The morning call., 1894-08-22
TO HELP STRIKERS
Governor Altgeld Appeals
for Aid.
ISSUES A PROCLAMATION.
Six Thousand People in Great
Distress.
ISSUES A PROCLAMATION.
PULLMAN REFUSES TO ASSIST.
Some Sharp Correspondence Carried
On Between Altgeld and the
Palace Car Nabob.

CHICAGO, Aug. 21.-'I can do little m ,,
SELF" said Governor Allgeld today, land
if anything considerable we're to be done
the money would have to come out OF the
Governments financial reservoirs. might
convene the Legislature for the purpose of
making an appropriation. or l might make
an appeal to the people of the State.
think we have gone to the bottom Of things
now and can proceed intelligently, and it
remains 10 be seen what can be done"
The Governor used these words at the
close of the meeting respecting the Pull
man strike issue. At the invitation of the
Governor the committee met at his Office
TO give information regarding the strikers.
He was told that 2436 families had been
helped. ''I do not know just what method
l shall take with these men," said the
Governor. but something must be done.
l have written to George NJ. Pullman
The Governor tonight issued the follow
ing proclama alton:
To the people of the State of Illinois, and
especially those OF the city OF Chicago:
There is great distress growing out OF the
want OF food In and around the town Of Pull
man. More than thousand families, or in the
neighborhOod OF 5000 people, are destitute
nearly fOur-fiftbs of them are women and chill
dren. These men have endeavOTed to get work.
but were unable TO do so.
AS a rule the men are superior class of
laborers, industrious, capable and steady ana
some of them have worked for the Pullman
Company for more than ten years. Those who
have been given work can get food, but are
still In such an impoverished condition that
they cannot help their neighbOrS II tney would.
The relief society is unable 10 get more
supplies. On last Saturday they gave 10 each
family two pounds OF oatmeal and two pounds
OF cornmeal, and having nothing left have sus-
pended operations. leaving the people 10 an abb
solutely helpless condition. The County Com
missioners of Cook County as Overseers of the
poor have rendered some assistance, but ow-
ing TO the limited appropriation they can fur
Dlsh relief but for short time.
We cannot now stop 10 inquire into the cause
OF this distress. The good people of this State
cannot allow women and children by the hun.
dreds to perish from hunger 1 therefore call
upon all humane and eharitably disposed eitl-
zens to contribute what they can toward giving
| relief to these people.
The Governor has also called on the
Commissioners of Cook County to do all IN
their power in the matter.
The correspondence between Governor
Altgeld and Mr.. Pullman began last Sun
day, when in response TO an appeal made
| to him by Pullman strikers for assistance,
Governor Altgeld sent lengthy telegram
to Pullman calling his attention to the ap-
peal and saying:
II the strikers, as It Is claimed, struck be-
cause after years OF toll their wages were so
reduced that their children went hungry
assuming that they were wrong and foolish,
they had yet served you long and well. and you
must feel some interest In them. They do not
stand on the same footing as you so that much
must be overlooked.
The State of Illinois has not the least desire
TO meddle in the affairs of the company, but it
cannot allow whole community within its
borders TO perish OF hunger. The local over
seer Of the poor has been appealed to. but there
is limit TO what he can do.
We cannot help them very much at present
unless relief comes from some other source.
shall have either TO call an extra session Of the
Legislature to make special appropriations or
else Issue an appeal TO the humane people OF
the State to give bread to your old employees.
1t seems to me that you would prefer to re-
lieve the situation yourself, and especially as it
has cost the State $4,000 TO protect your
property, and as both the State and public have
suffered enough loss on account of the dis
turbances that grew out OF the trouble between
yOur company and its workmen.
After making personal visit to Pul-
man, Governor Altgeld today addressed a
personal letter to Mr.. Pullman. saying:
1 examined the conditions at Pullm an yester-
day, and visited even the kitchens and bed
rooms OF many Of the people. L learn from
your manager that last spring there were $3.50
people on the payrOlls.
Yesterday there were 1920 at work, but over
600 OF these are new men, so that only about
1000 OF the old employees have been taken back,
thus leaving 1000 of the old employees who
have not been taken back. A few hundred have
left. The remainder have applied for work,
but were told that they were not needed. These
are destitute. The relief committee has eX-
hausted its resources.
1t seems to me your company cannot afford
TO have men appeal to me for charity and the
humanity Of the State to save the lives Of your
old employees. Four-ffths Of the people are
women and children. No matter what caused
this distress, 1t must be met.
He then proposes that the rent of all un-
employed be remitted until October 1.
Mr.. Pullman replied at length. He said ::
While it has not been represented to the Of
feers of this company by any person concerned
that there was any such extended distress at
Pullman as was reported for the first time by the
extraordinary methods published In the tele-
grams TO you In your official capacity, l do not
doubt that there are many cases caused by the
refusal of the employees for more than two and
a half months TO earn offered wages 10 more
than S3o0,000; and that such cases
have been increased and made more
severe by the resistance OF more than
600 OF our employees in the refusal TO
apply for their old places after the strike was
practically over. and as they were publicly
invited on July 18 TO resume their work unless
by the gradual coming OF new men during the
whole month their places have been filled and
the full force engaged for all work on hand.
The suggestion that the work should be d.
vided so that a sufficient number OF our present
employees should be put on half time in order
TO give at least half time for all was tried last
winter. The result mas been that the gross earn
incs of various individual employees were last
winter so small as 10 give an erroneous i'm.
pression with reference 10 the sufficency Of
the rest of the wages. The policy of the COM
pany is TO employ only as many men as 1t Is
possible to furnish work for on full time.
To this the Governor replied substan-
TALLY as follows:
see that your company refuses TO do any
thing toward relieving the situation AT Pull
man. II is not my business to tix the moral re-