The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-07-09
70 THE PRESIDENT.
The American Railway Union Presents
Its Case to Cleveland

The American Railway Union Presents
Its Case to Cleveland
CHICAGO. July 9-After consultation
between the board of directors of the
American Railway union and Grand
Master Workman Sovereign of the
Knights Of Labor, the following was sent
to Washington Saturday evening:
CHICAGO. July z. 1891.
To the Hon Grover Cleveland. President of the
United States. Executive Mansion Washing
DEAR SIR-Through a long period of depres-
sion. enforced idleness and low wages. result
ing in widespread poverty and ia many cases
p.f. ent and law-abld ing. and not until the iron
heel OF corporate tyranny was applied with the
will of arrogant monop0i Is did they make any
effort 70 stay their .oppressors- .4 ~.
to ne verge of starvation. their entreaties
denied hearing No ref sal to handle Pull
until all propositions looking towards Arbitration
and Cancellation We're reJected by the Pullman
above. which were known 10 the public and the
national autnortlies YOU nave seen " unIeI ne
guise OF prolec. ing the mars anu 1edeial prop
erty to invoke the service of the United states
army; Mtaos6 seas HI sssloT n ase ol sfa is
humiliating obedience to the viii Of their OPP
BY our acts. in so far you have supplanted
cvi and state au' horities with the federal mill
Tary power. the spiris of unrest and tlistrust has
so far been augmented tnat deep-seated con-
vlction il fast becoming prevalent that
this government is to be declared
a military despotism The trans
mission Of The United states mails is not
Interrupted by the striking employees Of any
railway company, but by the railway companies
trains to which Pullman cars were no. attached.
If it is a criminal interference with the nited
states mails for the employees OF 4 railway com
pany to detach from mail train Pullman
then il holds true that it IS the same criminal
Interference whenever a Pullman palace car is
detached from mail train in accordance with
the vii of a railway company. while said mail
train is in transit The line Of crimlnailty in
1c1rr 1ranr hc
f fl,e :, Of ,rsIf.an fnasnuch as # 6as been
the common practice Of railway corporations to
attach and detach from mail trains Pullman
palace cars at will while said trains are in
transit and carrying the mails Of the United
States it would seem an act of discrimination
against the employees of the railway corpora
ti0ns to declare such acts unlawful Interference
with the transmission of the mails. when done
by employees. with or without The consent OF
their employers
fetched decision of Attorney General O4ney. the
un-American Injunction against railroad en-
as employing the powers of the general govern
ment for the support and protection Of the rail-
grade and Cypress their employees.
The present railway strike was precI pitated
destroy the Organizations Of their employees and
the viii of their employers; and as all students
of government agreed that free Institutions de-
pend for their perpetuity upon the freedom and
more in cOnsOnance with the spirit of Demo-
cratic government II federal authority was eN-
ercised in defense of the rights OF the toiling
masses TO lfe liberty and the pursuit Of happt
But on the contrary. there Is not an
instance on recerd where in any con-
fiict between the corporations and the people,
the strong arm of the military power has been
employed to protect the working people and the
industrial masses from tile ravages and perse-
cutlon of corporate greed But The measure of
character has been in the line OF declaring the
corporations always good and in the right, and
the working people always bad and in the
wrong.
Now sir, we pledge to you the power Of our
respective organizations individually and col.
iectfvely for the maintenance of peace and good
order. and the preservation of lie and property.
and VIII aid in the arrest and punishment OF all
violators OF the civil and criminal laws Of the
state and nation
In the present contest between labor and rail-
way corporations we shall use every peaceable
and honorable means command consist
ent with the law and constitutional rights,
to secure for the working people just compensa-
ton for labor done and respectful consideration
in accordance with the Inherent right of all
and the spirit OF Republican government
In doing we appeal to all lberty-loxing peO-
pie of the nation to aid and support us IN this
most just and righteous cause.
The AMERICAN RAILWAY UNION.
BY Eugene v. DebS. President.
ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.