Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-07-19
LABOR CONVENTION.
Oficial Representatives Of Labor
Unions In Secret Session.
DEBs' REVIEW OF The STRIKE.
President Gompers Expresses Sympathy
with the Pullman Employees but Coun-
sells Moderation Telegram Sent
10 the President.

Among the national labor organiza-
tions represented were: The printers,
cigarmakers, painters and decorators,
carpenters, brewers, trainmen, miners,
tiremen, building and trades council,
bakers, tailors, iron and steel workers,
musicians, machine wood workers and
seamen, said to represent In oil about
6OO,O0 men. The meeting was pre-
sided over by President Gompers and
the strike situation from the time Of
its conception fully investigated. Par
ticular attention was paid to the Pull
man strike and reports were heard
from the various local organizations
which have already decided to strike.
The evening session Of the executive
council was held at the Briggs house
with closed doors. Very soon after 3
o'clock President Debs, Of the Ameri-
can Railway union, appeared, in re-
Spouse to an invitation sent his this af-
ternoon by President Gompers. Mr..
Debs was introduced to the conference
by Mr.. Gompers. lie reviewed in de-
tail the cause Of the strike at Pullman;
told how miserably, even cruelty, the
employees were treated. He gave in de-
tail the wages paid, the high rents and
the high prices for provisions, which
they were compelled to pay. He out
lined at length the manneri in which the
Pullman employees had tried to get the
manager Of that corporation to submit
the matter to arbitration before they
struck, and he called attention to the
various offers that had been made to
Mr. Pullman by his employees. As a
last resort they came to me and the A.
R. U. and they asked us to help them.
The A. R. U. deliberated over the mat
ter for long time and finally con-
cluded to strike in sympathy for these
Pullman operatives lie believed the
present strike was right and just In
principle. The A. r. U. even went
ahead and requested the General Man
ayers association not to handle Pull
man caps and they promised not to do
So Yet, IN the face OF oil that they
went ahead and passed resolutions:
First, that they would haul Pullman
cars; second, that they would support
Pullman IN his strike, and third, that
tney would exterminate the A. X. U.
Upon hearing these resolutions the A.
H. u declared q strike.
Mr.. Debs then went on at length to
tell what had been done in the boycott,
OF the number OF people who had gone
out as strikers and OF the sympathizers
VINO had come forward for their en-
couragement' He explained the line
OF action here in Chicago and else
where throughout the country. lie
said he was very much elated over the
work which had been accomplished,
The A. X. U. had brought about one of
the greatest strikes this country had
ever seen, and he hoped to see 1t car
ried through to grand success. lie
had no doubt that this could be done
most etfectually with the alliance with
the American Federation of Labor and
the organizations. lie asked the FEEDER
alton Of Labor to give the A. R. U.
whatever assistance they could in the
work they were doing for the working
men of this country.
Az ". oonol,s;asa 80 NJ na,,,,a.l
'"e CONCLUSION VI W. Deoo 'peooh
MT. uompers tooK tne n0Or ana spoke
at some length. lie counseled modera-
tion. md while avowinp the most nro-
to,rd s,n,,,o+hu g., .Ls p.,,i,.,
SUM" 'J'np".'y ~, '"o ai'.i"n GIN
ployes as well Us Tor the a. X. u, ne
hoped for a wise and peaceful solution,
which would restore husiness activity
ora ,ot ,uotaat a. TIL. 80 ,..,,;..J
@n' Wv fio'0o' 'Ao ~ "'' "a ois aiiiAou
iapor'
At the close of the session President
(,ompers was shown the statement nv
- w as AZ. ..,.
ooAn w ,'.ye' " Va. iooepv'o" vo"
iniulee Which calleu on rresloent
Cleveland. lie said; II am pleased to
hear that the president has determined
TO take action IN the matter and APP
polnt a committee OF arpltratlon under
.he law lfegret that IL was not done
oeiore the .rouole became SO feariully
accumulated ana the bitterness OF feel.
ing aroused ~ seems 70 me tne enors