The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-11

leagues were brought in quietly and
without any of the lurid fires or out
bursts of popular indignation that sem
sationalists had predicted. The federal
grand jury. composed almost entirely
of out-of-town residents occupied less
time than had been expected In reach
ing the decision that the evidence pre-
sented for its consideration was suifi-
cient to justify the return Of true bills
against the leaders Of the union. No
other result mad been expected by those
who listened to the charge of Judge
Grosscup, and whilp. although de-
nounced with fury at the headquarters
Of the various labor organizations to
night, is generally commented in COM
mercial and professional circles rs u
masterly exposition of the line between
the legal and the justifiable methods of
trades organizations and defiance of
the laws or rebellion against the au
thority of the United States.
The jurist took the ground emphati
cally that whilo the right Of labor to
organize could not be successfully at
tackled and that while it was the i'm
pershable right Of free man to work
or quit work as he saw fit, and that
while moreover he was entitled to all
the fruits and strategy OF work or OF
cessation from work, yet, at the same
time, trades organizations are subject
to the same laws as other associations.
that their leaders are also subject to
the same laws governing all other
men and that no organization, nor
the leaders of such organization,
could with impunity violate the laws
enacted for the government Of inter-
state commercs or the protection of the
mails II was a memorable scene when,
looking straight ahead, with finger
uplifted, and speaking in clear cut
tones, as though he would drive his
words like a dagger of steel into the
hearts of the jurymen, Judge Gross
cup said that the present emergency
was to viudicate the law and that only,
and that if the law had been violated
there should be quick, prompt and
adequate indictment.
Nnen the jury turned towards its
consulting chamber there was not II
man within reach of the judges voice
that had not already made up his mind
that a return of the indictments
against the leaders of the union would
be as quick and prompt as those re-
sponsiOle for the putting into opera.
tion Of the machinery of the federal
courts could possibly desire.
UNION MEN CALLED OUT.
Organized labor was prompt to strike
! back Mt the latest manifestation of
federal power and authority. Hardly
! had the word been flushed across the
half mile of intervening ground be,
tween the government building and
labor headquarters that indictments
had been returned and warrants for
! Debs and his associates placed in the
hands of the officers of the law when
the committee appointed by the
trade aud labor associations of the
city TO urge upon the Pull
man company the desirable
ity Of submitting the dispute with Its
employees to arbitration, and which had
| been endowed with autocratic author
ity In the event of refusal being re-
turned, attached its signatures to the
order calling out every union man in
the city from midnight. Almost before
the ink was dry on this document,
| General Master Workman Sovereign,
OF the Knights of Labor. placed the of.
fetal seal of the order upon manifesto
addressed TO members OF the or
ganization throughout the country.
| declaring that a crisis had been
reached in the affairs of the nation
that endangered the peace of the re-
public, that the flames of discord were
being purposely famed by the railroad
corporations at the risk of the liio OF
the government, and appealing to the
order and through it. to the whole peo-
pie to lay down the implements of toll
for a short season, and under the ban
ner of peace and with patriotic impulse
to create through peacable assem- blage
healthy public sentiment in fav.
or of the amicable settlement of the
issues involved The manifesto was
couched in somewhat qualified terms
for while in one portion 1t appealed to
the order as though its executive off =
Ger was at the moment of writing Il
little doubtful Of his ground or the
scope of his authority, it later on
specifically requested the membership
not to return to its usual vocations un-
Ill settlement OF the pending trouble
had been made known through authen.
tic sources.
KNIGHTS QUICKLY RESPOND.
This order, or request. or whatever
it might he properly designated. was
wired at once 10 the officers Of every
district assembly throughout the couu
try with instructions looking to its i'm
mediate transmission to executive
heads of each local assembly. The or
ganization of the Knights and its
means of communicating with the in
dividusl mem bers is so perfect that il
was the opinion at headquarters thai
every Knight of Labor in the land
would be made acquainted with the ul
timatum by the midnight hour.
District Assembly No. "a, represent
ing every local assembly in Chicago
and surrounding towns was the first to
respond TO the executive appeal, anC
this evening by formal resolution it dc.
clared the duty Of all members within
its jurisdiction to carry out the.sugges
tions it contained and at the same time
declared that during the crisis it was
the duty of all members Of the order &c
refrain from congregating upon thu
street and TO use every endeavor Il
maintain peace and order in the COM
munity.
Around town the news Of the arrests,
while it intensified tho strained feel
ings already referred to, failed to pro
duce any pronounced manifestation
either of approval or indignation. Pso
pie that had been assuring one another
that the arrest of Mr.. Dsbs would bl
the signal for movement by the mas
ses upon the building In which hi
might be temporarily confined, proved
themselves false prophets.
NO SIGNS OF VIOLENCE.
Although the announcement of tn
arrests We're spread broadcast, by wor'
Of mouth and through the extras o
evening papers, tue interior and sur
roundings Of the government building
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