The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-18
DEBS AND THE UNIONS
WHY THE LATTER DID NOT SUP
PORT THE A. TX. L. STRIKE.
Patrick McBryde's story of the Fed
Grafton Conference.-The Attempt to
Trap President Gompers.


lately held in Chicago under the auspices
of the American Federation of Labor
one of the most important labor gatherings
ever held in this country" said Patrick
McBryde, secretary-treasurer Of the United
Mine Workers, to-day. Mr.. McBryde rep
resented the national miners in the con-
ference, and in speaking of the gathering
gave some light the proceedings. Said
Mr.. McBryde: "A convention of local
unions had declared in favor of a general
strike and demanded the presence of Mr..
Gompers in Chicago. Mr.. Gompers recog-
nized the gravity of the situation and sent
kilograms TO all the national and inter-
national trades unions and brotherhoods Of
railway firemen and trainmen. President
Arthur, of the engineers, wrote he was in
able to attend. AS the conference was
about to convene a delegation from local
unions that had already left work informed
the delegates that if they did not agree
TO call a national suspension the strike
was lost and that the conference would be
held responsible for the defeat. The dele
cation was quietly but firmly informed
that the conference would take such action
as it believed to be in the interest of the
workingmen of the country.
After the delegates had listened to
statement made by Mr.. Debs and investi-
gated for themselves the trouble at Chica-
CO. peculiar state of affairs presented it
self There was Mr. Debs and the A r. u.
on the one side and there Mr.. Pull
man, the railroads and the different broth
erhoods on the other. The representatives
of the firemen and trainmen opposed to the
strike, or rather to the boycott, had moth
ing but words of praise for Mr.. Debs; for
of condemnation. Indeed, it has seldom
been my lot TO hear men get such a scoring
as Mr.. Howard and members of the A. r;
L. board, except it be the language used
against Z. NJ. Arthur, of the engineers, by
the trade union delegates at the confer
ence. II seems that the organizers of the
A r. U. had been SO indiscreet as to con-
fess that they intended to break up the
older organizations, and boosted that 1T
tie in order to be successful. 1t can be
readily seen, therefore, that the boycott
CAPITAL but a life and death Struggle be-
tween the different railroad organizations.
The older orders being on the side of the
corporations, 1t Is but fair to state that
some of the brotherhoods, like the train
men, although opposed to the strike, al
lowed the members to act for themselves;
and over fifteen thousand of them joined
hands with the A. X. L.
"' You must declare a national suspen-
sion,' said the trade unionistS at Chicago.
The fight is a fight of capital versus Ia
bor,' said Mr.. Debs. You have no right
to take sides with one organization against
another, said the brotherhoods. Have a
little common sense and keep the men you
represent out of this muddle,' whispered
conscience. And SO the delegates talked,
discussed and talked all around the sub
ject, each afraid TO spring a resolution
lest it might be premature. In this condi-
ton Mr.. Debs found the conference, and
he realized the difficult task he had to per-
form. The men he was to address were
not amateurs in the methods of labor or
CARNATIONS. A number Of them had more
experience than himself. The man seemed
an icicle, but the voice held his hearers
spellbound as he recited the suffering of
the workmen at Pullman. the high-handed
policy of the board OF managers and the
determination of the men to fight to the
end; The delegates seemed magnetized.
What do you want US to doT ex-
claimed one. Then the matchleSS ability
of the man was manifested. In a tone of
deep sorrow he exclaimed: Nothing; L ask
nothing of you, gentlemen, but il | were
in your place l would tell you what L
would do. Then Mr.. Debs spoke in favor
of a general strike. A sharp exchange of
words between Secretary Mcclure of the
Debs having the best of il, but the discus
sion broke the spell. The delegates were
once more business men and Mr.. Debs soon
realized it, for he changed his tactics at
once. L have a telegram from Washing
tom he said. The President is going to
appoint an arbitration committee. so L
which, with the consent of this confer
ence l would wish President Gompers TO
He proceeded to read the document pre-
scented by Mayor Hopkins, calling off the
strike upon conditions that the old men
would be renstated. He left the document
and the conference promised to send him
an answer.
after little reflection by the delegates
they realized that if Mr.. GomperS was the
bearer of the message and the managers
refused to accept 1t the A f. of l.. would
be placed in an embarrassing position. II
was resolved to tell Mr. Debs that he could
choose any three gentlemen in the con-
Vention, who would, with equal num-
Der of citizens and Mr.. Debs, call upon the
board of managers, but Mr.. Gompers
should not go alone Hour after hour the
conference waited for Mr.. Debss reply,
but none came until the afternoon papers
announced the fact that Mayor Hopkins
had presented the document and that Pres
ident Debs had dumped the conference. The
delegates looked Sheepish when they real
lied that they narrowly escaped being
trapped into bringing all the horrors of a
general strike upon the country. After a
hearty laugh they issued the document
advising the men to return, which has APP
peared in the press and adjourned to their
homes, wondering what brought them TO
Chicago