The record-union., 1894-07-28
REMARKABLE STATEMENT.
Reasons of an Old EmpIoye for Join
ing the Strikers.
Correspondence Well Worth Reading
and Pondering Upon = Mr..
Towne's Advice.

The following correspondence WnlcA
has just taken place between v u
Dodge, one Of the Sacramento men VINO
went out in the late strike, and VICE
President and General Manager Towne
of the Southern Pacific Company, tells
its own story and needs no comment:
SACRAMENTO, July "a, 1894.
Mr., 4. ", TOcne-DEAR SIR: L have
always found you to be a just and honor
able man, therefore l wish you TO read
this statement of mine and 10 belleVe me
when [ tell you that the mistake may
have made was not meant intentionally
nor against any law. will prove 10 you
that belong TO one of the best orders IN
this city; have always kept the law and
always behaved myself; neither drink,
chew nor smoke, and don't belong TO
any church. Now, l am what was called
a striker. When all the boys went out
last month, cleaned up my turning
lathe, put my tools away and went out.
i was not a member Of the American
Railway Union, and did not become one
until the 7th of July. l do not know how
true the report Is, but man told me L
was accused of carrying a gun through
the yard, and / don't deny the charge.
You know after the Fourth OF July the
boys held the depot, and for fear that
some outside parties would do damage
there they put out pickets On the river
'front.' That was what | understood
gun was wanted for. I did not handle
one at any time. was asked II IN
case Federal troops came up here II L
would stand by the boys. / told them
''no," and l also told them l never would
raise my hand against any of the boys IN
blue. l admit / should never have taken
the gun there, yet thought twas for the
best. You could never find man here
but will tell you l tried my best while
the strikers had the depot to see there
was nothing destroyed. L sent chlldren
whom | found in the cars home nights. L
thought twas nay duty to look cut for
things there, as l was associated with that
movement. | also viii say that OH The
Fourth of July / was il the depot was
there also the day Barry Baldwin started
to run the train, and I have the proof that
I did all man could that day to save his
life. a lady told my wife how l handled
her son that day trying to reach Baldwin.
/ have been too busy in trying to get a
few of my friends to bring this thing 10
head and declare the strike OF to take
much notice Of the press reports Your
communication was received here last
Saturday by the committee. They had
held the facts back until forced to as
close them. Therefore l haven't applied
for my JOB in the shops. Now, If you
place all right, won't object; but II not l
would like to be put back at my old job,
wood-turning, as in the six years l have
worked there L haven't in any way spollt
a piece of work, or made one mistake,
until made this of going on this strike
with the rest. l gave my word OF honor
20 stay out with six OF them until called
off; two of them had the good sense to
quit last Friday.
Now then, what shall do? Go back to
work, or stay out for good? will leave
this for you. This was my first strike.
and it will be my last. Give me an an
swer yourself, and / will say no more
about this. Hoping to hear from you,
remain, yours truly, V. G. DODGE.
716 Thirteenth street, Sacramento Cal.
Mr.. TowNE's REPLY.
SAN FRANCISCO, July 26, 1894.
2. c. Dodge, ZIG Thirteenth street, iSGcG-
aseat0, Cal. - DEAR SIR: Yours of the
oath instant Just received, in which you
say you Joined the strikers without any
reason and without any cause whatever,
leaving good position, which you had
filled for more than six years, to follow
the blind lead of irresponsible men, who
do not labor but who make it a business
10 agitate the minds of the honest work
ingman, being well fed and clothed by
the working classes. for whom they pro-
Tess much sympathy and consideration,
yet to whom they bring nothing In re-
turn but distress, as viii be attested by
the history of labor strikes IN this and
other countries.
You admit that you carried gun on
the river front to meet the Federal troops
who had been sent there by the Govern
ment to preserve law and order when
the mob was at its hight, and you
undertake to justify this conduct on the
II, fR.nf- ion Of Ffa
company's property. You admit that
you were with the mobs that prevented
the movement of our trains when they
were under the protection of the United
States Marshal, and you say you gave
your word Of honor to stay out with six
strikers, which, of course, was for the
purpose of crippling our business so that
we would be coerced into yielding TO the
tyranny of your leaders; but you say that
TWO of these six strikers deserted your
cause last Friday. While their action
may be regarded as very mean and dis
honorable, yet they probably thought
that il was about time that they began TO
look after the welfare Of their wives and
children, and / venture to assert that not
one in thousand of the many honorable
men went out on this late strike, really
knew what he was contending tor, ex-
cepLing that he may have heard in an in
direct way that some workingmen some
where near Chicago. three thousand
miles away, claimed TO have been un-
Justly treated by their employer.
just what benefit can be derived from a
strike is not apparent. when it paralyZes
the business Of the country; when it
takes the bread by force from the mouths
of those who hunger; when the sick and
the dying are deprived of the presence of
friends and relatives who cannot reach
them; when women and children are suf-
fering agony for the sake of those dear to
them whose lives are imperiled in an en-
deayor to right what the strikers have
put wrong: when families already suf-
fering from straitened circumstances
are compelled to bear still heavier bur-
dens, all through the lack Of judgment
on the part of the better element Of work.
ingmen, in a spirit of alleged chivalry.
To my mind IL seems high time that the
leaders of these anarchistic movements,
whose innate selfshness is the root from
which springs such utter lack OF consid-
Grafton for the interests of the working
people, should be made to understand
that they viii be held responsible TO you
and TO the State and the Nation.
As for yourself, since you ask my adj
vice, ] can only suggest that you seek
employment elsewhere, as we prefer
men whose ideas of right will prompt
them not only to be loyal to those whom
they admit treat and pay. them well, but