The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-07-03
NO. 48.
GREAT RAILROAD STR
the American Railway Un,
hak1n% Al Fight on the Pu
Car Company.

The greatest contest over waged
tween capital and labor in the worl,
history Is said to have been inauoura
e' iast week. 1T is Il result of the boy
Gott ordered by the American Railway
Union against the TRANSFORMATION or
the cars belonging to the Pullman Car
Company. 1t is the opinion of MANY
Ihat this trouble will extend far bevond
the limits of the railroads and involvo
all the varied interests of the country
to greater or less degree.
The boycott was inaugurated Mt
Chicago, and after it had been i'm Of
tcct only threo days, the American
Railway Union had succeeded in tyinp
up over twenty railroads which insist
Gu on hauling tho Pullman cars. All
the railroads of the country arc eXpect-
cd to become involved ut once in the
strike. Over 5000 employees went out
the first day in Chicago.
1t Is war between the General Man
ayers Association and the American
hallway Union" says President Dcbs.
We welcome the struggle and will
win, because we are right"
" am glad the matter has become n
sharply defined ISSUE" was the COM
mcnt of George NJ. Pullman, president .
Of the great corporation whose inter
csts are attacked. The American
people will learn whether thousands of
millions OF dollars of invested capital
can be arbitrarily put aside and rem
dered Valueless because n labor Orpani-
Zatlon has grievance against manu-
featuring concern which also owns
cars used in the railway service"
AT meeting of the general mana
gers association OF Chicago, compris-
ing the general managers of every
railroad entering Chicago, except the
hnt L.,
would fight the boycott to finish.
NEW AND STRONG ORGANIZATION.
The " American Railway Union, -
under whose auspices the present boy
cott of Pullman cars is being conduct
ed, was organized at Chicago June 20,
1893. Eugene V. Dcbs was elected
president, George ". Howard vice.
president and Sylvester kcTfher>sccrc-
tary. ~ manifesto was issued to tfIcsz
railroad employees of the country, i'm
which it was declared that the mem.
bcrs were tocomc together on an equal
footing, from an experienced cngnccr
down TO Il station porter.
There will be one supreme law for
the order, with provisions for all class
cS one roof to shelter ali, each seDar-
ate and yet all united when unity of
action is required. In this is seen the
federation of classes which is feasible.
instead of the federation of organiza-
tions, which has proved to be utterly
impracticable.
The number of employees now in tho
service OF railroads in America has
been variously estimated ut from SOO,-
OOO to l,5OO,OO and the latter figure is
probably moro nearly correct. More
than loO,OOO were organized at the
time OF the formation Of the American
Railway Union. The nttntion Of the
union is to bring within its fold the
entire million OF employees. Having
ELECTED this, the leaders say, strikes
and boycotts will be rendered impos-
sblc.
The organization is composed OF !,
general union, consisting Of board Of
directors OF nine members and local
representatives. The directing board
is elected every four years, and has IL
general supervision of the body. IT
meets like II legislature at stated in
tcrvals during each year. The union
has committees OF three members each
on literature, mediation, insurance,
employment and finance.
Any person of good character en-
ployed in the railway service is cligi-
bic to membership except general
yardmaStcrS, trainmaSterS, rOadmaS-
ters, supervisors OF bridges and build
ings, general on commercial agents,
superintcndents OF telegraph, master
mechanics, division supcrint "ndcntS- OF
transportation and other officials of
similar or higher rank
The men at the head Of the Organi-
zation arc of undoubted popularity with
railroad employees. Its president, En-
gene V. Dcbs, is IL business man of no
small ability and the editor Of the Lo-
cOmotive Firemens Magazine.
ORIGIN OF THE TROUBRE.
The Pullman Palace Car Company
has issued the following statement of
the differences leading up TO the pres
cnt boycott:
"ln the first week of May last there
were employed in the car manufactur-
ing department at Pullman. H., about
3, 100 persons On May 4 committee
OF the wOrkmcn had an interview by
arrangement with Mr.. Wickcs, vice
president, at which the principal sub
jcct of discussion related to wages,
but minor grievances as to shop ad-
ministratiOn were also presented, and
it was agreed that another meeting
should be held on the 9th Of May, at
which all the grievances should be
presented in writing. The second
plants on all matters except wages, it
was arranged that IL formal and thoro-
ugh investigation should be made by
Mr.. Wickcs, to begin the next day,
and full redress was assured To the
committee as to all complaints proved
to be well founded.
1.-The absolute necessity Of the last
reduction in wages. under the existing
condition OF the business Of car manu-
featuring, had been explained to tho
committee, and they were insisting
upon a restoration e the wage scale Of
the first half Of 1893, when MIR. Pull
man entered the room and addressed
tho committee, telling them why the
reduction had been made.
On May 10th, the day after tho
second conference above mentioned,
work went on at Pullman as usual and
| the only incident Of note was the be-
ginning by MIR. Wickcs, assisted by
MIR. Brown, the general manager Of
the company, of the promised formal
investigation at Pullman OF the shop
complaints. y large meeting Of en-
| plOyccs had been held the night before
ut kensington, which, as was under
stood by the company, accepted the
necessity OF the situation preventing
an increase Of wages, but AT Il meeting
| OF tho local committee held during the
night OF May 10th, a strike was dccid-
ed upon, and accordingly the next day
about 1000 Of the employees quit,
leaving about 600 at work, of whom
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