Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-08-02
The Head of the Boycotters.


Before he inaugurated the great July
boycott, Eugene V. Debs was looked
upon as the most successful railroad
union man in the United States. In
the space of one year he called into life
the American Railway union, with d
membership of $50, 900. His aim was to
unite all railroad workers-from the
humblest to the highest-into one pow
erful organization. His success in this
direction was truly phenomenal, and
had it not been for the conservative
action of the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers and the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Firemen the accomplish
ment of his object might have been at
tanned early in the year. Mr.. Debs is
resident of Terre Haute, Ind, where
he was born in 1855. He hes been city
clerk of his native town, and when but
twenty-six years of age was elected to
the lower house of the Indiana legisla-
ture as democrat. A speech, in which
he nominated Daniel Voorhees, for
United States senator, established his
reputation as an orator and leader of
men. His career as railroad man he
began in the paint shops of the Wanda
liza railroad. Later he became a fire.
man on the same road. On his return
from the state legislature he was elect
ed grand OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen,
and later founded the Locomotive Fire
mems Magazine, of which he continues
to be the editor. Disagreements with
the officers of the United Order of Rail-
way Employees led him to formulate
plans for the organization of the Amer
lean Railway union, which soon dnvel-
Oped into the strongest labor society in
the west.
Hrand Master Workman Sovereign.
The most devoted friend President
Dcbs had during the strike was James
! r. Sovereign, grand master workman
of the Knights of Labor. He is Ter
| rance V. Powderly's successor, and a
resident of Des Moines. He was labor
commissioner for the state of Iowa
| during Gov. Boies' administration, al
| though an ardent believer in the prin-
| ciples of the populist party. Although
but forty years of age, Sovereign has
! for some time been prominent in labor
circles By trade he is marble cut
| ter. The conservative wing of the
Knights of Labor opposed his election
because he was considered too radical
| for the good of the order. However,
the rules of the order in relation to
strikes are very strict, and no matter
| how much the grand master workman
may wish the men to quit work he can
do nothing without majority vote of
| the different local assemblies To this
| legislation is due the failure of the
Knights of Labor in many parts OF the
! country to lay down their tools when
Sovereign requested them to join the
great sympathetic strike ~
Other weu-Known Labor Leaders.
The general officers of other labor
organizations never gave Mr.. Debs
much encouragement. Their sympa-
thies were with the Pullman people
and the railway union, but they
| doubted the wisdom of the boycott.
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor; P. NJ.
| Arthur, chief Of the Brotherhood OF
Locomotive Engineers; F. P. Sargent,
chief of the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Firemen; S. E. Wilkinson, cnlet
of Che brotherhood of Railway Train
men, and others were ready to assist
the strikers with money, but not one
of them ventured to advise the cessa-
ton OF labor by the men under theiT
jurisdiction. @. w. WEIPPIERr.