St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-07-24
THEY ADMIT AND THEY DENY
DEBS AND ASSOCIATES FILE Ay AN
SWER IN COURT.
ERwIN's FINE ITALIAN HAND.

Works In a Stump Speech for His
Clients-An Address to the
Populace Rather Than to the
Conrt-Debs Denies That He
Personally Wrecked Trains
Admits Giving Orders.
CHICAGO, July 23.-What is consid-
cred by labor leaders and their counsel
to be one of the most important legal
battles in the nations history was begun
In the United States circuit court today,
when President Debs, Vice President
Howard, Secretary Keliher and Director
Rogers, of the American Railway union,
by their attorneys, w. w. Erwin. S. S.
Gregory and e. S. Darrow, filed their
answer to the contempt rule issued by
the court against them last week, and
came themselves into court to make
return to the writ. The defense pro-
poses to carry the case into the supreme
court of the United States in the event
of an adverse decision here, and if de.
feated there to appeal through congress
to the people. The policy of the de.
Tense will be to question the right and
power of the court to issue injunctions
like that obtained by the railway COM
panies against Debs and his associates,
and then impris0n those enjoined if
the injunction be violated. 1t will be
contended that what the court has done
amounts to a usurpation of power not
given to the federal judiciary by either
the constitution or law. The defense
will follow closely the lines of the report
OF the Boatner committee of congress
which investigated the injunction and
contempt proceedings by Judge Jenkins.
Labor organizations throughout the
country will contribute money to defray
the expenses OF this legal struggle
The American Federation of Labor
has given $1,000. Other organizations
will follow, and the contest will be car
ried to the bitter end. Ii the supreme
court declares the injunction and con-
tempt method is good law, congress wi II
be asked, local leaders say, to change
the statutes and curb the powers OF the
courts. and every candidate for con-
gress will be asked to pledge himself
for such reform.
THE ANSWER.
In the circuit court of the q nited
States, Northern district of Illinois,
United States of America. complainant
versus Eugene V. Debs, George w.
| Howard, l.. w. Rogers, Sylvester Keli-
her ct al, defendants.
Now come the said defendants, and,
| first saving and reserving unto them
| selves, all and singular, the advantages
| chat may TO them accrue by reason of
the many and manifold insufficiencies
| in the bill of the complainant herein,
| and in the injunction issued thereon. by
| reason whereof the defendants say. as
| they are advised. that the said iniunc-
tion is in all things wholly void and
without effect, they jointly and sever
| ally make answer 10 the information
| of the said complainant. and in that re-
| gard do respectfully show to the court.
| as follows:
| THEY ADMIT
| that on the I'd day of July, 1894,
| the United States of America cause
| to be filed in the Office of the clerk
| of said court for said district certain
complaint or bill in equity, and allege
| that said complaint or bill together with
the affidavit verifying the same, was
and is i'll the words and figures of the
| following. to-wit:
| lllUl OlI Sdlu CSTldlIl
| writ of Injunction was issued by the
order of said court, upon said bill, and
| that copy of the order of the said court
| directing that such writ of injunction
be issued, is attached to the complain
| ants information herein. They admit
| that the American Railway union is a
| voluntary association of which many
| thousand employees were at the time of
filing said bill, and still are, members:
| that the defendant, Eugene Y. Debs, is
president of said association, and George
| w. Howard, vice president; Sylvester
kellher, secretary and treasurer, and
l.. w. Rogers one of the directors, and
| that all of said defendants were
and are directors of said association.
They allege that the purpose of said
American Railway union, and the pur-
pose and intent of the organization and
maintenance tn ereof, was the protection
of all its members in their rights and
| interests as employees of the various
railway systems of the United States,
and to procure by all lawful and legiti-
mate means fair, reasonable ana ade-
quate compensation for all its said mem
bers for the service performed by them:
that membership in said American
Railway union was open to every en-.
ploye of good personal character and
reputation engaged upon the railway
systems of the United States, and that
| to better secure and effectuate the pur-
| pose and objects of said American Rail-
way union, as hereinbefore set forth, il
was the desire and one of the purposes
| of the said American Railway union to
! procure all such persons to become
| members Of such organization. They
| deny that il was at any time the pur-
pose and object of said American Rail-
way union, or of the officers or d-
| rectorS thereof, or Sot these defendants
or either or any of them, to concentrate
| the power and jurisdiction of said
| American Railway union under one Off
| cial management and direction, with
| power to order strikes or discontin-
uance of service of such employees at
| any time that the board of directors or
the American Railway union should
| elect so to do, as alleged in said infor-
nation or otherwise, and they allege
! that by the organ cation of the said
| American Railway union strikes could
| only be declared or discontinued by the
| vote of majority of the members of
| such American Railway union en-
| ployed in the service affected by any
such strike, and that the only power,
authority or office of the said officers or
directors OF said American Railway
union, or of these defendants or either
" sAS'' - AS'PSS' w ooii tho'toi was
TO notify the members of said American
Railway union in the service concerned
in such strike of the action taken by
sucn majority.
THEY DENY
that on the Goth. or 9th day of June
last, past.I or at any time since, the
American Railway union, or its board
of directors or other officers, or these
defendants or either of them, had di-
rected and ordered the members of said
American Railway union engaged in
the service OF the Illinois Central Rail-
road company to leave the service of
said company, as allege in said infor-
nation or otherwise,or that at any time
any orders were issued to the employees
Of the railroads mentioned in the com,
alaint, or any Of them, to leave the serv-
ina Of slnh ~ linc hilt thla.- alI.a.-1.