Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-07-06

CHICAGO. July a-President Deos
makes the following address TO the pub.
lie;
80 many unloading reports have been
given currency In reference To the great
railroad strike that I am prompted to
give the public an honest, impartial
statement Of the issues involved
The Pullman employees who struck
May o last did 40 entirely Of their own
accord Offioers Of the American Rail-
way union used ali their influence TO
pacify the employees and advised them
not 10 strike. but bear patiently their
grievances until q peaceable settlement
could be effected.
But the grievance Of the employees had
become so aggravated that patience de-
serted them. and they abandoned their
employment rather than submit longer
TO conditions against which their very
souls rebolled
The Pullman company owns the town
Of Pullman. and wages are so adjusted TO
living expenses that In q large majority
Of cases the employees are barely able 20
support their families At the time they
struck the employes were In arrears 70
the Pullman company $4,000 for rent
hlOuo "NHG1 DcGu Etpohbrhiy
duoed but rent and other expenses re-
maiped the same
"Fhe employees, from the beginning.
have been willing TO aFbitrste their diff.
feyenoss with the company. That IL their
position today. The company arrogantly
declares that there Is nothing 10 arbitrats.
up TO June ~ the trou BILE was con-
fined 70 the Pullman company and its
employees How. then. did the strike sx-
tend 10 the rsilwRysi
THE day before the order Of the dele
gates declining 70 haul Pullman cars
went into effect, the General Managers
association passed a series of resolutions
declaring that they would uphold the
Pullman company Ia it's fight upon the
employees, and that they would stand to-
Rethor In crushing out the American
Railway union.
A Combine Of Capital.
'Tt will thus he seen that the railway
companies virtually Joined forces with
the Pullman company. went into partner.
ship with them, so 20 speak, to reduce
and defeat their half-starved employees.
In this way the trouble was extended
from line to line. and from system to
system. until crisis has been reached
THE American Railway union simply
insists that the Pullman company shall
meet its employees and do them Justice
We guarantee that the latter will accept
any reasonable proposition. The COM
pany may act through its officials or
otherwise. and the employees through
their chosen representatives The ques-
ton Of the recognition of the American
Railway union or any other organization
is waived. The spirit Of conciliation.
mutual concession and compromise
should animate and govern both sides.
and there will be no trouble In reaching
. settlem ent that will be satisfactory TO
all concerned.
This done. let the railway companies
agree to restore all their employees to their
situations. without prejudice, and the
trouble will be ended. The crisis will
thus be sverted, traffic will resume and
peace will reign. II is remarked what
sense 10 there In sympathetic strikes Let
the corporations answer. When one is
assailsd, all go to tho rescue. Labor, In
unifying Its forces. simply follows their
example. The corporations established
the precedent II the proceeding is vicious
and indefensible. let them first abolish II.
In this contest labor will stand by labor
A Day OF Turmoil
The sun went down yesterday on by far
the most turbulent and critical day thus
far In the unparalleled railroad strike
and boycott. There was q feeling
that its passing would 70 far toward
clearing the atmosphere, II, indeed, It did
not practically lift the en- barge on COM
msrce which has had the city In its grip
for the past week. That expectation was
chiefly based On the presence Of federal
troops In the most dangerous districta
Looking at the situation at the close OF
the day, however, Il must be confessed
that the hope indulged In al the opening
In this regard has not been Justified. The
troops were few In mum bers at best, and
when they were divided into squads and
distributed ut points, separated by very
considerable distances, IL soon became
evident that their prestige as overawing
bodies had been dissipated at the same
time
Instead of disappearing before the faces
OF the veterans, as was expected they
would do, the turbulent thousands
surged about the little band OF soldiers
| jeered and hooted at them. cast vile
epithets at them and literally played
hide and seek with them, stopping trains
at will aud y nerally rendering the en-.
barge In the military district more
effective, II possible, than before
The throngs OF strikers did not resist
Uncle Sans police. Again and again,
when there were thousands Of them a bout
a train, which 10 was sought TO move,
they gave way like water before the
levelled bayonets OF a single company Of
infantry. OF the trampling OF q single
squad OF cavalry.
Destruction Of Property.
Like water, too, they closed In again at
a point just beyond. They burned
switches, derailed freight cars In front Of
the slow moving trains. and played all
sorts OF railroaders' tricks. with which the
soldiers were un Icquaiuted Thus IL was
that the troops at the stock yards In psr-
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