The Irish standard., 1894-07-07
EUGENE Y. DEBB'Ss ADDRESS.
The Leader ef the Ar u Says HeSis Read
to Avert the Impending Crisis

]! The Leader Of the Al. U. Says HeslS Ready
to Avert the Impending Crisis.
CH1cAGo, July resident Debs, q
the a. r u, issued IN address tonight
to the public, the purpose Of which, he
said, was to acqnaint the people with the
facts relating to the present trouble. He
declared that the Pullman employees who
struck on May did 60 entirely OF their
own account. Their action was spon-
taneous and unanimous. q revolt against
series Of deep seated wrongs OF long
standing. Labor leaders not only had no
part in it. but those in connection with
the A. r. o. advised against it. The en-
ployes at Pullman had virtually become
slaves of the corporation. At the time
of the strike they we're in arrears to the
extent of $4,000. Within short time
they would have become hopeleesly in
volyed in debt and would have mort
gagged soul and body to the Pullman
Company. This had resulted because,
while wages had been reduced, the cost
OF living had remained the same.
The employees, from the beginning, had
been willing to arbitrate their differences
with the company. This was still their
position. The claim of the company that
there was nothing to arbitrate was alb
surd. Committee after committee waited
upon the officials of the company, but
was always repulsed. The company was
and still is unyieldirg.
Finally, on June II, the delegates of
the A. r. q. met in convention in Chi
cago. The Pullman trouble had been
discussed at their local meetings. Many
of the delegates came instructed. Two
committees were sent to the officials, but
no satisfaction could be obtained. AS q
last resort the delegates determined by
unanimous work to decline to haul Pull
man cars unless the company would do
justice within FIVE days. This action
was taken six weeks after the strike at
Pullman occurred.
How did the strike extend to the rail-
ways? The day before the order Of the
union declining to haul Pullman cars
went into effect che General Managers
Association, representing the principal
Western railways, met and agreed sub
stantially to uphold the Pullman COM
pany in it's fight against it's employees;
that they would haul Pullman cars, and
that they would stand together in crush
ing the life out the A. r. U. The
trouble resulting had spread from line to
line and from system to system until q
crisis had been reached. Every good
citizen must view the outlook with grave
concern. -
What could be done to restore peace
and confidence? The American Railway
Union stood ready to do anything in it's
power that was honorable to end the
trouble. It simply insisted that the
Pullman company shall meet it's en-
ployes and do them justice. The latter
would accept any reasonable PROPOSE
ton. ....
AS to the charge that this was a SYM
pathetic strike. the employees had done
only what the corporations had done.
Other organizations of workingmen had
felt the oppressive hand OF corporate
capital. They would not be called out,
but would go out. -.
In closing Mr.. Debbs said: "Let me
say that we stand ready to do our part
toward averting the impending crisis.
We have no false pride to stand in the
way of settlement. We do not want
official recognition. All we ask is fair
play for the men who have chosen us to
represent them If the corporations re-
fuse to yield and stubbornly maintain
that there is nothing to arbitrate, the
responsibility for. what may ensue will
be upon their heads, and they cannot
escape the penalties.
HIS LAST COPY IN.