The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-21

Tells Federal Commission About
the A. z L. Strike.
puLLMas CALLED TO TESTIFY.
An shs cstssm minis IN Nsw Bsdfsrz
Closed By ssrsks Agsinss Ee-
aneffes Of wages


The courtroom yes crowded from ise
bench 70 TIE d0orways. 'sSow tell IN Ia
your osn way, Mr.. Dsbs. " sad Com mis-
ssoner Wright. "wh&s you know 81 the
Pullman strike and It's rssnlts. Leaning
forward ia hls seat tie tai leader Of the
great strike bsgan. in 9 los. clear voice, .
recital which gradually became more cart
est and forcibis ss hs pEocssded. unial Il
developed into Almost an orstion. lie
told Of hsving recsived word that strike
81 Pallmsn was Imminent. aad OF bis e9fn-
ing 20 Chicago 20 Investigate Il found,
be said, that msn were working Tor
the Pullman Company AZ wages upon
which thsy could not live. found
that saiaFss. had been cut time
and again, nntu skilled mechanics were
working their lives away for wages not
s1fflcssnt for q DAP laborsr; THAI the town
Of Pullman vas 80 schemsd that every
penny q vorklngsn4n made found its wsy
back 70 the company. In fact. I found
the worksngmsn 81 Pullman Ia pitssels
condition. and determined that | would
DO all in BY poser a. president Of the
Ansrean Railway Union 70 improve the
condition OF these men. The sErike fol-
lowed, which vas ordered by the msa
themselves. Then came the boyeott,
ordered By duly elected delegates TO our
convention: and then followed the rail-
road striks, ordered by various local
unions. each Of which had o grievances Of
its own"
Would the railroad strikes have oe-
CURED II there bad been no Pullman
uoubisf" asked Commissioner Wright.
mo, the Pullman strike was the prime
cause. We desired 10 stop Pullman's cars
and shnt of his income, thus forcing him
10 arbstrata, but the railroad men had
grievances Of their own. The General
Mansgsrs' Association had been organized
with the avowed ntsntlon Of giving assist
snce 10 the railroads In Isbor troubles
Their evident aim vas 20 drive organized
labor out 81 sxistsHcs. No sooner had
this association been formed than sys-
tsmatic reduction OF railroad wages al
over the country began. The men we're
resdy 20 strike. and felt that they had
cause. but the trouble would not have
come when IL did had II not been for the
Pullman matter The time vas unpro-
pltious. did not order the strike. | had
not the power. The men did that them
selves But I do not wish to shuk any
responsibility, aud am wllling 10 say that
i heartily eoneurred in and approved Of
the &C ton taken by tbs men. As TO vio-
ienos, always condemned IT. l have
written and spoken against II. believing
and knowing that strike can not be won
~ violence As 20 kilograms cent from
our Office eoanssling violence, know Of
no such epistlss."
WHAT about the buy gun telegram ~
asked the commissioners.
THAT 10 easily explained. The telegram
Was sent BY my private secretary TO q
friend in Butte. and was merely playful
expression. IL was sent as such. and was
90 undsrstoood.s
Dsbs then said that within Eve days after
she strike Was declared the union had the
railroads beaten. 'Thsy we're psralyEed,"
he said. but injunctions we're sown
broadcast, and shortly aitsrwArd the off,
oisis Of the American Railway Union were
arrested for contempt Of court. That
beat IN. About that tine Gen. Miles came
10 Chicago. called on the General Nan
agers' Association. aud the next day was
quoted In an interview as saying that he
had broken the backbone Of the strike.
consider that the call Of Gen. Miles was
vnlgafly out Of place. lie had no more
right to consult with the General Man
agers' Association than be had to consult
our letters and kilograms we're made pub
lie property. while not Q line Of the rail-
roads correspondence Was published. II
I. had been. think | could prove that the
general managers at secret meeting de-
e.ared that they would stamp the Amer
ican Railway Union out Of existence"
In reply TO question Dehs said that the
union had taken every possible means to
prevent riot and disorder. lie said:
I'VE objected 90 the presence of Federal
troops. but not 30 state troops and police.
IL l remember rightly. no serious out
break occurred until ths Federal troops
arrived. and their prsssnes inhamed the
men,"
The witness then told OF the trouble
with the railroad brotherhooda. "Ths
brotheFhoods have outlivsd their useful
nsss," be said. "and for that reason left
the hremsnis organization. They were
Jealous Of the American Railway Union.
and helped 90 defeat us. There is nov =
movement on foot TO form united and
grand reorganization. Within n few
days . proposition will he submitted
90 the other railroad organizations
whereby the officials Of ,he Amer
lean Railway u nloa and other
organizations shall resign When there 10
no possibility Of election 90 offlce. The
principal cause % the strife then being re-
moved, an organization Gill Dc effected. II
the broshsrhoods will consent. which
shall include all smployse."
"Whas 10 your opinion IS 30 the methods
Of preventing ssrlkest" Commissioner
Warrington asked
nshs replied: "My own idea, and IL Is
the ideA Of the American Railway Union,
10 a. unify all the railway men 81 the
country. power like that. pFatsally
managed. would avoid strikes. AID railway
managers woald recognise the wisdom Of
treating IL fairly and meeting ss in . oon-
ellgAtory spirit"
''po yea believe . strike is iassiaahls
that interfsfss with public eonvshisncsf"
FL believe striking 10 iasssAaeie. no mat
Ter What the result When n reslsss en-
,lsvlng and degradation"
s'po rou believe In government ownsr-
chip Of railwaysf" asked Mr.. Herman.
Yes. air. believe that government,
ownership IL decidedly better than rail-
read ownership ef The government"
neAs was followed by 7. III. Negsissev.
rass grand mAsser Of the RsothsrhoSd Of
Railway tEainmsn. The hsothefhoSd. be
said, did net believe In sympsshesio
strikes. hat Individually witness believed
IA rovsEnmsat ownsr.hsp u railroads
h 4 CLARK, Of Cedar Rapids, grand
chief al the order Of Railway CondaeteFs.
told a The hostility eeEWssa The brother
hood and the aaioa.
The commissioners hsxs nctife4 George
NJ. falirnAa 90 appear ana testify. Ihey
Will alas call fer savarat naetsahexs af aAs