aced his testimony by brief outline of
the aims and principles of the fedora
ton. and gave figures showing the mem
pOioht Va Wv VI 5oiiiLatiOh.
The witness told of the calling of the
conference of the heads Of the labor
organizations which was held at the
Briggs house, in Chicago. He said that
after long deliberation the delegates
decided to request President Cleveland
to attempt to settle the strike.
I'VE thought" Gompers said, "that
if Mr.. Gladstone could DO such good
service i'll the English coal strikes. sucn
all attempt would not be beneath
the dignity of the president of the
United States. Accordingly a tele-
gram was sent to Mr. cleveland. asking
his aid. 70 that message he did
not deign to reply. In fact. he
took not the slightest notice of it."
Mr.. Debs was tnen called upon, and
gave a history of the boycott. the Pull
man trouble and the railroad strike. We
considered the matter carefully and
finally decided that we could not order
a general strike; that it would be
Csurpation of Power.
and would for many reasons be unwise.
The delegates expressed their sympathy
with the movement and soon afterwards
we adjourned. Mr.. Gompers then read
from the Secretary's report a detailed
statement of the proceedings of the
conference.
Mr. Gompers explained that to effect
a general strike all the unions Darticipa.
ting must agree Oh the action, and said
it would have been impossible for the
Briggs house conference to have
He was asked for his opinion as to
methods for preventing strikes.
81 do not condemn strikes as heartily
as do some men, he said. II believe
that so long as present conditions exist
they are necessary, and believe that all
strikes do good in calling attention to
the fact that the labOring man Will not
be driven further down into poverty.
[ think the action of the strikers in
paralyzing the railroads of the country
was justifiable."
The witness was rather frankly I'M
complimentary in his opinions regard
ing the commission.
.tI think this thing is rather late in the
day." he said, this examination by the
commissioners is rather III tbs nature OF
an Inquest on dead body. do not
anticipate great good from the present
Investigation"
The witness had some things he want
ed to say about the injunction as issued
by the court. He held that these III
1uiictlOnS W6T6 uOb llS lilly UooCo ou thO
Interstate commerce law, aud that tina
law was not intended to apply to the
labor organizations. He said the
lniunctions were based on court martial
aw, upon the decisions given in the
absence of law.
When Mr.. Gompers finished the COM
mission adjourned until Monday
An error crept into last nights report
of the proceedings before the commits
sion. The statement was made that
MIR. st. John, general manager of the
Rock Island road, testified that list OF
names had been prepared for the gen.
eral managers association containing
the names of the most active strikers.
Mr.. st. John made no such statement,
but testified that neither the Chicago,
Rock Island e. Pacific company, nor the
General Managers association had ever
kept blacklist, nor that they had such
list at this time. He testified that he
had secured information regarding the
strikers from detectives who were en-
ployed, and who attended the strikers
meetings and reported to the various
companies matters of interest to them.
new CLOTH CLOAK DEPARTMENT,
Ransom & Horizons, SO and 101 East
Sixth street will be ready Sept. l.