Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-08-25
DEBs' STORY TOLD.
The Labor Leader Testiflee Be-
fore the Commission.
His Version of the Causes which Lod to
tie Late strike as Well as to Its De-
feat-EIIs ideas on Many
Points.
r1rrn nAY's pRocrEp1Nas.


ness chair, his hands clasped in front OF him,
his tall stnlwart gray-clad form leaning
slightly forward, the leader of the great rail-
road strike and boycott told his story.
Mr.. Debs recited the history of the
strike as recorded in the actions OF the Ameri-
can Railway union. His account did not vary
from that previously given to the commits
sion by Vice President Howard. Directors
Burns and Goodwin, Secretary Keliher
and other witnesses.
Mr. Debs did not consider the time auspictous
for Is strike, because of the depressed con-
dition of business. But the men had been suf-
fering whit they conceived to be many
wrongs at the hands OF the corporations that
they were ready to strike. Mr.. Debs went on
to explain that the Santa Fe system struck,
not because of a reduction Of pay, but because
the receivers Of the company were in arrears
to tire men for large sums of wages
Continuing, Mr. Debs desired the commits
sion to understand that he as president of the
American Railway union did not and could not
order strikes which were decided on by the
local unions themselves. If am not shrinking
any portion Of my responsibility" said he. II
heartily concurred in the action taken and IL
had voice in the ordering OF the strike would
have ordered it."
Not n meeting during the trouble was held
with closed doors" said Mr.. Debs I'VE ad-
vised our men to be moderate; that II We
would win we ought to win like men. We told
the men we had a right to quit In body and
that our right ended there. The company had
the right to hire men to take our places and
there their right began. My experience hos
been that nothing can be gained by violence
and have always spoken and written against
violence"
Five days after the strike was declared we
hnd the railroads completely beaten and NJ
our mercy, we believed" continued he
They were paralyzed. They could not get
men to take the places of our men who
were out. Then l and my associate Of
hcials we're served with sweeping In
junction issued by the United States courts
restraining as from performing our functions
as ofncials of the American Railway nnion.
Similar injunctions were issued at all ter
minal points. A few days afterward we wera
arrested for alleged contempt OF court. We were
unable to direct the men, and that defeated the
strike 1t was not the army, not the soldiers, not
the older organizations but the power OF tho
United States courts. A strike Is q war-not
necessarily OF blood and bullets, but q war In
asmuch as it is q conflict between the opposed
classes of interest, and when our men lost
their leaders they were demoraiized and this
beat u.s."
Mr.. Debs went on to recite the history of tho
American Railway union and the strike and
then he spoke of Gen. Miles. Gen. Miles
came here on July - said Mr.. Debs.
'Then he went to the offices of the
General Managers association The next
day he was quoted in interview the
newspapers as having said that he had
broken the backbone of the strike 1
think Gen. Miles conduct in calling the
general managers was vulgarly out OF place"
I'VE protested against the presence of the
federal troops We did not object to state
troops or the police II 1 am correct, all tho
trouble, except some minor disturbances, took
place after the arrival OF the federal troops
the coming of whom angered and intlamed the
men The police have reported to me that our
men were entirely law-abding."
At the afternoon session Mr.. Debs opened his
| testimony with n denunciation of the unfair
| ness shown by some of the Chicago papers in
| their treatment of himself and the strike gen.
| orally. He said that some OF the papers had
| purposely misrepresented the facts until, IL
| there had besn revolution, the press OF Chi
| cago might properly have been held RESPONSE
| Bile for IL. said he: Il was persstently mis-
| represented In interviews with the evident in
tentLon OF alternating public sympathy from us
| and disorganizing our men by discrediting US. +"
| do you claim" asked Mr.. Wright, that the
| railroads were responsible for the strike be-
| cause they insisted on hauling Pullman cars!''
No. sir. The American Railway union was
| responsible for 1t, but under aggravating cir
cumstances. The general managers are united
4! TO reduce wages The employees are united TO
| resist such reductions In case OF q reduction
| that leads to strike we think the company IN
| responsible"
What is your opinion as to methods of
| averting strikesS" asked Commissioner Worth
ington.
| That Is the plan of the old brotherhoods. II a
| general manager wants to make cut OF 10 per
cent he gives notice OF q cut OF 20 per cent, and
then they meet and compromise, The history
| OF the organizations shows that their system
| tends to inevitable and gradual reductnon OF
| wages. My own idea, and 1t is the idea Of the
American Railway union. is to unity all the rail-
| road men OF the country A power like that
prudenty managed would avert strikes. The
| railroad managers would recognize the wisdom
of treating II fairly and meeting 1t In con-
ciliatory spirit, But even II we had such q
unihcation the men would not win q strike. Al
the forces OF the government would be against
them the moment the strike interfered with
the convenience OF the public"
do you believe strike Is justifiable that
interferes with public convenience"
II believe strikes are Iustifable. no matter
what the result, when 1t Is to resist degrada-
| tion and enslaving conditions. II 1t were not
the tendency OF our civilization would be con
stantly downward. II railroads and corpora
| tions generally treated their employees fairly
thore would bs no labor organizations. Theil
| origin In almost every case is traceable direct
| ly to the tyranny OF the employing classes.
"ln my judgment 1t Is not possible to recon
cile railroad employers and employees by legis
| latlon while human nature Is as II Is. Tit
conditions since the great strike are worsi
| than before. good slany people felicitat'
| themselves that the end of the strike mean
the end OF labor disturbances for u long tim
| TO come. They are mistaken. They have onl,
| screwed down the safety valve The men hav'
submitted because they were compelled, ana
the prosecutions that fOllosT strikes win de
prive good many men of employment. Late
there will be more trouble"
do you believe in government ownership O
railroads." asked Mr.. Herman.
Yes, sir, believe the government owner
ship OF railroads is decidedly better than rail
, road ownership OF the government"
The reply caused much merriment. Thel
| the witness said compulsory arbitration was
> contradiction OF terms. To be effective arbi
tration must be voluntary In local trouble
) | state courts might pc established TO compe
. nn adjudication OF troubles, but 1t would be i'm
| possible to enforce an award In great terri
, tory such rs the railroads covered The wit
| ness also said that he believed governmen
license for railroad employees would be goo
| thing
EATAL WRECK ON THE WABASH