Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-08-31
HOWARD is HEARD
In Explanation .of His Speech
Blue Island.
DID APPLYAN EPITHET ToPULLMAN

But 1t Was from Force of Habit as, It
Were-Did Not Propose to Help Hang
the Baron-A Mis- aLe as to the Subject
of Courpling Pin Tactics-Some' Oues-
tions PrOpounded-Sw Switchman Mooney
Gives His Experience.
CHICAGO, Aug. 31-The most interesting
testimony before the labor commission
was that given by Vice President Howard,
OF the A r. U, and William r. Mooney,
switchman. Howard was present to ex-
plain his remarks to the meeting at Blue
Island, as stated by the witness Sanders
and Others. Howard began by some COM
ments on railway vernacular. He said
that the use of opprobrious epithets to one
another, even between the best of friends,
was common among railroad workmen,
and as no insult was meant no offense was
taken. BY this custom Howard explained
his use of a vile name regarding Pullman
at the Blue Island meeting II did say
Cnat fuilman was -- and ought to
be hung. But did not say" continued
Howard, that would like to be one to
pull on the rope. 1 did not use the term
against him out of any wish to degrade
him or his family.
Proper Use of Coupling Pins.
AS to the statement made by several
men that l advised in my speech that
| coupling pins should be used on men who
took the places of strikers l was not cor
| rectly quoted" Howard found it neces-
sary to go into a rather extended discus
sion on labor organizations to explain his
remark about tapping certain people on
the head with coupling pins" "Perhaps
you may be surprised, said Ho ward, "but
l claim to be Christian gentleman, and
l firmly believe that religious persecution
has been the great cause of labor's failure
in its contests with capitaln Having this
| religious matter in view he advised that
the emissaries of said persecution be
watched. and that if they ever found zone
of those sleuths of hell trying to inject
the poison of division on the ground of re-
ligion hope some one will have the nerve
to take a coupling pin and tap that
snooZer on the head and put him to sleep
forever"
Wanted Some Questions Asked.
Howard then produced series OF ques-
tlons that he wanted the general mana
gers to reply to. They were: Did your
company have a contract with the govern
ment to haul the mails? Did this con-
tract depend on your ability to haul Pull
man cars on your mail trains? Did your
contract with the Pullman company
, obiige you to haul their cars on ,aSsS.
trains? Were the two contracts in any
way dependent on each other? He also
wanted George NJ. Pullman asked # he
| had been threatened with boycott by
the railways if he listened to his striking
employees. As to all these questions Ker-
nan thought the replies were self-evident
or that they had been fully answered.
Knows There Ia n blacklist.
Witness knew the railways kept black
| list for he had helped to beat it, the only,
but sure, way being for the men to change
his name and apply for work. The A. r.
| L. had secured the all important arrests
| of rioters ard the railways had done little
or nothing in that line. He could bring
| hundreds of witnesses to prove the eX-
| istence OF blacklist aud its use by the
roads; he could also show that the rail-
| road companies had conspired TO cause
| trouble to give them a preteXt to crush
the American Railway Union. He would
prove the service of the A. r. L. in hav-
| ing rioters arrested by Mayor Hopkins,
| Inspector Shea and other officials.
| Deputy Marshal wade's Experience.
Stewart Charles Wade, an employe of
the legal department of the Rock Island
road, said that at the beginning of the
strike he was a newspaper reporter. Sub
sequently he was a captain of deputy
United States marshals engaged by tine
Rock Island road. Wade told how he
went along the Rock Island tracks with
Mayor Hopkins and other officials on July
$, and related what he saw of obstruc-
tions on the tracks. His opinion was that
the blocked condition of the tracks was
caused by persons thoroughly familiar
with railroading. The police. in Wade's
opinion, were entirely Inefficient until
after Mayor Hopkins special orders had
| been issued.