St. Paul daily globe., 1894-07-18
lMAGAETIzED BY Mr.. DEBS.
HIS INFLUENCE OYER THE FEDERA-
TI0N or LABOR MEETING.
PATRICK Ai'BRYDE TALKS.

Convention - Debs' Matchless
Ability Exhibited on Several
Occasions Why the Confer
ence Did Not Follow Debs and
Order a General Strike.
COLUMBUS, o., July l7.-"The confer
enee lately held in Chicago under the
auspices Of the American Federation of
Labor was one of the most important
labor gatherings ever held in this coun-
try" said Patrick McBryde. secretary
and treasurer Of the United Mine Work
ers. today. Mr.. McBryde represented
the national miners in the conference,
and, in speaking of the gathering, gave
an interesting side light ON the proceed
ings. He said:
"a convention of local unions had
declared in favor of ganeral strike,
and demanded the presence of MIR.
Gompers in Chicago. Mr.. Gompers
recognized the gravity of the stu alton,
and sent telegrams to all the national
and international trades unions, and to
different railroad brotherhoods of fire.
men and trainmen. President Arthur,
of the engineers, wrote he was unable
to be- present. AS the conference was
about to convene delegation from local
unions that had already left work i'll
formed the delegates that If they did
not agree to call national suspension
the strike was lost, and that the confer
ence would be held responsible for the
defeat. The delegation was quietly but
firmly informed that the conference
would take such action rs it believed to
be in the interest of the workingmen of
the country. After the delegates had
listened to a statement by Mr.. Debs,
and investigated for themselves into
the trouble at Chicago, peculiar state
of affairs presented itself.
''Ehere was Mr.. Debs and the A. r.
U. on the one side, and there was Mr..
Pullmap, the railroads aud the differ
ent brutherhoods on the other. The
representatives of the iremen and train
men. while opposed to the strike, or
rather
TO THE BOYCOTT.
had nothing but words Of praise for Mr..
Debs. For his associates they had
nothing but words of condemnation;
indeed. it has seldom been my lot to
hear men get such scoring as Mr..
Howard and other members of the A.
R. U. board. except 1t be the language
used against P. NJ. Arthur, of the engi-
neers. by the trade union delegates at
the conference. 1t seems that the or
ganizers of the A. r. u. had been so
indiscFeet as to confess that they. in
tended to break up the older OrganiZa-
tions, and boasted that 1t only required
victory in the present battle in order to
be successful IG can be readily seen,
therefore, that the boy colt at Chicago
was not only fight.against capital, but
life and death struggle between the
different organizations. The older
orders being on the side of the corpora
tions, it is but fair to state that some of
the brotherhoods, like the trainmen,
although opposed to the strike, allowed
the members to act for themselves, and
over $1,000 of them joined hands with
the A. K. y.
"'You must declare for national
suspension.' said the trade unionists.
of Chicago. The fight is fight of
capital versus labor said Mr.. Debs.
"'You have no right to take sides
with one organization against another
said the brotherhoods.
"sHave little common sense and
keep the men you represent out of this
muddle,' whispered conscience.
land so the delegates talked, dis
cussed and talked all around the sub.
ject. each afraid to spring resolution
lest it might be premature. In this con-
dition Mr.. DebS found the conference.
He realized the difficult task he had to
perform. The men he was to address
were not amateurs in the methods of
labor organizations. A number of them
had more experience than himself. The
man seemed an icicle. but the voice
held his
HEARERS sPELLBOUND
as he recited the sufferings of the
workmen at Pullman; the high-handed
policy of the board of managers and
the rmination of the men to fight to
the end. The delegates seemed mag
netiZed.
"What do you want US to do?' ex-
claimed one.
"Then the matchless ability of the
man was manifested. In a tone of deep
sorrow he exclaimed: Nothing
"a long pause, and then MIR. Debs
said:
81 ask nothing of you. gentlemen.
but if were I'm your place l will tell
you what would do
"Then Mr.. Debs spoke in favor of a
| general strike. A sharp exchange OF
words between Secretary Mcclure, of
the carpenters, and MIR. DebS followed.
| Mr.. Debs got the best of the discussion,
but it broke the spell. The delegates
were once more business men, and Mr..
lIDebs soon realized it, for he changed
| his tactics at once.
81 have telegram from Washing
| ington,' he said. The president is GO
| ing TO appoint an arbitration committee,
so | have prepared the following docu-
sment, which, with the consent of this
| conference. would wish
| PRESIDENT GoMPERs
to present to the board of general man.
ayers He then proceeded to read the
ldocument presented by Mayor Hopkins.
calling off the strike upon condition
| that the old men would he reinstated.
| He left the document, and the confer
ence promised to send him an answer.
"a little reflection on the part of the
delegates and they realized that If Mr..
Gohpers was the bearer of the message,
and the managers refused to accept it,
the American Federation of Labor
4 would be placed in an embarrassing
/ position. 1t was resolved to tell Mr..
Debs that he could choose any three
men In the conference, who would. with
an equal number of citizens and Mr..
Debs, call upon the board Of managers,
but Mr.. Gompers must not 90 alone.
Hour after hour the conference waited
for Mr.. Debs' reply, but none came un.
til the afternoon papers announced the
fact that Mayor Hopkins had presented
! the document, aud that President Debs
had dumped the conference. The dele