St. Paul daily globe., 1894-08-16
SOVEREIGN REMEDY.
Head Of the K. Of L. Says a
Laboper's Equity Must
Be Recognized.


Mr. Howard began his stat ~nent by
expressing the nope that the commits
sion would use every effort to get at the
bottom of the matter. Commissioner
Herman assured him that the inyestlga-
ton would be thorough, and asked the
witness numerous questions as to his
past and present occupations and the
nature of his official position i'll the
A. r. U.
Now" said the commissioner, ''tell
US what, in your opinion, caused the
railroad strikes"
1.-The strikes were caused" answered
Mr.. Howard. "by the statement of the
general managers that they would back
up Mr.. Pullman curing the strike.''
''Wno told you that?"
1.-The newspapers printed the state
ment, crediting it to General Managers
Egan and st. john"
MIR. Howard then entered into an ex-
haustive recital of the troubles leading
UP to the original Pullman strike. The
men had announced their intention
to strike, he said, but on being
assured by the cOmpany's officials
investigated he had urged the men to
return to work. This they did on the
promise of the company that the COM
mittees, who had handled the trouble.
would not be discharged or otherwise
injured because of the part they had
taken in the matter
And after that PROMISE" continued
the witness. three OF those committee
men were discharged. Then the men
struck. One union. after having failed
to get any satisfaction from the Pull
man company, then endeavored by 10y
cotting the company's cars to bring the
matter to satisfactory termination.
We Ordered No Strike.
"We simply desired that the Pullman
cars be left off the trains.
''At this point we were again met by
the general managers association.
They refused to haul mail ears unless
the Pullmaus were attached to the
trains. Such action was entirely un-
called for. The Pullmans were in no
wise necessary for the transmission of
the United States mails. l can cite
various cases when mail trains are run
without Pullman coaches or other pal
ace car equipment"
WAS the action of your union in the
STRIKE" asked Commissioner Wright,
merely for the protection OF the inter-
ests OF the Pullman employes?'
mo, not entirely" said Mr.. Howard.
"rhe general managers had organized
against us, and we had to protect our
selves"
''ln other words" said Mr.. Wright,
''yOu believed that the railroads, on
their side, had an organization with eX-
actly the same purposes in view as your
union on your SiGe?"
had?''
Were you aware" asked Judge
Worthington, that the railroads had
contracts with the Pullman company?'
I'VE were, and ~e were also aware
that those contracts were violation of
the Interstate law. They allowed the
carrying of none but Pullman sleepers,
and were direct discrimination against
the Wagner cars. In other words, the
| railroads ware enforcing the
Same Sort Of Boycott
| on the Wagner cars that our union de-
sired on the Pullman"
Mr.. Howard was closely examined a 9
to the rules OF the A. K. Z. and prom
ised to give the commissioners copy of
the constitution ana bylaws of the
union.
Howard told the commissioners that
he mad received a communication from
the state committee OF safely, telling of
conversation between two rioters
which had been overheard. The con-
verSation, he said, was a dispute over
money which. the men claim, was re-
overturning aud burning railroad cars
during the strike.
Commissioner Herman questioned the
witness closely on the powers of tile
American Railway union, and Mr..
Howard at last stated that he would
not answer explicitly until the United
States court cases pending against him
were decided. He reluctantly admitted
that the fact that lawleSs men fire.
quently seize the opportunity to
riot during iaUor troubles, is
an argument against strikes.
In the afternoon, with Mr.. Howard on
the stand, Chairman Wright opened the
inquiry with question as to whether
the A. X. u. had suggested strike on
all the roads in order to compel Pull
man to come to terms. The witness
hesitated a moment, and said: ut was
Left TO the Discretion
of the employees on each road BELONGING
to the general managers. The resoIu-
ton of the convention was intended 10
cover every road connected with the
General MANAGERS association, whether
it handled PullmanS or not"
Did you ask all labor unions in this
country to striker"
mo, we asked them to meet us here
and consider the matter. AT this CON
ference MIR. Debs simply presented the
matter, and when the delegates asked
what they should do. he said:
IL am not here to advise you. / leave
1t to the conscience of each man."
Mr.. Herman asked if the railway union
or other labor organizations had ever
per mitted or encouraged it's members
10 work against nOn-union members.
Mr.. Howard said it was a principle of
the union to allow any and every man to
work as he pleased.
what is the effect on q strike when
there is violence and destruction of
property"
''lt Invariably ends in the defeat of
the men because public sympathy is
against them"
When he was invited to suggest n
way OF preventing such troubles in The
future, MI. Howard said SO far as
railroad employees were concerned. the
only practical solution was in the gov |
ernment ownership and operation OF |
railroads.
MIR. Howard isaid he would like time |
to consider the question as to what rem- |
edy could be applied 10 labor troubles |
in employmentS outside The railroads. |
He WAS accordingly excused and Will |
appear again.
General Master Workman Sow.
erei@n,
OF the &. of Ia. followed. He said he |