Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-12-15

or was caused by the injunction. Their
original intention, it is true, was only
to prevent the use of Pullman cars, but
finding, as they did Immediately, that
that aim would be thwarted by the dis
charge from service of men who refused
to handle those cars, they began as
early as June %, the day after the boy
colt was proclaimed, to issue orders to
strike, and from that time the TO end, TO
the extent Of their ability, they conduct
ed and controlled the strike with per-
sistent consistency Of purpose. and
with unVarying methods of action.
With all that is said about guarding
property, keeping the peace, and being
the first to arrest offenders, not one was
arrested, and no effort was made by
strikers or members OF the Railway
Union to preserve the peace or TO pro-
tect property. On the contrary many
of them were leaders in scenes OF vio-
lence and disorder. II this strike, like
others, was understood TO be war, not
necessarily of blood and bullets, but
conflict between contendinG interests or
classes of interests, IN which strategy
had TO be employed to keep the men In
line, Ii was more than a peaceable
strike or mere cessation from work.
Had it been only that, the injunction,
instead of being a hindrauce, would
have been in their hands the very
weapon they needed 10 enable them to
suppress the violence and disorder, in
which alone they saw possible danger TO
the success of their cause.
1t is shown by the testimony OF two
or more witnesses, that on the night o!
June 20, Dsbs and Howard and Keliher
ATTENDED A MEETING
OF the local union at Blue Island, sub
urb OF Chicago, on the line of the Rock
Island and Pacific railroad; that he and
Howard each addressed the men; that
on the next day was inaugurated "a
condition of turbulence" which wit
ness declared he did not believe could
exist" and Notwithstanding the efforts
OF the United States marshalS, by read
ing the injunction and otherwise, to
quell the disturbances, nothing was
accomplished till July 5, when
the federal sOldieS arrived.
These things directly followed,
and, in large measure, think ii not
unwarranted to say, were the natural
aud probable result Of the speeches
made by Debs and Howard at the meet
ing on the night of the Goth at Blue
Island. Suggestions calculated TO in
cite 10 acts Of violence or intimidation
were contained in many OF the tele-
grams which were sent out over the
name Of Debs, and for which, notwith-
standing the avermeut Of their answers
to the contrary, it is no longer possible
for any of the defendants to deny some
measure of responsibility.
The right OF men to strike peaceably,
and the right to advise peaceable
strike, which the law does not presume
to be impossible, is not questioned. But
If men enter into conspiracy TO do any
unlawful thing, and in order to accom-
Dlish their purpose, advise workingmen
to 20 upon a strike, knowing that Vio-
lence aud wrong will be the probable
outcome, neither in law nor in morals
can they escape responsibility.
The original conspiracy against the
use of Pullman cars became a conspiracy
against transportation and travel by
railroad. Upon their own authority,
without consulting the local unions,
the defendants converted the boycott
into strike, and, with the aid Of fol-
lowers, some OF whom stopped at no
means between the drawing OF q coup
ling pin and the
UNDERNuNING OF A BRIDGE,
whereby men should be hurled TO death,
they pushed the strike to the conditions
which prevailed when the Intervention
Of the court was asked, and which in
the end compelled the employment OF
military force to rs.eStabiish peace and
start again the activities of'commerce.
Much has been said, but without
proof, of the wrongs Of the workingmen
OF Pullman, OF an alliance between the
Pullman Company and the railroad
managers to depress wages, and gener-
ally Of corporate oppression and AFRO
gance. But IL is evident that these
things, whatever the facts might have
been proved or imagined to be, could
furnish neither justification nor pallia-
tion for giving up city to disorder and
for paralyzing the industries and COM
MERGE OF the country.
The court therefore finds the defend
ants guilty Of contempt as charged, in
each of the cases. The same sentences
will be ornered in both cases, but it is
not intended that they shall be cumu-
lative.