New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-06
IND THEN UHAT. DEBSf

IND THEN WHAT, DEBS'
You may not be aware, Debs. that great
many thousand American cItiZens-prObably, II
a rest vote were taken. an overwhelming ma
jOrlty OF the entire population consider you
quite unnecessary and absolutely unmltigatef
nuisance, and desire 10 have You abatcd. They
are people who never you, and until last
week never heard Of you. The reason why they
feel in this way toward you. Debs, is because
they think you have for some purpose OF your
own, wantonly and rccklcsSly lnterfcrcd with
their business. held them mp on railroad trains
In remote places ut Out-Of- thc-way stations,
hndcrol them In their Journeys, subjected them
10 endless annoyance and Inconvenience. cut on
their supplies Of provisions. INSTRUCTED the mails
carrying their correspondence and called thou
sands Of men from work they were glad 10 do
for employers against whom they had no gricy-
ancc driving them through enforced dleneSS TO
misery and want. and initiating thereby cause
less and unnecessary war between classes which
can only result I'm disastrous losses on one side
and unmcaSrrcd distress on the other. They
saw they are not conscious Of having given you
anv occasion for such cruel treatment; that they
had not So much rs differed In opinion with You
on any subject, 80 far as they know; In fact,
that until they began to feel In their own per
sons and property the effect Of your indiscrim-
innt, assault most OF them were unaware that
Won were, engaged I'm n controversy and all were
ignorant Of It's merits. You are extremely I'M
popular with these people, DebS There are pas
scngcr trains standing still on sidctracks In
various parts Of the country I'm the neighborhood
of which you could not appear without seriously
cndnngcring your health.
II Is hardly 10 be- wondered AZ In the clrcum-
stances that the thousands and hundreds Of
thousands Of men, women and children whom
YOU are subjcciing 10 such trials and hardshipS
In what they believe 10 be utter wantOnneSs
should be- ncrnscd and angry and ready 10 do
violence upon you. But violence toward you
personally. however Just may h. the popular
resentment you have incurred. would be Had
viscd. You have. Of course, done great deal OF
mischief rs YOU well know. but personal vo-
lcncc done 10 you cannot remedy that You
should be taken IN hand by the constituted au-
thorifics. and under due process 81 the laws
Won have contcmncd aud violated put where
YOUR power 10 continue doing mischief Will be-
ciicctuAly checked. AIsl that. "" presume. Is
what Will eventually b" done with You But
before this happens venture 10 inquire what
was aud. indeed until your career Is checked,
what is -your ultimate purpose Let Ms suppose
that ypu have succeeded In stopping not only
all rullroad trains. but all movement. all travel.
all transportation. all business. - The uproari-
ous blafhrrSkifc Sovereign now proposes through
the agency ~ his Knights Of Labor What
them You began this disturbance with Oh"
nyowcd object II compelling he Pullman Com
pauy 70 submit 10 arbitration The question
whether II shall start up IT. idle shops aud do
business at a loss. You have continued II. as
You say. 20 compel the railroad companies 10
acrcdc 10 certain terms which you Impose. II
was quite possible from the outset that neither
the Pullman Company nor tho railroads would
comply with your demands thar they would
show iu-i ~ much s'ubbor1n"Ss In resisting
~ Won and your Railway Union In making
them. And then what. DcbS? How could You
compel them 10 compliance: Suppose they
should rs they have already done 10 some cX-
tent stand sill and walt How long did You
or do you propose to stop the business OF IN"
whole country
or suppose that Won 10 now succeed In com
polling I'll thc railroad companies 10 submit 10
the conditions you impose and The Pullman
Company 10 start rs works and resume bust
mes, at a loss suppose you crumycnt HE au-
thort.cs. defy The courts and defeat The Govern
mcnt Of The United States In IT'S efforts Ia main
tain onlcr and enforce law. Then what, Dchsf
who runs The railroadsi The owners. or you
and the Hallway Union Are You not In abso-
lutte control Have the owners Of the property
any rights that yuu are bound 10 respect Hay
ing tied them up so effectively once. what is 10
hinder You doing IT when and rs often aS you
please? or course you would exercise your
enormous power or think you would prudent
Is: but do YOU think The people ~ this country
would Ike 10 feel from this time forward that
all their business interests aud their own free
dom Of movement were dependent upon the will
~ one man. even II you. DebS, were that man
Have you thought how much power the success
Of This strike would put in your hands? And
whether the people would be- likely 10 submit
70 ~ Your success. too Is the defeat OF The
United States Government. And then what,
Dcbs? II You AMI your Railway Union can defy
the authority and set N naught The power OF
the United States Government In this matter
you may IN any other. Are You and your Rail
way Union prepared 10 take charge Of the whole
country 10 supcrsclc the Government and AZ
sumo the exercise of It's functions? II. as yOu
say YOU are the ma lority II viii come 10 that
I'm the end: but wouldn't II be better 10 wait
until by actual polling you find out that you
are the majority before taking great re-
spunSlbilityt No, no. Dcbs. You cannot sue
coed You have had much more remarkable
career than Coxcy, but you are greater mis-
take and we suspect that when You do get In
Jail you will stay there longer
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