The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-07-27


Lieutenant Governor Felt. editor
of the Atchison Champion, has the fol
lowing to say in a recent Sunday issue:
''They toll not, neither do they spin.
but Solomon in all his glory was not
clothed like one of these
In 1865 George M. Pullman invested
his entire fortune of $4,000 in building
one Pullman car. Now the capital OF
the Pullman Car company is S20,000,O00
OF this vast sum, Mr.. Pullman is said
to own about 100000. Add that to
the property he owns outside, and those
claiming to know, say that the lowest
estimate would make Mr.. Pullman
worth S15,OO0yOO0 To increase a fortune
from $4,000 to sl5,OOOOOO in % years is
rapid rate even in Chicago. That is
an average gain of more than half
million dollars every year. In other
words the annual profits to Mr.. Pull
man for the past % years have been
nearly % times the original capital.
The Pullman company sends to the
Champion a printed statement giving
their side of the story of the strike and
the substance of it is that they have
hundreds of cars standing idle; that
there is an advance of price of materi
ais and that the company cannot in
crease wages without raising the price
of its cars to point above the con-
tract selling price. Admit all that to
be true, then why did Mr.. Pullman run
away from an arbitration? If that
statement was correct the company
would have nothing to fear from an
honest board of arbitration.
But, it is pardonable to inquire how
depression in the prices of raw ma
terials, that the stuff used in construct
ing Pullman car should have shown
such marked advance? Three years
ago the authorized agents and attor-
neyS of the company made a sworn
statement submitted to the board of
railroad assessors in Kansas, showing
the average first cost of the Pullmans
then in use to be less than $4,000 and |
that the then present actual average |
cash value of those then in use upon |
Kansas roads was less than $1,000. Ac- |
cording to the sworn statement then |
submitted the cost of all the material |
used in their construction had been so |
essentially reduced that the actual first |
cost of Pullman car had been lessen /
ed from % to so per cent, depending
upon the style and finish of the car
We see nothing in the statements, is
sued by the Pullmans since the strike,
to excuse the abrupt and boorish re-
fusal to arbitrate the differences with
the wage -earners at Pullman.
If we understand the matter correct
~, there never has been word upon
the part of the Pullman employees in
dicating any disposition not to abide
by the decision of board of arbitra-
ton. The class of people employed
there was the very best. Anarchists
were not there. They were honest, in
dustrious, intelligent American men
and women. Pullman seemed to fear
arbitration as one accused of guilt
fears court. He was apparently
afraid to submit his watered stock /
books to public scrutiny.
We are particular to call attention to /
the case of Mr.. Pullman, because the
strike at his town is the real storm cen
tire about which hang all the clouds in /
the American sky in the contest now
on between organized labor and organi-
zed capital. All over the land the con-
test at Pullman has afforded food for
plenty of careful thought and, unfortu-
nately, much heated and improbable |
discussion. We believe this is the OBJ !
perfume time to determine whether a |
great corporation like the Pullman
company can be made to arbitrate with |
its employees. There is grave question
at issue here which ought to be deter
mined.
We believe that the owner of capital |
has right to control it, if it does not |
interfere with public interests, without
dictation from the wage-earners in his
employ. We believe that contract is |
as binding upon the employed as upon !
the employer. That the dollar in the
labor of the poor man is equally as
good dollar in the eyes of the law as
the dollar of the rich man who en-
ploys him. That the poor man has as
much right TO control his dollar in
work as has the rich man to the con-
troll Of his dollar in capital. Some
where, at some time, the honest dollar
in the hands of the capitalist was the
product of labor. Dollars are not born. ,
They do not grow like grass and weeds.
Every honest dollar in all the world is
the fruitage Of human endeaver-
hard work.
We believe that the poor man who
earns his dollar IN the employ of the