Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-07-19

Federation OF Labor has issued an
address TO the public stating that the
situation has been carefully ard
calmly considered and in the light OF
all evidence obtainabIe, and, IN view
OF the peculiar complications we are
forced to the conclusion that the best
interests Of the unions affiliated with
the American Federation Of Labor
demand that they refrain from partIc-
ipating in any strike which may be
proposed i'll connection with the pres
ent troubles. We do not wish it under
| stood that we are in any way antaS-
onistic to the labor organizations now
struggling for justice, but rather that
we deem the present contest has
become surrounded with complications
so grave in nature that we cannot
consistently advise a course which
would but add to the general confu-
sion.
The public press, with few eXcep-
tons, has so maliciously misrepre.
scented matters that in the public
mind the working classes are now ar
rayed in open hostility to federal
authority. This is position we do not
wish to be placed in, nor will we &C.
cupy it without protest. While we
may not have the power to order a
strike of the working people of the
! country, we are fully aware that a
recommendation from a conference to
! lay down the tools Of labor would
largely influence the members of atfili-
ated organizations and, approaching
the responsibility resting upon US and
! the duty we owe to all, we declare it
! to be the sense of this conference that
a general strike is ineXpedient, I'm
wise and contrary to the best interests
| Of the working people.
I'VE further recommend that all con-
nected with the American Fedora ton
| of Labor now out on a sympathetic
| strike should return to work. The
! heart of labor everywhere thrObs re-
! spouse to the manly purposes and
| sturdy struggle Of the A. r. .. in it's
heroic endeaYOrS to redress the wrongs
of the Pullman employees. By the
railway strike the people are once
more reminded Of the immense forces
! held at the call Of corporate capital
| for the subjugation of labor. All civil
! and military machinery is rallied upon
summons Of the corporations. Against
this array of armed force and brutal
moneyed autocracy would it not be
| worse than folly to call men out on
a strike? Better let us organize more
| generally, educate and prepare our
! selves to protect our interests that We
! may go to the ballot box and cast our
/ votes to redeem the country from
present political and industrial mis-
| rule, take it from the hands of pluto
! cratic Wreckers and place it in the
! hands of the common people"
! The address also denounces George
NJ. Pullman for his persistent refusals
| to arbitrate and declares him a pub
lie enemy.
The federation voted $1,000 to aid
| Debs in his Forthcoming trial.
! RAILWAY MANAGERS TOO.
Chicago, July 14.-Judge GroSscup
announces that he will give the fed
eral grand jury supplemental instruc-
tons directing an investigation of the
railway managers. The judge said:
L have something more l desire to
say. 1t is my duty to give you fur
Their instructions. No man is above
the law. The line of criminaity is
not drawn between classes, but be
tween those who violate the law and
those who do not. The fact that a
man occupies high position does not
exempt him from Indictment or trial
The fact that a man occupies a lower
position does not preclude him from
making known his grievances. Your
door ought to be open to all who may
come with evidence that is tangible
/ and not based upon mere hearsay. 1t
is stated in the public prints that some
of our fellow-citizens believe that the
interference with the mails and inter
state commerce was the result of
! conspiracy among men higher in the
railroads thar employees.
If two C more men Wrongfully
agreed, either for the purpose Of Great
ing public sympathy, or for any other
Pun pOSS W Lay e lAS LIl1lS vi iultI-
state commerce stopped, they are
guilty of conspiracy. If two or more
men agreed wrongfully among them
selves, for the purpose of creating pub
| lie sympathy, to discharge men, in
tending that their discharge should
stop the passage Of the mails or inter-
state commerce, they are guilty of
conspiracy. If two or more men
wrongfully agreed not to employ men
to take the places of men who had
quit work, but allowed the trains to
stand still, in order to create public
sympathy, they would be guilty of
conspiracy, unless the circumstances
were such that the employment of new
men would lead to danger to those
men or to the public interests.
Every man is entitled to bring his
complaint, if he brings it with tangi-
BILE evidence. It is the duty, as well
as the pleasure of the district attor-
ney to submit such evidence to you if
it is presented and it is your duty to
hear it,
1t is probable that the grand jury
will send for the kilograms sent and
received by the managers during the
strike.
WRATHY AT MANAGERS.
Chicago, July IA joint meeting of
i