The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-07-12
WHAT THE REAL ISSUE IS.
Tho "OutIook" Attacks the American
Railway unIOu.

Tho "OutIook" Attacks the American
halfway uuIou.
Tho following editorial, takon from q
recent issue of the Outlook, formerly the
Chru,ian Union, is clear and concise,
and accurately defines tho real issue In
tho present strike:
Tho issue il not whether the Pullman
Car Company ought TO have submitted
10 arbitration the question what wages
1t should pay to its employees. II 10
whether the American Railway Union
shall determine when, under what con.
ditions. on what railroads, and in what
sort OF cara the people Of tho Unitod
States may travel. Tho Pullman Car
Company decided that thcy could not
afford to pay the former rate OF wages to
their employees. Their employees decid.
cd that they would not work for less.
Thcreupon tho Pullman Car Company
decided that 1t would cease work for the
present. For this Gvowod reason, and
for no other, tho American Railway
Union, an organization OF switchmen,
hrakomen, hremen and tow ongineors
md conductors, has decided that no
railroad shall carry any Pullman cur
on Its trains until the Pullman Car
Company re-opens its works and re-em
ploys its workmen. Wercpeat that tho
issue now is not between tho Pullman
Car Company and its employees; it Is
not even hatween tho great railroads
and their employees; 1t is between the
American Railway Union and tho Amer
lean people.
The issue has only to BIO stated in an
othor form to DO perfectly clear.
Suppose tho railway employees had
asked, Congress to pass o law prohibit
ing al use OF Pullman cars on inter.
state commerce lines until tho Pullman
Car Company reopcned its works and
re.cmployed its workmen, with what
dcrision would tho proposition have
been received! But what they would
have thon attempted to do by lawful
means they arc now attempting TO do
by unlawful means; that is the whole
difference.
Until the right Of tho American peo-
plo to use tho highways oil tho nation is
settled all other questions should stand
10 one side. Tariff, income tax, silver
question, woman suffrage are insiRniH-
cant compared with tho question, arc
We free peopls2 Tho railway corpora
tions will have tho sympathy and sup
port OF substantially tho entire nation
In this issue until 1t IL settled, and set
tod rightly. It would BIO better to ride
in common cars, freight cars. cattle cars.
platform cars, or not ride at all, than 10
1.-Two under social systom, which leaves
tho question whether We may ride, and
when, and how we may ride, 10 be de-
terminod by au irresponsible oTgnniza'
ton, formulating its DEGREES BY secret
committee and enforcing them by mob
violence. Wo can live without rail-
roads, as our foreiathers did before US;
but wo will not 1.-Two without liberty.
It Is the paramount duty Of every
railroad o(IiCia! TO stand for tho right Of
an uai,npedod traffic on his railroad
limo lilo is standing for the rights Of
tho American people. It is tho duty OF
every stockholdor and bondholder 10
submit TO any possible dimunitton OF
profits. bankruptcy Is bettor than
despottsm, and tho word dOspotism is
TINT which masQuerados under tho
ruisc OF Democracy. II is tho duty OF
every mayor, police officer, sherit1, gov
crnor, aud, ii necessary, the President
of tho United States, to protect with all
the powers at thOir command tho right
OF tho American people to freedom OF
TRIVIAL on their own highways. And 1t
is tho duty Of tho public to submit to
any aud overy Inconvenience rather
than void for IN instant to the doc
trino that our freedom OF traffic is do
pcnien. upon tho pleasure OF the Amer
ican Railway Union.