Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-08-20
AS Seen BY DEBS.
The Leader Of the Strike Tsstil,s
Before tho Commission.
ORIGIN OF THE GREAT STRUGGLE.



courtroom was crowded itsm the
uuuch to the dOorwtys.
"Now tell uI, IN your own way, MI.
Debs,0 said Commissioner wight
ughat you know Of the Pullman strike
and the rosulls."
Leaning forward In his scat the tall
leader Of the great strike began ia
low, clear voice recital which
gradually became more earnest AMI
iotciblo hs he proceeded, un'
ull IL developed into almost
an orntlou, He told Of having received
word that n strike IN iulmun was
Imminent anu 81 his coming %
Chicago 70 inveatly gate. 81 iOuld,h
he said, "thu inUu were wOfkiug fjf
the Pullman company nj wAgt- upon
which they could not live. / found
the salaries had been cut time anu
line again until HRilleI mvchuuici
w,fu working their lives away Tor
wages not sufficient Tor day labofei;
that the town Of Pullman was ~
rhumtd that every penny the
Working men make found ita way back
10 the company. Ia fact, iuuuu the
w0Tkingmun or Pullman IN pitiaulr
condition aud determined that would
10 all Ia my power as pfcsidnut ot tue
A. X. u. 60 Improve the condition OF
tu1Au men. Tue strike followed,
ordered by tue men themselves. Iurn
rame tho boycott ordered by duly
Elected delegates to our convention aud
tuen followed the railroad strikes,
defcd by various local unione, each
ufwhioh nad grievance, Of M own"
"WOuld the railroad strikes have
occurred u there had becn no Pullman
tfuuuit?" asked Commissioner Wright
"N0, the Pullman stiiku was the
ptimr cause. We desired to stop Pull.
mans cars Rnd shut oil his Income,
thus forcing Afbitfalign. Hut the rail-
road men had grievances oi their own.
Tho Gon,rAl ManHgefs'associatiO had
been organized with tue RvOwed iuteu.
ton Vt giving assistance ~ tho rail-
roads In their troubles. Evidently the
move vas to drive the OtgabizttiOng
from existence. No sooner had this AZ.
tociatiOn been formed tnan Systematic
reductions OF railroad wages all over
jhs country began. The men we're
ready 10 strike aud felt they hal cause,
but tue trouble would not have come
when II did, had not II been for the
Pullman inter. The time was I'M
~ ,pitlous. did not order the strik ..
l had not tho power. The men did
that tbomio.v6s. but | do not With 10
Buiik any responsibility aud am viii.
ing ~ say | heartily cOnoufred In aud
approved Of tue action taken b. the
men. As 10 violence, | always cou.
demued NJ. / have written anu spoken
against II, believing and knowing
strike cannot be- won by violence. A.
10 the kilograms sent from our Ctiice
cuunsuling violence, l know VI no
tuCh epia,luB.p
"Wbat about the buy gum tol,-
gtam2" asked Commits Toner Herman.
"rhat Il easily explained. Tue telo.
gram was sent by the private secretary
~ a friend In Butte, anu was merely n
playful expression, IL was sent as
tuch aud % uudethloOd."
D1bs then said that within i've day
after the strike was declared, the union
had the railroads beaten. "rhey were
pafalyzod,n he said, "but inlulo,iOns
were sowu broadcast anu shortly
afterwards the M eials Of the A. II. u.
were arrested Tor contempt Of court.
They beat us. About this llme Gen.
aAlt'H NAHA' W NHANhkVi HhN NaiANA va
the General Managers association,
aud the next day was quoted IN An
interview No saying that he had broken
the backbone OF the strike. Now
o1lsiIer that call OF General Miles NJ
yulgafly out Of place. lie had no more
light 10 consult with the General
Managefs' association than he had 10
consult with our union. might say,
too, IL seems strange that all our let
tcu aud tulegrAms were made public
property, while not a line OF thu rail
roads correspondence was published.
IL It had been, 1 think we could prove
that the general managers ats stcfet
meeting declared that they would
stamp the a. II. u. out Of existence"