Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-21
He Claims Conspiracy Of the Railroads
to Reduce Wages.
THE PULLMAN EMPLOYEES.
They Were Sinking Deeper and Deeper I'm
Debt to the Company Employing
Them-The strike.

zine. He testified that from the ptbihAihb
he was opposed 10 strike. and so toi1
Vice President Howard. ! twice went 10
George NJ. Pullman and TO the town OF
Pullman to thoroughly investigate the
conditions existing at the car-shops. 1
found the employees were not only not
getting wages enough to live, but were
daily getting deeper into the debt OF 'he
Pullman Company. No matter now Of
fengive the conditions were there, the men
were obliged 10 submit TO them. Nheh
found out all these things ! immeu'atc''
de,ermined that the American halfway
| rnion should 20 to the assistance OF 'hesc
unfortunate people We lelleNe tha' any
| fair board Of arbitration would nave uS
| cided in favor Of the employees anu an
| we asked was arbitration. ms the un
| man C0mpany arbitrarily relus,u'
| only this but when we ashtu ~, S.her
ovsn,ine into tho question 10 see Wne'noi
or not there was anything u al
they also refused this. - -
"Verv much has been said ABOUT an
alleged conspiracy against tne ra'i 10, 90
and AGAINST hauling the mails ""l'
80 cou tho attention Of this comiillssioii
to the fact that every meetihb VI
American Railway Union was heiu "i1'
omen doors, and that represeh'd,iNos ~,
tbe nrcss were allowed 10 be pres'n''
!" ,roro bo1 beeu any conspiracy con-
terminated we certainly would have beeh
more secret about II. , ct,
Nfr Dobs then told Of the several fali-
mos of the American Railway mon "
secure arbitration from the iuiiI',''' iIIl.
company and the subsequent lhaubu'"'
ton Of the strike.
WHY THEY STRUCK.
g Ia
"Not only did the employees ot tle
various railroads strike because ol 'lV
Injustice being done TO the Pullman en-
,i,,.ooe hut because the various roads
bad rricyances Of their own, which
eball procceI in time TO show. we usti
our Influence TO prevent strikes during
The Worlds Fair. as We did lot believe
/, inst 10 the public to inaugura;e a STRIKE
M such a time. 1t was all that couid pe
done bv the leaders of the labor unions
10 prcvent "A strike In view OF the men >
working throughout the fair me railway
managers on many Of the roads pToih'seu
49,, i,creasa Of wages after tn fair was
ov,r Instead of doing this. hey began
immediately after the fair closed sES-
t.,natic reduction of wages 'froushoHt
H. country No two companies reduced
vr,ocs AT the same time. This, 10 me-
was "A very significant acton. IL shU"'
me that there was concert ol dC,'o'i
o,,one the various roads. ana that tleE
did not wish to arouse IN ah'1sOhl9"'
Of too many railway employ ''S "l '"'
same time. "a r,i,-
President Debs said moreover no ran
,,',1 roduceJ the wages Of all Its men AT
,bc same time. but reduced them by sec
tiors Ho declared the American kallWay
I-,ion viewed these reductions with me
erootest apprehension. The organization
9slt mat The time had come TO act. lie
continued: when the American haii"aS
Union net IN convention Ia Cnlcaeo on
Juue DIST. IT was confronted Ly theSe
coalitions as well as the state OF aiialrS
at Pullman. go,
eilcr the reduction OF wages or the
Pullman mattor?" asked COMMISSIONS
.rrhe convention was called for no spe-
cinc purpoee It was the regular qudd-
rennial convention, provided Tor by the
convention" r.,
| The witn-ss then enumerated the fall-
urcs of n old labor organizations 10
| lin redress for the grievances OF the
! ,mplovees. and asserted they felt their
| only hone lay in the American Railway
| Union. 20 which they finally turned for
| holm When asked what the outcome OF
| The convention which declared the boy
| colt AGAINST Pullman cars would have
| boon had IL not been for the grievances
| Of Pullman employees, Mr.. Debs said
| there would have been no strike but Tor
| the Pullman trouble. as the American
| Railway Union. owing 20 the depressed
| condition Of the country, deemed 1t an
| inauspl ,ious tine to strike.
! Il would Ike to state" said Mr. Dehs
| "tnat the railroad companies have never
| raised the wages Of their own accord
| Every increase IN wages has been wrung
| from N N 10y organized labor
| 40 VOICE IN ORDERING STRIKE.
| Il had no voice in ordering this strike
| myself" said the witness. but If | had
| lad voice in il, would have ordered il.
| have no desire 10 shirk any respoasi-
| bliiy. Sly record will show. also. that !
| have always cnunselled against violence.
| The telegram attributed 10 me which read,
Save your money and buy a gun though
sent over my signature. | never saw.
II was sent by our stenographer 70 his
| superior in Montana, and was not IN
tended literally. 1t was merely a playful
| expression current in Montana"
| The witness claimed that the men
| would have won the strike had not the
| courts lnterferel. 1T was not the sol
! dicrs." he said. nor the labor organiZI-
| tons. but the Federal courts that Kept
| us from winning. by the arrest Of the
| adcrs the ranks Of the strikers were
! demoralized."
He charged General Miles with being
| I'm league with the railroad managers 10
| suppress the strike. and related instances
where as n alleged. men were made 10
| work at the point Of the bayonet. The
| rcfusa! Of the general managers 10 accept
tho American Railway Unions PROPOSE
ton t. end the strike was then recited.
! Nlr. Debs denied that the American Rail
| way Union had any antipathy for other
| oTganizauons
within the next three days" said the
| Witness. I'VE are going 10 take steps 10
| unity all railroad labor organizations We
| are willing To give up our position. ana
| sacrifice the American Railway Union 10
| accomplish this result, and agree not 10
acc pt an official position at the head
of the new organization
When tho commission took its noon re-
| cess aIr. Debs was still on the stand.
BADLY TREATED BY THE PRESS.
At go Mr. Debs resumed the stand.
He testified that from the beginning the
American Railway Union and the strike
leaders had been badly treated by the
! Chicago press. Interviews had been dis
torted ana many les told. President
| Debs said that If there had been q revolu-
D tltI IL NpNli nave btiU NlifNtis '.i"' ~
able 10 the press of Chicago rather than
10 the American Railway Union.
DO you charge the general managers
with being responsible for the strike?
| asked Con missioner Wright.
"WeN. could hardly go 50 far as that.
/ believe they had much TO do with keep
ing it up"
How would you gain the demands OF
laborers on quasi-pubic corporations?
asked Judge Worthington.
"Thcre are two ways. One Is the way
adopted by the old brotherhoOds. That Is
getting schedule of wages gradually
from the companies. There has been little
good in this mode Of procedure. 1t takes
a strike to win sometimes; but l don
believe the railroad employees OF this
country could win a strike to-day If they
were in one brotherhood, because the
courts are against labor | can show In
twenty years of writing that | have
always been opposed to strikes, but
think there are times when they are justi-
fable, no matter how much the public Is
discOmmoded.
He said he did not think the genera
managers were always TO blame in re
! he'll n