Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-09
DEBs AND SOVEREIGN.
They Send q Communication to Presi-
dent Cleveland.

DEBs AND SOVEREIGN.
They Send q Communication to Presl-
dent Cleveland.
Messrs. Debs and Sovereign have written
joint letter to President Cleveland pro-
testing against federal Intervention In the
pending labor strike. 1t is as follows:
CHICAGO. ILL.,. July Z, 1894.
Hon. Grover Cleveland. President Of the
United States. Washington, ID. c.
Dear Sir: Through a long period Of de-
preston, enforced idleness and low wages
resulting in widespread poverty. and in
many cases actual starvation, the working
people have been patient, patriotic and law
full. and not until the iron heel OF corpora
ton tyranny was applied with the inten-
ton TO subject the working people to the
will of recreant monopolies did they make
any effort TO stay their oppressors. The
Pullman strike was not declared until the
employees Of the Pullman company were
driven to the verge Of starvation, their en-
| treaties spurned with contempt and their
grievances denied a hearing
No refusal to handle Pullman cars was
declared by any railroad employee until all
propositions looking toward arbitration and
Cancellation were rejected by the Pullman
company. Notwithstanding the facts set
forth above were known to the public and
The national authorities. you nave seen tit,
under the guise of protecting the mails and
federal property. to invoke the service OF
the United States army, whose very pres
ence is used to coerce and intimidate peace
able working people into a humiliating
obedience to the will Of their oppressors.
Afraid of Military DespOtism.
BY your acts in so far you have sup
planted civil and state authorities with the
federal military power. the spirit of unrest
and distrust has SO far been augmented
that a deep-seated conviction is fast be-
coming prevalent that this government is
soon to be declared military despotism.
The transmission of the United States mails
is not interrupted by the striking employees
Of any railway company. but by the rail-
way companies themselves, who refused to
haul the mails on trains 10 which Pullman
cars We're not attached.
II il is criminal interference with the
United States mails for the employees of a
railway company to detach from a mail
train Pullman palace car contrary to the
will of the company, then II nolds true
that ii Is the same criminal interference
whenever a Pullman palace car is deta ched
from a mail train in accordance with the
will of a railway company while said mail
train is in transit The line of criminality
OF such case should not be drawn at the
willingness or unwillingness OF railway en-
ployes, but at the act itself. and inasmuch
as il has been the common practice OF rail-
way corporations TO attach and detach
from mail trains Pullman palace cars while
said trains are in transit and carrying the
nails Of the United States. IT would seem
an act of discrimination against the EN-
ployes Of the railway corporations to de-
clare such acts unlawful Interference with
the transmission Of the mails when done
by employees with or without the consent
of their employers.
Supporting the Railway Corporations
In view Of these facts. we look upon the
farfetched decision Of Attorney General
Olney the sweeping un-American injunction
against railway employees, and the move
ments of the regular army. as employing
the powers of the general government for
the support and protection OF the railway
corporations in their determination to de-
grade and Cypress their employees.
The present railway strike was precipi-
tated by the uneasy desire of the railway
corporations to destroy the organizations of
their employees and make the working peo-
pie more subseryient TO the will OF their
employers; and as all students of govern
n,ent agree that free institutions depend for
their perpetuity upon the freedom and pros
perity of the common people. IL would seem
more in consonance with the spirit of demo-
cratic government il federal authority was
exercised in defense of the rights of the
toiling masses to life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness. But on the contrary,
there is not an instance on record wherein
a conflict between the corporations and the
people where the strong arm OF the military
power has been employed to protect the
working people and the industrial masses
from the ravages and persecution of cor
rorate greed. But the measure OF character
has been in the line of declaring the cor
rorations always good and in the right, and
he
wrong.
Pledges Of Peace and Order.
Now. sir. We pledge to you the power of
our respective organizations. individually
and collectively, for the maintenance of
peace and good order and the preservation
of life and property, and will aid in the ar
rest and punishment Of all violators of the
civil and criminal laws, state or national.
In the present contest between labor and
railway corporations We shall use every
PEI ,eable and honorable means at our COM
mand consistent with the laws and our COLI
siitutional rights to secure for the working
people just compensation for labor done and
respectful consideration in accordance with
the inherent rights of all men, and the spirit
of republican government. In doing so We
appeal to all the liberty loving people of the
nation TO aid and support US in this most
just and righteous cause;
EUGENE V DEBS.
President OF the American Railway Union.
j. X. SOVEREIGN,
Master Workman, knights of Labor
Senator Shoup showed the President a dis
Patch he had received from Gov. McCon-
nell or Idaho, announcing the fact that the
Bunker Hin and sullivan quartz mills. at
the Occur d'Alene mines at Wallace had
been blown up The dispatch said the au-
thorities were unable to cope with the trou-
BILE and called upon the President for troops
A branch Of the Union Pacific and the main
line of the Northern Pacific runs through
this country ana the federal troops at Fort
Sherman can be thrown into Wallace on
short notice. II close connection can be
made by crossing the lake the troops can
get there in eight hours. II they have to
be sent by rail it will take twelve hours
Attorney General Olney received a tele-
gram from Special United States Attorney
Walker at Chicago last night saying that
the federal. state and municipal authorities
were working together in perfect accord.
He spoke hopefully of the situation and
said in effect that il the knight of Labor
do not join the strikers the authorities will
have made still greater gains.
The Attorney General also received a tele-
gram from United States Marshal Israel
and District Judge Hallett at Denver, stat
ing that the situation throughout the state
was greatly improved and that the authori-
ties are masters of the field. except at the
GrsEd Junction terminal of the Colorado
Midland, where there are no troops. At
that point the strikers are defiant and the
deputies are unable to control the mobs
Troops are asked for.