The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-07-06
DEBS h4hEN ArAIhMFSr
He Says the Entire binm OF Course. is on
The IinI WY rrnpic.


CHICAGO, July 5.-Eugene V. Debs.
president OF the American Railway Union.
has issued a long statement in justin alton
OF the great strike Of which he is the cen
/ ual ngure. The article D. addressed 20
/ The Public. and reads in part a. follows.
| The Pullman employees who struck on
| May cth. last, diI SD entirely or their
/ own accord. The officers Of the Ameri-
] can Railway Union used their influence 20
/ pacify The employees. and advised them
/ repeatedly not TO strike, hit 10 bear pa
/ tienty their grievances until pedceabie
/ settlemeJt could be effected. 70 the
/ truth or this statement the employees
| themselves VIII bear willing testimony.
But the grievances OF the employees
/ men ana women, had become SO aggra-
/ waited, so calling, That patience deserted
! them. and they abdEQoucl thcr en-
! pigment rather u.an submit longer to
conditions against which their very souls
rcbehed The Pullman COmI any, be IL
understood, owns the town OF Pullman.
Owns the houses, the homes Of The en-
plONeS, controls the light and water. and !
other ncctisaries Of lie and wages arc !
So adjusted TO living expenses. that in o. /
large majority Of cases the employees are /
barely aole 10 support their families. |
AT the time they struck tho employees |
were iu arrears to the Pullman Company |
Np"1 for rent alone. Wages had been |
el'a'e0ly reduced, but rent and ether !
expenses remained tho same
The employees from the beginning have
been willing 10 arbitrate their differences
with the company, but the company arro-
gantly declares that there is nothing 10
arbltrate. II this be true. why not allow |
a board Of fair and impartial arbitrators
to determine the fact? Committee after
committee waited upon the officials OF the
Pullman Company, but all their advances
We're repealed.
tn IR LAST RESORT.
Finally. on June 18th. the delegates Of
the American Railway Union represent
ing -, local unions of railway employees.
located ON the principal lines Of Ameri-
can railways. discussed the Pullman
trouble at Chicago. and as last resort
the delegates determined that unless the
Pullman Company could agree 90 % JUS
tee 20 their employees within nve days
the members OF the order would decline
10 haul Pullman cars. This action. bee ~
remembered. was not taken until the
strike had been on six weeks Up 10 this !
point the trouble was confined % the Pull
man Company and its employees.
How then did the strike extend 10 the
railways? Let the answer be given i'm
accordance with the facts. The day he
fore the order declining 20 haul |
Pullman cars went into effect the gen
eral Managers Association. representing |
the principal western railways. met and
passed series OF resolutions dcclar-
he Pullman Company In its light upon
the employees. that they would haul Pull
man cars. and that they would stand
together IN crushing ont the American
Railway Union. IL VIII thus be- seen
That the railway companie. virtually
Joined forces with the Pullman Company,
went into partnership with them. 50 To
SPEAK, 10 reduce and defeat their half
starved employees. IN this way the trOu-
bic was extended from system TO svs-
TEN, until u crisis was reached. The
business Of the country IS dcmoral.zed
10 an extent that dciics cNaEgeration. To | ]
say that the situation is alarming Is en-
urely within the hounds Of prudent state
ment Every good citizen must Wow the |
outlook with grave concern. Something
should something must he done. Tho
American people arc peace-lovins peo- Z
pie. they want neither anarchy nor rev
luton. They have faith In their i1stltu- /
ton. they believe i'm law and order. they
lie ieye In good Government, but they also
believe in fair play. /
HOW 4 sRrrHMrNr MAY BIZ MADE.
What can be done II disp,l the appre- J
lcnsiOn that now prevails and restore
l.ace and confdcnCe2 The American Raj
way Union. by whose authority and in / q
whose behalf this statement is made, ~
tands ready 80 from the besin-
lower. provided 1t is honorable, 10 end y
his trouble. This. briefly stated. is the
position the organization occupies. IL o.,
imply insists that the Pullman Com l.
ANY shall meet its employees and 10 them
Justice. We guarantee that the latter :
viii accept any reasonable proposition.
-et them agree as lar as they can, and
where they fail 10 acrce let the points II
n dispute be submitted 10 arbitration 80
'he question Of The recognition of tho
american Railway inlon or any other | 90
rgani2atiOn is waived. Let the spirit Of
Oncihduon, mutual concession and COM A,
romise animate and gov m both sides "
nd there Will be no trouble in reaching
settlement that VIII Zoe satisfactory 90 =,
II concerned. This done. let the railway ~
ompanies agree o. restore all their en-
loyes 10 the situations without prejudice
nd the trouble viii be ended
have now clearly and briefly as pos
lille stated the position Of Tie Auieii-
an Railway Union. as IL was az the be-
inning OF the trou5le--as it is nov. Yo
TIE SENSE OF srRIKEs. 7
We have been deliberately and mali VI
,iously misrepresented but we have {
ornc IL all with uuwavcrng faith that
le truth will finally and powerfully pre-
all. We firmly believe our cause is just -
nj while we hold that belief we viii NOT 70
cede. IL has been asked. what sense -.
there In sympathetic strikes; Let The -
operations answer. When one Is as no
lied, all go 10 the rescue. They stand :,
sether. they supply each other with
en- money ana equipments. Labor I'm
liying lis forces simp y follows their
ample. II the proceeding is vicious and
defensible. let them first abolish n
this contest labor viii stand by labor.
-her ORGANIZATIONS VIII not be cailed r
II; but they will 20 out. and the sp.c- the
Gle or Mr.. Pullman. famed b,, rho tog
eezes OF the Atlantic. while his em- sui
oySS are starvirg. i5 not calculated to ma
event their fellow workers iron, dls,
ing 10 their rescue by the only meare ana
their command Let me repeat. mar loc:
stand ready to do our part toward Sci
erunk the impending crisis sti,
The statement closes with these words. c"n
II the corporations refuse TO yield and ON
lbDorniN maintain that there is snotb- 90
TO arpitrate' the responsibility for tior
-at may eLsue will be upon their ov,1 int
ads and they cannot escape its pen"i. spo