The record-union., 1894-07-21
The Autocrat Who Decides That No
One Shall Travel. Eat. Drink or
sleep Except Upon the Terms He
Sees Fit to Dictate-It Is Time That
Cftfzens Declare Themselves.
IRON the Seattle Post-Intenigencer.J

dent who executes the laws, Congress
which makes them and Supreme Court
who construe the laws. About two years
ago the people of this country, by large
majority, elected G rover Cleveland Pres
ident and Cong ress that is Democratic
in both the House and the Senate. Intel
ligent men consider that this is the re-
sponsible Federal Government of the
United States, and every man who does
not need a guardian knows at suffrage
is almost universal in this country and
that the majority rule. In other words,
ever since the Federal Constitution was
adopted III 1889 this country has been
ruled at the point of the ballot, and we
have only had barely Federal bayonets
enough to man the Government army
posts.
With 65,000,000 of people, our standing
army is but $4,000 strong, scattered in
small detachments all over the country.
Germany, in times Of peace, with but
II, 200, 900, has q standing army OF nearly
100000 men; France. with less that 40,-
900, 600 of people, has standing army Of
500, 600 In America we do not tax the
people to support non-productlye body
of 500, coo. The State militia or National
Guard in forty-four States amounts TO
about 100000 men. We have preferred
ing by forest of bayonets, as they prae-
tically do in Europe. Under our form of
government we have treated the people
with absolute confidence. They elect
their own Legislature; their own Sheriffs
their own Prosecuting Attorneys; their
own judges; make their own laws, and
for This reason mob law In the United
States is very great outrage on
publicspolicy and equity. Nevertheless
there seems tobe class of lawless Great
ures in this country who appear to think
that the Government ofthe United States
is nothing but a tag TO the tail OF the coat
of the American Railway Union, or the
knights of Labor, or the American Con-
federation of Labor, despite the fact that
all the labor organizations i'll the United
States amount to a mem bershlp OF ,O00, QUO
strong out of total of workingmen OF
nearly 20. .O00, 900. Mr.. Debs, President OF
the American Railway Union; Mr.. Com
pers, President of the Confederation OF
Trades, and Mr.. Sovereign, General
Master Workman of the knights Of La
Dor. evidently believe that they are the
Government of the United States and
they annually or semi-annually use their
influence to persuade the members of
their various trades unions to bulldoze
the responsible Government of the United
States.
Gompers, who is 3 foreigner, threw
himself on the side of lawlessness and
violence during the Homestead strike OF
1892; his speeches are always anarchistic
to the last degree. as are those of Soyer-
eign, the genaram Master Workman OF
the Knights of Labor, while Debs, the
chief of the American Railway Union,
seems to have less brain and common
sense, if possible, than the other two labor
demagogues, Gompers and Sovereign.
Debs is a young man who some years ago
Terre Haute, and is President OF pub
fishing house in Chicago which prints
slabor literature" so-called. Debs' lieu
tenant is G.. w. Howard, chief of the
Brotherhood of Railway Conductors and
Vice President of the American Railway
Union, whose organization was begun
about year ago. Every man who is in
the employ of railroad. or who has ever
been in such employ, Is eligible to MEM
bership, except such as hold or have held
places as high as yardmaster, train mas
ter. general agent, and thelike, or higher.
The Initiation fee is 81, 81 of which goes to
the support of the general union.
This union is reputed to have l50,OO0
members. Debs and his Lieutenant How
ard. evidently consider that they are the
Government of the United States and are.
through that organization of 10000 men,
with sympathizers that may swell Its
strength to 200, 900, running this country.
Debs is nothing but Martin Irons over
again; his manifestoes read ike the pro-
CARNATIONS of Martin Irons in the great
Southwestern strike OF 1885, ana ne Will
meet the fate of Irons.
And these fellows assume to be the
Governments of the United States. The
Chicago Tribune, in its just indignation,
says:
1.-THE FIRST order OF those autoorats, who
have established an tnaperiu'a ln imperto,
is that all railroads hauling sleeping cars
made at Pullman shall be tied up though
these cars are owned by the roads chiefly
or in some part. The new functionaries
who have usurped the powers of Govern
ment have declared themselves as auto
Gratis, and ordered that all transportation
shall cease unless some twenty great
railroads dispense with the use OF Sleep
ers for the accommodation OF travellers
which mainly belong to them.
'sWho elected Debs and Howard? E? Who
invested them with autocratic powers
over the people and their business affairs?
Who gave them authority TO stop the
transportation Of the country Who au-
thorizsd another autocrat, Sovereign, to
Daralyze the business of the stock yards
and throw $4,000 men out of work Who
gave still another little despot, Mcbride.
the right to telegraph the. head autocrat
that ii the railroads did not obey Debs'
sorders he would cali out all the coal
miners and deprive the people of fuel?
"Isn't it about time tor the citizens to
find out by what Government they are
ruled, and who it is that gives them per-
mission to live, breathe, travel or DO
business? It has been supposed they
were living under the Declaration of In
dependence, the Constitution Of the
United States and the laws of the Nation,
but it now appears this is a great mistake.
They have coup 6'etat nnonarehs for
| rulers They have new laws and tnsti-
| tutions. Autocrats are springing up like
mushrooms, assuming the right to gov
ern, interfering with the commerce Of
the country and with the business and
pleasures and pursuit of happiness OF the
people On what meat do these Csesars
reed that they have grown so greatY Who
| invested Debs and Howard and Sovereign
/ and Mcbride with crown and scepter and
with the right to interfere with the peo-
| ple's laws, rights and privileges2
"No despot ever conducted himself
/ with more brazen and insolent defiance
of popular rights than this man Dsbs,
who. seeking for some pretext to make
war upon society, found IL in this Pull
man strike and then delared war upon
| ewenty.els railroads which had nothing
| to do with that labor dispute. seeking to
/ try, Louis Napoleon after his coup d 'etat
| never ruled France like that. Virtually
| fhis impudept autoorat says no man shall
eat, or dsinA or sleep, or travel except
upon such terms ss he lDeps) shall FIX.
| Dunk With his power, ss last resort he
has now issued Q general order for all
| railroad men 10 strike. II remains to be
ssen whether be wiz be cbsyed, II he is,
| then it may well be asked If we ara living
! Under Grover CisYelsnd or Eugene Debs,
whether nnsa and women and children
have the right 60 travel Qn mattsrs Of
| business or In guest ef pleasure uHdsS
| ffiast walt until this man Hshs mvef