Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-08-16

JOHN d HERMAN. n. r. vohTHlNGTos.
"Now," said the commissioner, tell
what in your opinion caused the railroad
strikes"
"The strikes were caused" answered
Mr.. Howard, "by the statement Of the
general managers that they would back
up Mr.. Pullman during the strike"
'Who told you thatS"
"The newspapers printed the statement
credited to General Managers Egan and
st. John"
Mr.. Howard then entered into an OK.
haustive recital Of tho troubles leading up
10 the original Pullman strike. The men
had
Announced Their Intention to Strike,
he said, but on being assured by the com
pany's officials that the employees griev-
anoe would be investigated he had urged
the men to go back to work. This they
did on the promise OF the companies that
the committees who had handled the
trouble would not be discharged or other
wise injured because Of the part they had
taken In the matter.
"And after that PROMISE" continued
the witness, "three Of those committee
men were discharged. Then the men
struck. Our union, after having failed TO
get any satisfaction from the Pullman
company, then endeavored by boycotting
the company's cars to bring the matter to
a satisfactory termination. We ordered
no strike. We simply desired that the
Pullman cars be left off the trains.
"At this point we were again met by
the General Managers association. They
refused to haul mail cars unless the Pull
mans were attached to the trains. Such
lA1 fAN tha
Pullmans were In no wise necessary for
the transmission OF the United States
mails. can cite various cases when mail
trains were run without Pullman coaches
or other palace car equipments"
Sympathy Strikes
Mr.. Wright asked who ordered out or
suggested q strike on lines not handling
the Pullman cars.
Howard said In such cases the general
managers of those roads wero assisting
other general managers, and they were
purely sympathetic. In every case the
men were not advised 20 strike, but it was
left to them to decide.
"We never interfered with unorganized
laboring rnen who wished to go to work, "
continued Howard. Our order does not
believe In violence or rioting, and will not
have 1t. Without favorable public opinion
no strike can be a success. The only
weapons OF labor are the strike and boy
colt. The ballot Is not effectual. The
labor element Of the country can only re-
ceive what is due 1t when IL Is organized
I'm one solid phalanx, and when the en-
ployer and employe como In touch with
each other and understand each other
needs"
"Have you any plans by which these
troubles can be avertedP" asked Mr.. Ker-
nan.
After long elaboration, Mr.. Howard re-
piled: II believe the only solution is in
the government ownership Of railroads"
In answer to a question asking him to
suggest remedial legislation, he said there
already was too much law. II the govern.
ment had not interfered the resalt OF the
strike would have been different. He
wanted everybody to keep aloof and 10 let
employees and employers give fair play
during their fsticuifs.
Every one was entitled TO the protection
of the government, and the laboring man
had not been protected. The government,
he said, always was with the oppressor
and against the oppressed, and thereby 10
became lie on the face Of the globe.
General Master Workman Sovereign OF
the Knights Of Labor, who Is also a mem
ber Of the American Railway union, testi-
fed that the Knights of Labor refused TO
patronize the Pullman company, and used
what persuasive powers they could in get
ting Others to act In the same manner.
They also suggested that general
strike be instituted throughout the coun-
try, but the other industrial unions would
not strike No violence was allowed by
the Knights Of Labor He knew the cars
In Chicago were fired by United States
deputy marshsls. He said he believed In
government ownership Of railroads
Higgins BrOthers.