The record-union., 1894-08-13
LookIng oyer the Field.

Looking Over the Field.
EDS. RECORD UNION: The people OF
California have just passed through one OF
the most critical times, and especially is
this true of Sacramento. to settle an inn
portant principle. On the morning OF
the 18th of June, suddenly and without
warning to the managers. one OF the
greatest railroad shops in the country
was shut down. Two thousand or more
people quit work as man, leaving posi-
tions paying them better for the same
work than any other car shops in the
world. The slrangest thing in the whole
transaction was that so per cent. OF the
men did not know why they quit work.
They were good men; hard working men.
Many of them had good wives and chill
dren, and were no doubt good citizens.
Walking through the depot after the
strike had been declared, anxious people
were seen standing around talking IN
groups. On inquiring what all this
meant, no one could answer the question
any further than to say, 1--WE have struck
in the interests OF some employees work
ing in the Pullman car works at Pull
man, Illinois" When asked what that
had to do with the employees OF the
railroad shops here, you would be
informed by the leaders, who seemed
to have taken entire possession OF
the car shops and railroad, We are
going to regulate the labor OF this
country by stopping all channels OF COM
merce every time any man in any part OF
the United States has trouble with his
employees until that man submits the diff
ferences to arbitration, and the matter is
settled between him and his men,"
There is our leader" pointing out
Knox. "That is the man who ordered
r1f frtlr q ic h1n
man OF Debs of Chicago, and everything
in this State will have to be done through
him in the future. The American Rail-
way Union is going to control every rail-
road in the United States and that man
will have charge of everything in Cali
tornia. A man who keeps on the right
side of khox will be solid with the rail-
roads in the West. This railroad belongs
TO the people, and we are the people"
Legitimate organized labor scored a
great point in the present contest with
the people of this country when they re-
fused to go out at the dictatlon OF Knox
and his confederates. The Federated
Trades of this city showed that they were
lawabiding, and it would be as absurd to
condemn them because they belong to
legitimate labor organizations as 1t would
be to condemn all the ministers of this
city because one minister preached
treason from pulpit just at the most
critical time in the history OF the strike.
OrganiZed.laDor has a work TO perform
just as organized capital has work to
perform, on the lines OF the laws OF the
country.
About this same time, June 29th, or
little before, the managers of great and
important railroad found themselves ut
terly helpless on account OF this strike to
assist in carrying on the commerce of the
State over the lines which they had been
rirarr for. fa01. nf
which service and management had
brought to far western State most
prosperous growth.
By the Federal census of 1850 California
ranked thirtieth in comparative wealth
and twenty-ninth in population and she
has constantly grown, advancing every
decade, until in 1890 she ranks ninth in
wealth and twenty-second in population.
Between the years 1880 and 1890 she has
increased In population 40 per cent,
while the great Empire State of New
York only increased Is per cent and the
keystone State. Pennsylvania, increased
% per cent. The two States, New York
and Pennsylvania, have an aggregate of
il, ,S03 miles OF railroad. while the State of
California has only 4,647 miles.
New York and Pennsylvania have 36.51
miles OF railroad to every 100 square
miles OF territory, while California has
only 2.9S miles OF railroad to every 100
square miles of territory. Still California
shows greater percentage of growth in
: wealth and population per capita than
any of the Eastern States, although they
have many competing lines of railroad,
cheaper labor and fuel for operating rail-
roads and are nearer the great centers of
commerce.
The growth of California is more pros
porous in commercial and industrial bus
mess than the States Oh the north to the
RPifi inn md
and they have four competing transcon-
tlnental lines of railroad in those States.
The center of population in this coun-
try has grown in 100 years from a point
about twenty miles east of Baltimore,
Md, until in 1890 it was near Columbus,
Ind, about 100 miles east of Chicago,
showing that with all these advantages
against California, being SO far away
from the center Of business. still she was
so prosperous that when the panic of
1888 came on the country there were less
failures in this State than IN any State in
the Union and the people were in better
condition to stand panic.
California made most admirable dis
play at the Worlds Fair. The advan-
tages OF the State were shown to be
among the best, If not the best, of any
State IN the Union. Right on the eve of
that great exhibition, when the country
was most depressed, the Midwinter Fair
was projected and was great financial
success, so much so that the whole coun-
try was thinking and writing about
California'S wonderful resources, climate,
public improvements and men, and it
looked as though, up until the Goth day
of June, that the people were going to
commence TO realize wonderful results
from the increase in population and
wealth that would be attracted here.
1t was a ridiculous idea to think that
few men should completely tie up so
much of the commerce of one of the great
est agricultural, commercial and indus
trial countries of the earth, because few
men were having trouble with their en-
ployers two thousand miles away, a
country having 65.000,000 of people, 167,-
900 miles of railroads, employing as
general officers, general office clerks,
station agents, assistant engineers, fire.
men, conductors, extra trainmen,
naachinists, carpenters, extra shopmen,
section foremen, trackmen, switchmen,
t1agmen, telegraph operators. dispatehers,
employees on account of floating equip
ment, besides all laborers, classified and
unclassifed, about S25, 900 men, with less
than 1900 of these men belonging TO
any labor organization of any kind.
These 10000. together with the entire
membership of all labor unions and
Federated trades in this country, amount
to less that $4,000 men. Less than one
man in twenty-five that labors for liv-
ing, either as manual laborer or as an