The Indiana State sentinel., 1894-11-14
ON THE STRIKE.
Concluded from First Page.


wage reduction by II as an employer can
be considered by the company as a land
lord. The company claims that II is sim
ply legitimate business to use its posi-
ton and resources to hire in the labor
market as cheaply as possible and at the
same time to keep rents up regardless of
what wages are paid 10 its tenants, or
what similar tenements rent for else
where; TO avail Itself to the full extent of
business depression and competition in re-
ducing wages and TO disregard these same
conditions as TO rents. No valid reason is
assigned for this position. except simply
that the company had the power ana the
legal right to do 1t.
Prior TO the so-calied truck law in
Illinois rent was d dJced from the wages.
Since shen a check is given for the amount
of the rent and another for tne balance
due for wages. There is nothing to pre-
vent the payee OF the check from cashing
II outside Of the bank, bu. as the bank IS
rent collector 1t presses for the rent and
is aided I'm collecting il by knowledge on
the part of the tenant that by arrears he
may lose his job.
THE reductions at Pullman after Sep
tember, 1898, were the result of confer
nnces among the managers. The employees
for the first time knew Of them when they
took effect. The company based its entire
contention as to every department upon
the facts in reference TO ear building, 10
WnlCal We nave aAluQEu. anu tuNAtu ~
show its books and figures as TO the cos
and selling prices Of cars. This oifer, on
account Of the strike Intervening was no.
acted upon. Had II been il would have
resulted in the figures as TO car building
contracts The purpose of the manage
ment was obviously to rest the whole mat
ter upon cost, etc, in its most seriously
crippled department, excluding from CON
siderati0n the facts as 20 wages In the
repair department
10
wages OF June, 1898. was clearly unjustifi-
able. The business IN May, 1894, could noi
pay the wages of June, 1893. Reduction
was carried to excess, bus the company
was hardly more at fauls therein than
were the employees I'm insisting upon the
wages OF June, 1898. There was little
discussion as to rents, the company main
tanning that lis rents had nothing TO do
with it's wages and that its revenues from
its tenements was no greater than it
ought to receive.
THE company had legal right TO take
this position. but as between man and
man the demand for some rent reduction
was fair and reasonable under all the cir
cumstances. Some slight concession in
this regard would probably have avereed
the strike, provided the promise not to
discharge men who served upon the com
mittee had been more strictly regarded.
The Pullman Strike.
"The strike occurred on May II, and
from that time until the soldiers went to
Pullman, about July 4, 500 strikers Were
placed about the company's property, pro
fessedly to guard it from destruction or
interference. This guarding of property il
strikes is, as a rule, a mere pre-ense. Too
often the real object of guards is to pre-
vent new comers from taking strikers
places, by persuasion, often u be followed
If Intellectual. by intimidation and VIC
lence. The Pullman company claims this
was the real object of the guards. The
strikers al Pullman are entitled TO be be
lieved TO the contrary in this matter, be
cause of their conduct and forbearance
after May IL. 1t is in evidence, and un-
contradicted, that no violence or deStruc-
ton of property by strikers or symp1thiz
ers took place at Pullman. and that unit
July no extraordinary protection was
had from the police or military agains.
even anticipated disorder. Such dignified
manly and conservative conduct in the
midst of excitement and threatened s,ar-
walton is worthy Of the highest type OF
American citizenship. and will. like pru-
dence in all other direc lions, result in due
time in The lawful and orderly redress of
labor wrongs. To deny this Is TO for
swear patriotism ana TO declare This g5v-
ernment and its people a failure"
As to the great railroad strike proper
the report says:
TT is apparent that the readiness to
strike sympathetically was prompted by
the disturbed and apprehensive condition
of railroad employees, resulting from Was
reductions on different lines, blacklisting
etc. and from the recent growth of the
General managers association, which
seemed to them menace"
Farther on the report says.
1T IS seriously questioned, and with
much force, whether courts have iuris-
diction 70 en1oin citizens from 'persuad-
ing each other in Industrial or Other
e. 1T.
IS generally recognized among good citi
zens that a mandate Of a court is to b
Obeyed until il is modified and corrected
by the court that issued It,
THE policy Of both the Pullman com
pany and the railway managers associa-
ton in reference to applications to arbi-
trate closed the door to all attempts a
Cancellation and settlement Of differences
The commission is impressed with the be
lief. Ly the evidence and by the attendan
circumstances as disclosed, that a differ
ent policy would have prevented the loss
Of life and great loss Of property and
wages occasioned by the strike"
The report declares that the arrival Of
the troops at Chicago was Opportune and
says that policemen symDataizad with
strikers rather than with the corporations
cannot be doubted, nor would it be sur.
prislng 70 ind the same sentiment rife
among the military. These forces are
largely recruited from the laboring cIasses
strike wars between corporations and en-
ployes, military duty will ultimately have
TO be done by others than volunteers from
labor's ranks
As tn Deputy MarshnIE.
United States deputy marshals to the
number Of $500 were selected by and ap-
pointed at the request Of the General man
ayers association ard of its railroads
They were armed and paid by the rail
roads and acted in the double capacity
Of railroad employees and United State
officers. While operating the railroads
they assumed and exercised unrestricted
United States authority when so ordered
by their employees, or whenever they re-
garded it as necessary. They were not
under the direct control Of any govern
ment official While exercising authority.
This is placing officers Of the government
under control of a combination of rail
roads. 1t is a bad precedent, that might
well lead to serious consequences"
The commission briefly dispOses in this
way OF the matter of the use of federal
troops:
"Sec. 4 Of art. " Of the federal con-
stitutiOn reads as follows: The
United States shall guarantee to every
state in this union a republican, form of
government and shall protect each of
them against invasion; and on application
Of the legislature or Of the executive (when
the legislature cannot be convened),
agains. domestic violence. United States
troops were not sent into Illinois upon
the application of the legislature. nor OF
the executive, against domestic violence,