The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-07-14
The Great Strike---Its Cause and
Remedy.

way.
The whole affair grew out of a reduction
of wages by the Pullman Company. The
men refused to accept the reduction and
quit work As means of forcing the
Pullman Company to terms they decided
to prevent. the railroads using Pullman
cars. Riot and disorder followed, the
employees tying up the railroads, tearing up
tracks, ditching trains and frequently set
ting fire to cars and railroad buildings.
Chicagois a hotbed of Anarchists and all
sorts of outlaws, and these took advan-
tage of the opportunity to carry out their
ideas of chaos The police being powerless
TO restore order, the militia was called out,
and finally the United States Government
sent troops to see that mail trains were
permitted to run aud to protect the lives
and property of the citizens.
The Pullman Company had right to
offer its employees less wages, and the en-
ployes had the option of declining or &C
cepting. 1t was question solely between
them, and there was no excuse for bad
temper or violence. 1t was exasperating
to the employees, however, to see the Pull
mans become millionaires and live in lux
ury from the proceeds of their labor, and
then desire to maintain the profits at the
same high figures as in times of general
prosperity. None of the employees ever
get rich; few ever own their own homes
and save enough to keep them from want
in their declining days. But, still, the
Pullmans had legal right to offer only
such wages as they choosed, and their en-
ployes had no legal or moral right to in
Ieriere with them or their property. And
they we're further goaded to evaporation
when they saw the great railroad corpora
lions of the country, some of them aided
by the government through money which
they helped to put into the treasury, side
with the Pullmans The railroads were
asked not TO use the Pullman cars. They
declined, and thereby aided the Pullmans
in reducing the wages Of their employees.
Thus great corporations combined to crush
labor, aud labor rebelled. But labor vio
lated the law when it tied up railroads,
destroyed property and committed acts OF
violence. By doing this they added to
corporate power the police power, then the
state military, and finally the power of the
government through its military arm.
All of these labor troubles and riots and
outlawry are directly the outgrowth OF the
Republican policy of Protection which has
prevailed for over thirty years. High
taxation upon foreign goods served to
stimulate all too rapidly the establishment
of manufactures in this country. The
country doomed along too fast. Fortunes
were being piled up that were never dream
ed of, and labor began to ask its proper
share. Capital was two grasping to make
any more equitable distribution. Labor
was imported from Europe that would
work even cheaper than our own artisans.
Foreigners in time became dissatisfied, be-
cause they found that while wages were
higher so was living. More foreigners
were imported to take their places And
80 it went on, and now, when the country
is settling down to a conservative and safe
basis, there are twice as many mechanics
and laborers as can find employment to sup
ply the home market. While all this null
iplying of industries and importing of la
Dor was going on, the tariff was being
steadily raised higher, and eliminated
with the enactment of the Mckinley law.
This law not only secured almost complete
i6 the American market to American
products, but it caused such falling off
of imports as to cause deficit in the gov
eminent finances About S50,0OO,0 900
was the shortage for this year, and that
much has been added to the interest bear
ing debt of the country.
Another part of Republican Legislation
was the giving away of the public lands to
railroads. To make business for their
lines and to sell these lands, the railroad
companies sent agents abroad to induce
immigration. Glowing prospects were
held out, and perfect tide of foreign i'm
migration set in. The result is every foot,
nearly, of the public domain has been
parted with, farm products have so great
" increased that farming is no longer re-
munerative, and agriculture and manu-
features are both languishing, and one
half of the railroads of the West are in the
hands of receivers.
With the financial situation improved
and taxation lowered, so as to make freer
trade between. this country and other
nations, and with foreign immigration
placed under proper regulations, there Will
De SentTai re'iNu vi "uS'
mnst have market for our surplus farm
products. This can only be done by low
ing the tariff and permitting the rnar'utac-
lures Of other countries to compete "a this
market Our manufactures will soon set
tie 10 basis where large volume can be
sent abroad. An Interchange of products
will be generally beneficial and this coun-
try will get upon sound business basis.
This time is near at hand, and We believe
season of prosperity will soon begin.
This country has been on fictitious in
dustrial basis ever since 1860. 1t is about
10 return to a sound one.