The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-14


positions on the public. In this disregard
OF law, these corporations have given the
greatest impetus TO anarchy and lawless-
ness. Still they do not hesitate when con-
fronted by outraged labor to invoke the
powers Of the State The federal govern
lnent backed by United States nlarshals.
iniunctionS of courts, proclamations of the
President, and sustained by the bayonets of
soldiers and all the civil and military ma
chinery of the law have rallied on the sum-
mons of the corporations. Against this
array of armed force and brutal moneyed
autocracy would Ii not be worse than folly
TO call men out on general or local strike
in these days of stagnant trade and COM
mercial depression? Better let us organize
more generally, combine more closely with
our forces, educate and prepare ourselves
TO protect our interests, and that we may
go to the ballot box and cast our votes as
American freemen, united and determined
TO redeem this country from its present
political and industrial misrule, TO take II
from the hands of plutocratic wreckers and
place it in the hands of the common peo-
ple.''
SPEECHES OF THE DELEGATES
The conference began its second days
melting at the Briggs House at 10 o'clock
this morning. A few delegates were pres
ent to-day who were not here yesterday,
among them Z. j. MCGUIRE. The confer
ence immediately took up the resolutions
where they were dropped the night be-
fore. The session was a hot one, and
many strong speeches were made on both
sides as to whether the American Fedora
ton of Labor should order strike in
sympathy with the Pullman strikers and
at the request Of the American Railway
Union. Several presidents and secretaries
of different labor organizations of this
city came to the committee room TO get
instructions as to what TO do They said
that all their men were out, and they had
no instructions. They were rufused ad-
mission, and many grew disgusted and
walked away, apparently sorry for the
steps already taken.
A strong speech was made by NJ j.
Carroll, of the International Typographical
Union in favor of general strike being
ordered by all of the labor organizations
of the country. He appealed to the feeling
of the conference on the manner in which
labor had been trampled upon by capital,
and the only way TO force recognition
was To order a complete tie-up. Messrs.
Mcclure and Perkins made speeches in the
same line, arguing most emphaticaly in
favor of the resolutions.
Mr.. Drummond took up the side of the
opposition and discussed at some length
the inadvisabiity of general strike. lie
said: Il want Debs to understand that IL
is unnecessary for to order a strike.
He wishes to shift the responsibility from
) shoulders on TO us, and L object TO IT.
4. he has started Ii, and cannot win, let
him lose it. If we should order strike
now the financial situation of the country
is in such condition that a great many
OF our members would not go out and the
vacancies would be filled with nonunlon
men, 1 believe that the condition OF this
country is such that a general strike
would not win 1 do not want the reputa-
ton of having our federation losing this
already lost strike. l am opposed to the
Mr.. Garland of the Iron and Steel Work
ers, said 1--WE were unable to form an ef-
fective organization as long as the Pull
man shop working on the wages
which they paid, and not until this a. r.
L. strike have we been able TO do any
thing. In our organizations we have had
and have still great strikes both in SYM
pathy and for grievances. l am opposed
to a general strike now, because we now
have a certain scale of wages adopted by
arbitration and If we strike that scale of
wages will be broken, and at this time
of financial depression l believe that it
would be impossible to get as good a scale
of wages again as We have now, and,
therefore, a general strike would be detr-
mental to our men. / am not in favor of
granting Debss request. He was so very
arrogant in the start. not even recognizing
US. and now he wants to shift all the re-
spOnSibility off on MS and blame US for
losing the strike. | do not care how smart
Debs is he cannot win. i can call out the
iron and steel workers, but | can see no
favorable results. and therefore, am op-
posed TO the resolution
The next speaker was sturdy cigar
maker, who said: MY men are all out.
What shall 1 do? 1 want to know what to
Mr.. Evans then said: "If the local or
ganizer of the A. f. Of l.. had attended
to his business the A. X. L. would never
have handled this strike. opposed to
the resolutions and any action in that re-
gard now.
Patrick McBryde, representing the coal
miners, said: IF a strike is ordered let ii
be for ourselves and not for Debs. He has
not managed this thing right, and now he'
wants help, and / am not in favor of do
ing it. \ general strike ordered by this
conference in sympathy for the A. r. L.
would be of no value to u.s. and IL would
break all our contracts, change the pres
ent arbitrated scale of wages and be of
a general disadvantage to us While l can
call out all OF the miners L am not in
favor of it, and think it very poor policy.
l am opposed to bringing any other organ-
cation into this strike. If Debs has start
ed II let him finish it,"
President Gompers said that there was
too much contention among the labor
ganiZa tions of Chicag go TO be victorious in
a general strike. He asked every member
to think over the resolutions and be salts
fed in the way he wanted to vote. After
further debate the conference took a re-
cess.
The conference reassembled about 4
o'clock and the committee at once present
ed for adoption an address to the public.
President GOmpers read it quite i'm
pressively. p. II. Morrisey. vice grand
master of the Brotherhood of Railway
Trainmen. and T. W. Arnold. secretary
of the Brotherhood OF Locomotive Fire
men, made stirring speeches in opposition
to the Endorsement Of Debs and the course
pursued by the. y. r u. p. J. Mcclure.
Labor urged that the Pullman strike was
purely local and should be dealt with by
the people Of Chicago. A resolution was
adopted condemning both the Republican
and Democratic parties and pledging sup
port to the Populists. The address was
finally adopted as above. The conference
voted to appropriate $1,000 to assist Debs
in nrocurinp counsel. and then adfournad
The Building Trades Council Of Chicago.
which had deferred action until its regular
meeting tonight instead of voting with
practical unanimity to assist the American
Railway Union, was actually unanimous in
refusing such assistance. this radical
change being due solely. all it's men,
bers averred, to the slight put uuon the
committee of seven by Debs and Sovereign
in attempting 10 settle the difficulty with
out them.
Adjutant-e eneral Orendorff of Illinois
said tonight that If the general managers
would not accept the proposition made by
Debs he was in favor Of asking Governor
Alteeld to withdraw the State troops from
Chicago.