Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-05-31

l.. w. Rogers of Chicago, Il director
Of the American Railway Union, was
the chief speaker. He said lie repre-
scnts the Pullman strikers, but is not
one Of them. They are members of the
union with which he is connected.
After making this explanation he spoke
of the frequent quarrels between capt.
talists and laborers and declared that
the working people themselves must
solve the great problem which has been
nEitating Americans for years. The
rich and the poor he asserted, are getting
farther apart. On the one hand we
have the extremely rich, on the other
the very poor. The rich arc growing
richer and their palaces are rising, while
the poor are growing poorer and many
are being reduced to rags and crusts,
The feeling between the rich and the
poor is getting more intense and all feel
we are getting near the danger point
Every man who loves his country, who
loves humanity. should, he contonded,
help To solve the problem peacefully.
Lahoring men he stated are frequently
forced to the point where they have got
to fight and such is the position Of the
Pullman men. We live in prosperous
and wealthy country. We have condi-
lions which ought to bring to laboring
men good wages and good homes and II
moderate amout to eat and wear. IL is
absolutely unreasonable to have great
wealth on one hand and poverty on the
other. No man ought to be out of work,
no person ought TO 20 ragged or hungry.
If the wealth in this country were hon
astly distributed between producer aud
employer such q condition of affairs as
we now have would not exist. One
man wears diamonds, another wears
rags; one is at a banquet, another starves
There is an army of idle men on our
highways yainly seeking work, while
children are bending over the looms.
Labor should demand an honest share
Of the wealth its hands produce; it
should have voice in fixing wages. 1t
takes two people to make bargain and
in labor the laborer should be one of
them.
The Pullman company, he continued,
Il said its men were receiving too much
money. A reduction in railroad wages
n Is unnecessary, simply because the rail-
roads are earning as much to-day as
they did during good times. If the rail
road companies are receiving from the
public the same rate they should pay
their laborers the same rate. The Pull
man company is receiving from the
public as much as it ever did, and he
n would submit to any honest man it is
not right for the company to reduce the
wages of its employees. The company is
simply making the hard times an excuse
for cutting wages. 1t recently declared
dividend of two per cent quarterly
After referring to the American Rail
Z Tns v viz in In & Ia,
urn strike, he claimed that the Pullman
company is declaring dividends of more
than $2,000000 year and can afford tC
pay its old rate of wages and ought tt
he made to DO it. The union die
not demand the Pullman strike. Thu
laborers themselves decided to strike anC
the union is taking care of them. Thu
company made five reductions in wages
Some men were cut one-fourth, SOM
one-third, some one-half. In Chicago
"A painters are receiving $3.50 per day
while ut Pullman they are getting ST.
Il and $l5 for two weeks work. Pullman
is about IL miles south of Chicago bu
is in Chicagos corporate limits. Ever,
n dwelling at Pullman is owned by tn
i Pullman Company. The rents hav
been put at ridiculously high price
they always were extremely high. Gas a
II Pullman costs more than it does il
W Chicago. At Pullman the laborers hav
n to pay for every drop of water in thei
& houses. This was during good time!
When the hard times came wages wer
N lowered, and lowered and lowered, bu
rent and gas and water bills were nc
lowered one cent. The men were simpl
driven to the point where they haG |
work and starve or quit work an
starve and they decided to quit wor
and starve. They were earning rs cen
and 81 per day and had to pay sig an
sis per month for rent, besides pawn
gas and water tax and grocery an
clothing bills. They simply had to gu
Il work aud sec what they could do. No
they have tirst-rate likelihood of in
N proving their condition. The either
Immediately took up their case. III
men had to fight or get down to IL
European level of labor. The Peep
saw they were making a fight for a
laboring men and went to their hel
The labor class of Chicago is solid wit
II the strikers. The plutocratic press, Il
great dailies, thrive on tho dishonor
our disreputable social system. 1t sa
that the mel were struggling for the
rights and it was aroused to a sense
d Justice. The sympathy of the emit
public is with the strikers. Tho
are struggling for home, for fir
side, for wife, for children. III
struggle, he asservaled, is pa
nllel with the Revolutionary strugg
The pluocrats, the uniOnists and 1
non-unionlsts are engaged in the prese
struggle and the royalty of Gre
Britain, the Tories and the patriots we
engaged in the Revolution. The pl
tocracy consists OF those who stand
tween the laboring class and the produt
OF the country; of those who ha
brains, but no hearts. The plutocri
own railroads and telegraph and te
phone lines; they are bankers, iudg
men who have money. Fhey live Il
on the butterfly system. They are
untitled royalty. They are paral
with the royalty of Revolutionary da
~ The patriots Of that day have paral
~ in the labor unions of to-day. I
| Tories have parallel in the NJ
nnionists, the towards who dare not fig
who have not the courage to defend th
& interests. The man who labors demal
respect and sympathy. He would rati
N pc u patriot than u Tory; he woI
f rather be striker than DC humiliat
&& me lahoring people in this coun
nave got TO rise and make stand
| helr rights. All over this country
M iay there is trouble, boodshed o
|# bitterness. 1t is possible to restore
|& wages OIL the men at Pullman. lie
|# iol come east TO call out the men
In Rioyed at the Pullman Co.'s shops
Isl his CITY. The American Railway tn
q n e