The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-18
THE RESPONSIBILITY.

While the Journal heartily approved the
course OF the administration in the recent
emergency. and deemed it the duty of good
citizens to give the President all needed
support in the enforcement of law and the
restoration of order, II cannot forget that
the situation was largely due to the action
of Mr.. Cleveland's party. and, in some de-
gree, Of Mr.. Cleveland himself
The reduction Of the wages of Pullman's
employees. which was the starting point of
the trouble. was due to the shrinkage of
business caused by the hard times brought
on by the tariff reform agitation. If bust
ness had continued as it was in 1892 there
would have been no reduction of wages at
Pullman. and therefore. presumably no
strike
The general scaling down of the wages
Of railroad employees was due to the enor-
nous falling off in the transportation bust
ness of the country caused by the general
depression of trade-a condition which still
continues. and which is undoubtedly due to
the long tariff agitation and the incompe-
tence of the party in power to deal with
the financial situation.
The general shrinkage in the earnings of
workingmen and the universal discomfort
among them are result of the hard times
caused by the Cleveland panic" and of
economic conditions generated by the blum
dering and vicious policy of the party in
power
The hostility to capital of all kinds, and
especially to incorporated capital, which
enters largely into the present movement
has been fomented by leaders of the Dem
ocratic party. including Mr.. Cleveland him
self Debs and Sovereign. in their letter to
the President, spoke of 1.-The iron heel of
corporate tyranny. applied with the inten-
ton to subjugate the working people to
the will of arrogant monopolies." Mr..
Cleveland said, "The discomfort of the en-
ployed is due, in a large degree, to the
grasping and needless exactions of the EN-
ployers." Debs and Sovereign accuse the
President of using the military "to coerce
and intimidate peaceable working people
into humiliatng obedience to the will of
their oppressors." Mr.. Cleveland speaks OF
1.-The communism of combined wealth and
capital" and of oppressed poverty and toll
which, exasperated by injustice and dscon-
tent. attack with wild disorder the citadel
of rule" Debs and Sovereign charge the
railroads with a purpose TO make the
working people more subservient to the will
of their employers" Mr.. Cleveland says:
LAS we view the achievements of aggre-
gated capital we discover the existence OK
| trusts, combinations and monopolies while
the citizen is struggling far in the rear. or
| is trampled to death under an iron heel"
Debs and Sovereign declare that they rep
resent 1.-The rights of the toiling masses"
Mr.. Cleveland says: Those who toll for
daily wages are beginning to understand
| that capital, though sometimes Wanting
| its Importance and clamoring for the pro-
| dull and sluggish until. touched by the
magical hand of labor, it springs into activi-
| ty"
| Thus it will be seen that Mr. Cleveland's
| party and Mr.. Cleveland himself are in no
small degree responsible for the trouble
| They cannot escape this responsibility.